Attorney General Letitia James announced a groundbreaking agreement with the NYPD, marking a turning point in the department’s approach to managing protests. The reforms aim to prioritize the rights of peaceful protesters, ending a history of aggressive policing during demonstrations. Photo: Brittany Newman/AP
The NYPD’s history of unchecked aggressive policing during protests may be drawing to a close. On Tuesday, Attorney General Letitia James, in collaboration with the Legal Aid Society (LAS) and the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), announced a landmark agreement with the NYPD to revolutionize its protest management approach.
This agreement is a culmination of numerous lawsuits following the 2020 racial justice protests, where the NYPD was under fire for wrongful arrests and excessive force. Now, the city is committed to abandoning intimidation techniques and vowing to respect citizens’ First Amendment rights.
At the core of these changes is a four-tiered response system designed to prioritize protesters’ rights. This system inherently limits police numbers at protests, emphasizing de-escalation before escalating law enforcement actions. Escalation is only permitted in specific scenarios, such as obstructions to significant traffic routes, unlawful activities by protesters, or jeopardized public safety.
A new senior executive role, the First Amendment Activity (FAA) Senior Executive, will be introduced to oversee NYPD’s reactions to public demonstrations. The controversial “kettling” tactic is now prohibited, and there’s a directive to improve press interactions during protests.
Ensuring transparency and public confidence, a joint oversight committee will monitor the NYPD’s adherence to these changes for several years. This committee comprises representatives from the Attorney General’s office, NYCLU, LAS, and other concerned parties. Furthermore, the agreement allocates significant funding for this oversight, guaranteeing…
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