IMPACT OF CITY COUNCIL BILLS ON BASIC POLICING

Earlier this month, the NYPD announced a variety of regular crime prevention tactics in the wake of a series of shootings. The NYPD adjusts tactics and resources to target areas where crimes spike, a key reason the NYPD has driven crime down to record lows and why murders and shootings in New York City this year are even below last year's all-time record low levels.

Below is the announcement of the measures the NYPD took after a weekend of shootings in early June and how two bills currently before the City Council would affect these very basic and fundamental crime prevention tactics. City Council Introductory 1080 would allow for lawsuits based on claims that police activities have a "disparate impact" based on sex, age, race, housing status or any other group set forth in the bill, regardless of guilt or innocence and regardless of witness or victim descriptions of perpetrators. Introductory 1079 would install an Inspector General with redundant oversight of the NYPD.

If Intro 1080 became law, State courts could ban all of the police tactics detailed above based on the disparate impact provisions in the law. If Introductory 1079 becomes law, any Police Commissioner would have to consider the possible opinion of an Inspector General before reacting to any similar increase in crime, as opposed to immediately deploying resources to neighborhoods in need. In addition, any Police Commissioner would have to dedicate resources to disproving anonymous complaints about the simple existence (not complaints about misconduct) of these basic, fundamental operations.