Cuomo Unveils Police Brutality Reform Agenda

Jun. 6–Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has announced what his administration is calling the “Say Their Name” reform agenda, which he said is designed to address an ongoing pattern of police brutality against minorities in New York state and across the nation.

During his daily COVID-19 press conference on Friday, Cuomo said he intends to work with the state legislature to get these policies in place by as early as next week.

Cuomo said the list of policy priorities builds on earlier proposals he called for in the immediate aftermath of the killing of George Floyd and prior executive actions he has taken including appointing Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor in matters relating to the deaths of unarmed civilians caused by law enforcement.

Gov. Cuomo urges New York to pass "Say Their Name" police reform bill next week. "Mr. Floyd's murder was the breaking point of a long list of deaths that were unnecessary and which were abusive. That is a fact. And people are saying enough is enough. That is a fact. " pic.twitter.com/vSnaNIXC8P

— Rob (@Rsfoto_Rob) June 5, 2020

“Mr. Floyd's murder was the breaking point of a long list of deaths that were unnecessary and abusive, and people are saying enough is enough, we must change and we must stop the abuse,” Cuomo said. “Stopping police abuse vindicates the overwhelming majority — 99.9 percent — of police who are there to do the right thing. It restores the confidence, the respect, and the trust that you need to make this relationship work. You have to heal the police-community relationship for the sake of the police and for the sake of the community.”

The ‘Say Their Name' Reform agenda includes:

–allowing for transparency of prior disciplinary records of law enforcement officers by reforming 50-a of the civil rights law;

–banning chokeholds by law enforcement officers and

–prohibiting false race-based 911 reports and making them a crime.

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(c)2020 the Niagara Gazette (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)

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