NYC's Department of Investigation finds that NYPD's use of "excessive force" contributed to violence during protests

[Cicada 5]

NYC’s Department of Investigation found in its 115-page analysis that NYPD officers were undertrained and underprepared in their handling of protests and civil unrest and that they often engaged in “excessive enforcement” and actions that were, “at a minimum, unprofessional and, at worst, unjustified excessive force or abuse of authority.”

In its summary, the report acknowledges that the protests “were sparked by Floyd’s death, but quickly expanded to embrace broader concerns about systemic racism in law enforcement and whether police are held accountable for excessive force.” The report also mentioned that protests in NYC were “largely peaceful and the actions of most police officers were appropriate,” but in the cases where things turned chaotic, events were plagued with “widespread allegations that police had used excessive tactics against citizens exercising their First Amendment rights.”

Ultimately, the report found that most of the more than 2,000 New Yorkers who were arrested during demonstrations were peaceful protesters.


“But the problems went beyond poor judgment or misconduct by some individual officers,” the reports stated. “The department itself made a number of key errors or omissions that likely escalated tensions, and certainly contributed to both the perception and the reality that the department was suppressing rather than facilitating lawful First Amendment assembly and expression.”

Much of the criticism in the report was leveled at NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio—blaming his directives, in part, for why police oversight of protests was handled so badly in some instances. Interestingly enough, de Blasio appears to agree with the criticism.

“I read this report and I agree with it,” de Blasio said in a statement, according to the New York Times. “It makes very clear we’ve got to do something different, and we’ve got to do something better. I look back with remorse. I wish I had done better. I want everyone to understand that. And I’m sorry I didn’t do better.”

Investigation Report Says NYPD's 'Excessive Enforcement' Contributed to Violence During George Floyd Protests

Conservative America would have you believe that Black Lives Matter is a terrorist organization and that every BLM protest is a stage for violence, looting and assaults on police officers—despite the fact that a strong majority of protests against systemic racism in policing aren’t violent at...

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[SilentPony]

I mean obviously, but Police Unions are way too powerful and most Mayors would never go against them for fear of being removed from office, so fuck all is going to happen.

 

[Trunkage]

I mean obviously, but Police Unions are way too powerful and most Mayors would never go against them for fear of being removed from office, so fuck all is going to happen.

Never been in a union but I understand their purpose... but I've never understood why the defend actual wrongful actions

 

[SilentPony]

Never been in a union but I understand their purpose... but I've never understood why the defend actual wrongful actions

I think part of the logic is why should I join a Union if they don't protect me when I kill someone? What's the point of a police union if not to protect officers from punishment when the officer is recorded "doing their job"

 

[Revnak]

Lol

 

[Seanchaidh]

Shocking.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Never been in a union but I understand their purpose... but I've never understood why the defend actual wrongful actions

More or less any institution will tend to deny wrongdoings of its members against outsiders, unless some outside group holds them accountable.

 

[tippy2k2]

...police constantly brutalizing people is part of the reason people keep having these "Stop brutalizing us" protests?!?!?

Well I for one am shocked. Shocked and amazed at these results.

 

[Worgen]

Never been in a union but I understand their purpose... but I've never understood why the defend actual wrongful actions

Unions exist to defend the workers that are part of it. That means generally taking the workers side in most things even if they suck. If workers think a union doesn't have their backs then they will abandon it. So they almost have to even defend bad workers for the "greater good" of the union as a whole. I mean I like unions and I've been in one before but they aren't some pure good thing vs a pure bad thing, reality is complicated and stupid.

 

[Agema]

Unions exist to defend the workers that are part of it. That means generally taking the workers side in most things even if they suck. If workers think a union doesn't have their backs then they will abandon it. So they almost have to even defend bad workers for the "greater good" of the union as a whole. I mean I like unions and I've been in one before but they aren't some pure good thing vs a pure bad thing, reality is complicated and stupid.

A union is only as good as the workers it represents.

 

[Satinavian]

Unions represent and are accountable to the workers.

If the workers, in this case the policemen, would condemn the wrongdoing and would want something to be done, the union would follow. When the policemen want to protect their misbehaving collegues than the union protects them.

 

[tstorm823]

Unions exist to defend the workers that are part of it. That means generally taking the workers side in most things even if they suck. If workers think a union doesn't have their backs then they will abandon it. So they almost have to even defend bad workers for the "greater good" of the union as a whole. I mean I like unions and I've been in one before but they aren't some pure good thing vs a pure bad thing, reality is complicated and stupid.

I confident the opposite of part of this is true, defending bad workers makes people hate unions. I was in a union because I was obligated to by the job I had. They took part of my wages, and then they "helped" by making sure the people who didn't show up for work got extra warnings before being fired for not showing up. Which is to say, they used our money to actively made the job harder. Not doing crap like that would get them more support from the members who do show up for work.

 

[Seanchaidh]

A union is only as good as the workers it represents.

Sometimes it's worse, since it can represent them badly. As below. Anyway, ACAB is the other premise and police unions are shit is the conclusion.

I confident the opposite of part of this is true, defending bad workers makes people hate unions. I was in a union because I was obligated to by the job I had. They took part of my wages, and then they "helped" by making sure the people who didn't show up for work got extra warnings before being fired for not showing up. Which is to say, they used our money to actively made the job harder.

Unions ought to be more democratic than they are.

 

[tstorm823]

Unions ought to be more democratic than they are.

If unions were democratic, a lot of the existing ones would be voted out of existence.

 

[Worgen]

I confident the opposite of part of this is true, defending bad workers makes people hate unions. I was in a union because I was obligated to by the job I had. They took part of my wages, and then they "helped" by making sure the people who didn't show up for work got extra warnings before being fired for not showing up. Which is to say, they used our money to actively made the job harder. Not doing crap like that would get them more support from the members who do show up for work.

A union is supposed to advocate for its members, sounds like that is just what this one was doing. You pay into it, and it defends you. You could have tried speaking up about the people it was defending who were lazy and making the job worse and getting the union not to defend them. You were a member so you had the right.

 

[tstorm823]

A union is supposed to advocate for its members, sounds like that is just what this one was doing. You pay into it, and it defends you. You could have tried speaking up about the people it was defending who were lazy and making the job worse and getting the union not to defend them. You were a member so you had the right.

So now employees forced into the union are responsible for getting one another fired, eh? Sounds like a lovely cooperative system.

 

[Worgen]

So now employees forced into the union are responsible for getting one another fired, eh? Sounds like a lovely cooperative system.

This is how a lot of systems work, they rely on people making reports about bad actors. Generally cops aren't going to stumble on a crime, they are going to respond to a citizen reporting a crime. You remember back how everyone knew someone who was a welfare cheat? Those people are supposed to report that abuse of the system. Same thing with tax cheats, the IRS actually has a bounty system even, you get like 10% of any recovered tax owed, you know someone who cheats a lot and you can get a big payout.

 

[SupahEwok]

This is how a lot of systems work, they rely on people making reports about bad actors.

Literally a snitching advocate.

 

[Worgen]

Literally a snitching advocate.

So then you are in favor of bad employees, corrupt cops, tax cheats, child abusers, etc etc?

 

[Seanchaidh]

If unions were democratic, a lot of the existing ones would be voted out of existence.

ok? a lot of the existing ones are currently run by careerists looking for personal influence in D.C. at the expense of the interests of the workers they represent.