The New York City Police Department (NYPD) will reform their policing of protests after reaching an agreement with New York Attorney General Letitia James, the Legal Aid Society and the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU).
The reforms include the use of a four-tiered response system when responding to protests. The agreement also requires the NYPD to create a senior role within the department to oversee response to all public demonstrations, amend its internal discipline matrix, and improve its treatment of members of the press.
“Peaceful protests are a bedrock of our democracy and for generations have been a catalyst for change and progress,” said James. “The policing reforms led by my office, the Legal Aid Society, and NYCLU, and agreed to by the NYPD, will better protect New Yorkers’ public safety and their constitutional right to peacefully protest."
With these policing reforms, New Yorkers can exercise their first amendment right to peacefully protest without fear, intimidation, or harm, James added.
The four-tiered system will require the NYPD to use de-escalation methods before increasing its response. The system allows for increased NYPD presence and response if protests block major traffic arteries, if protesters engage in unlawful conduct, or in other instances that could compromise public safety.
The agreement requires NYPD to create a new, senior role within the department to oversee response to all public demonstrations. The agreement will also require NYPD to stop its use of the crowd-control tactic known as “kettling,” amend its internal discipline matrix, and improve its treatment of members of the press.
To ensure accountability, a new collaborative oversight committee will review NYPD’s response to public demonstrations over a multi-year period. The agreement requires New York City to provide $1.625 million in funding to the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) and $1.45 million to support plaintiffs’ work during the oversight committee process.
