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Cuomo announced on Monday, Aug. 17 that he was sending a letter to 500 jurisdictions with police departments imploring them to work with the community on reforming police departments in the wake of George Floyd's murder.
Calling the tension between police and members of the community “real and out there,” Cuomo offered a framework and topics for consideration by local police departments, elected officials and citizens as they develop their local plans for reform
"We have to address the tensions and lack of trust between our communities and the law enforcement that serves them. I am sending a letter to 500 jurisdictions, explaining that it is imperative that we address this urgent crisis," Cuomo said. "I understand it's complicated. I understand it's difficult. But people are dying.
“New Yorkers do not run from a crisis - this is a time for leadership and action,” he continued. “Local elected officials must work together with the community and their police forces, to develop and implement reforms for a safer, fairer policing standard.”
Cuomo said that if jurisdictions don’t submit their plans for law enforcement reform before April 1 next year, the state will cut funding to police departments.
“A significant portion of the population is unhappy with public safety policies,” Cuomo said. “You know how I know that? There are millions of protesters in the middle of a global pandemic, and we’ve all seen it.
“To ensure these plans are developed through an inclusive process, I called for the New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative,” he said. “With more than 500 law enforcement agencies in our large and diverse state, there is no 'one size fits all’ solution.
“To rebuild the police-community relationship, each local government must convene stakeholders for a fact-based and honest dialogue about the public safety needs of their community.”
In his letter, Cuomo said that each community “must envision for itself the appropriate role of the police,” noting that policies must be developed to allow the police to do their jobs to protect the public and these policies must meet with the local communities' acceptance.
“Denial is not a successful life strategy … not in government and not in personal life,” the governor said. “In a crisis, leaders lead, and leaders act. This is a time for leadership and action.
“We have to acknowledge the tensions, because they’re real. We have to talk to members of the community, because they have real issues; and we have to talk to the police departments, because they have real issues too.”
Cuomo said that the collaborative process should:
- Review the needs of the community served by its police agency, and evaluate the department's current policies and practices;
- Establish policies that allow police to effectively and safely perform their duties;
- Involve the entire community in the discussion;
- Develop policy recommendations resulting from this review;
- Offer a plan for public comment;
- Present the plan to the local legislative body to ratify or adopt it, and;
- Certify adoption of the plan to the State Budget Director on or before April 1, 2021.
"Local elected officials are the natural position to convene the process. If the local electeds are unable or unwilling to manage the collaborative, the state can select an appropriate convener for that jurisdiction," Cuomo said.
"Change is hard. But change is necessary if we are to grow," he added. "The tension must be resolved. Order and public safety must be ensured. I am excited by the possibilities and I am hopeful that this time of crisis will evolve into a moment of creativity and progress. It is normal to make adjustments to fit changing values and circumstances."
Complete guidance from the state can be found here.
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