New York has quickly taken tangible action after protesters and celebrities called for greater transparency in police departments statewide.
New York's state Senate voted 40-22 on Tuesday to repeal 50-A, a section of a state law that blocks police disciplinary records from the public. The law has been around for decades and activists have wanted it gone for years, but a wave of letter-writing campaigns, protests, and celebrity support finally made it happen.
Starting Monday, the New York state legislature has churned through a wave of police reform bills. That includes a ban on chokeholds — which was already in place in the NYPD for years before an officer used a chokehold and killed Eric Garner. It also includes the repeal of 50-A, which was enacted in the 1970s and blocks the release of "all personnel records used to evaluate performance" of police officers unless allowed by a court or judge. The NYPD recently "fought in court to expand the interpretation of the law" so it includes records of disciplinary hearings, The New York Times describes.
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After the killing of George Floyd sparked protests across New York and the country, New York state Sen. Jamaal Bailey (D-Bronx) introduced a proposal to repeal 50-A. The majority-Democrat Senate passed the bill, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has promised to sign it. Bailey highlighted the history of 50-A in a Tuesday statement celebrating its repeal, saying this move "will help restore public trust in law enforcement." Kathryn Krawczyk
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