City lawmakers propose NYPD inspector general
June 13th, 2012
Lawmakers have introduced legislation into the City Council that would create an inspector general with subpoena powers over the nation’s largest police department.
With criticism mounting daily on the New York Police Department’s stop-and-frisk and surveillance policies, sponsors of the bill said the aim was to create independent oversight of the law enforcement agency.
The measure, introduced earlier today by Councilmen Jumaane Williams and Brad Lander, would create an inspector general to conduct investigations and review NYPD policies and operations. He or she would also make recommendations and deliver regular reports to the mayor, police commissioner, City Council and the public.
Lander said they looked at the work of inspectors general on the federal and local levels to draft the legislation. They also reviewed police oversight models in other big cities and the operations of other inspector generals in New York City.
“Inspectors general have worked in New York City a lot of times, have worked at the federal level, have worked in a lot of places. There’s a good framework for doing it,” Lander said. “It just made a lot of sense.”
The mayor and police commissioner have previously said the department does not need increased oversight.
By Cristian Salazar on June 13, 2012, 4:34 pmIn category: City Hall, Civil Rights | No Comments »
