App NEWS
Activists Commemorate Black August, Say Police Reforms Not Enough
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Organizers say the governor’s executive order to reform police last year didn’t go far enough in curbing discriminatory policing against Black New Yorkers.
App NEWS
Police Firing Records Now Included In Pennsylvania-wide Personnel Database
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The move is part of the police accountability law passed by the General Assembly last July in response to the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Crime and Justice
New York Attorney General, Local Law Enforcement Take Down Two Major Drug Rings
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This comes as opioid overdoses and gun violence surge across the state.
App NEWS
Supporters Push Bill That Ends Some Legal Immunity For New York Police
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“Ending qualified immunity is about accountability for police and justice for the victims whose rights have been violated.”
App NEWS
New York Dems Look to End Qualified Immunity
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“All we’re doing is asking the officials of the state of New York, in their capacity, is to serve and protect, and not harm and kill.”
App NEWS
New York Attorney General Seeks Statewide Use of Force Standard for Police
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“This has rekindled a flame of righteousness, and righteous indignation that has been smoldering for centuries. We are in the midst of a racial reckoning in this country.”
App NEWS
PA Citizens Groups Will Review State Police Use-Of-Force And Racial Bias Incidents
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The Critical Incident Committee will look at police shootings. Another, called the Use of Force Committee, will review incidents when police hurt or killed someone and a gun wasn’t involved.
App NEWS
New York Medical Expert To Grand Fury: ‘Police Didn’t Kill Daniel Prude’
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“(M)y opinion is that none of the officers, their impact, individually or collectively, would have caused or contributed to that cardiac arrest.”
App NEWS
Long Legal Fight Ends, Cariol Horne To Receive Her Police Pension
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Horne had been dismissed after a November 2006 incident in which she has maintained she tried to stop a fellow officer from choking a man during an arrest.
Crime and Justice
INTERVIEW: Oneonta Mayor On Recent Police Shooting, AG Investigation
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“You know, some will cite this incident as proof that the practice of armed police responding to a domestic matter should end. Others will say that if unarmed social workers had responded, we may now be mourning a dead child.”
Crime and Justice
RPD Fosters ‘Culture Of Brutality And Impunity,’ Federal Lawsuit Alleges
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The suit alleges the Rochester Police Department used extreme force in responding to protests, and the use of crowd control measures falls into a long history of the department abusing its power.
App NEWS
Under Budget Deal, Communities Without Police Reform Plan Risk State Monitor, Funding Cuts
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The Ithaca plan was approved, while trustees in Malone ended up sending a revised version of its strategy to the state.
Daniel Prude’s Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Rochester Police Officers
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Attorneys representing Nathaniel McFarland, one of Prude’s five children and the administrator of his estate, also allege civil rights violations and gross negligence in the lawsuit filed Monday.
App NEWS
Prude Case Raises Questions On Reforming New York’s Criminal Justice System
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“It’s kind of a Catch-22. They teach the only way to subdue (a person) under excited delirium is choke holds — knees to the neck, hog ties — things of that nature which brings on death.”
Crime and Justice
Joe Prude, Brother Of Daniel, Angered By Grand Jury Decision
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Joe Prude is the brother of Daniel Prude, who suffocated in police custody a year ago. He says he no longer has trust in the system after state Attorney General Letitia James announced a grand jury had decided not to file criminal charges against any of the officers in his brother’s case.
Proposed Daniel’s Law Gets A Boost From New York’s Attorney General
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“We are completely transforming the system. We are making sure that the right person gets called when it comes to a mental health crisis.”
Abolish the Police
Ithaca Police Reform Group Recommends Abolishing Police Department
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“The job is just very different than it was 50 years ago or 30 years ago. A ton of what we ask our officers to do may not be considered traditional police work.”
Crime and Justice
Grand Jury Rejects Charges Against Buffalo Officers Who Shoved Man In Viral Video
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An Erie County Grand Jury has voted not to indict the officers on charges stemming from a June protest where they were seen on video shoving protestor a 75-year-old protester to the ground.
Crime and Justice
Attorneys, Residents Criticize Police Reform Process In New York State
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The governor’s order — the Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative Plan — requires local police agencies to modernize their strategies and programs based on community input.
Mother of Pepper-Sprayed Girl Says Rochester Police Denied Mental Health Help
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“Her understanding is that the officer basically told her ‘I can’t do that. I can’t call anyone else,’ ” family attorney Lorenzo Napolitano told NPR Thursday.
Crime and Justice
Mother Of 9-Year-Old Who Was Handcuffed And Pepper-Sprayed By Police Speaks Out
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“She feels like she got me in trouble, she’s so apologetic and so emotional and I explained to her every step of the way, you’re not in trouble, you’re good.”
Protests In Rochester As Lawmakers Move To Ban Use of Chemical Irritants On Minors
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Demonstrators gathered near a Rochester police precinct not far from where a 9-year-old girl was pepper-sprayed last week. One officer has been suspended, two others placed on administrative leave.
Rochester Mayor Suspends Police Officers Who Pepper-Sprayed 9-Year-Old Girl
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The incident renews scrutiny of the city and its police department following the death of Daniel Prude, a Black man who died of asphyxiation after an encounter with police in March.
More Security At New York’s Capitol, Although No ‘Specific Threat’
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Concrete barricades have already been put in place to close off a portion of the street next to the Capitol. National Guard members were on site.
New York State Sues NYPD Over Its Handling Of 2020 Racial Justice Protests
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The state attorney general’s office says it has received “more than 1,300 complaints and pieces of evidence” about the police response to the protests in New York City.
New York 50-A Repeal: Months Later, Police Find Ways To Shield Disciplinary Records
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“I am absolutely floored by how inaccessible this is to an ordinary person. The learning curve has been really, really steep.”
So Far, Tompkins Residents Skeptical Of Police Reform Initiative
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“I look forward to this becoming an actual discussion, where our questions are answered, where we have actual talks about how we can imagine public safety because this ain’t it.”
Crime and Justice
Grand Jury Convened In Daniel Prude Case
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The case got national attention when body camera footage showed Prude suffocating while being restrained by Rochester Police after they responded to a mental health call.
Government
COVID-19, Criminal Justice on the Ballot this Year in NY
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After the new bail reform laws took effect in January, some areas of the state started to report a rise in crime, particularly in New York City.
Crime and Justice
Rochester Police Confront Protesters At City Hall
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Sixteen people were arrested Wednesday after a standoff outside City Hall between Rochester police and the protesters calling for justice in the death of Daniel Prude.
Crime and Justice
Hundreds Gather Saturday Night In Rochester For Another Protest On Behalf Of Daniel Prude
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There was a standoff, with demonstrators facing off against police. RPD says they did use pepper balls after bottles and rocks were thrown at them.
Crime and Justice
Hundreds Continue To Protest Tuesday Night In Rochester
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The group marched, as they have on previous nights, to the front of the Public Safety Building, which saw hundreds of people again chanting, talking, and taking part in a peaceful demonstration.
Anthony Brindisi
Brindisi Amendment Would Double Police Funding, Tenney Calls It A Stunt
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The amendment would be part of a federal spending bill.
Crime and Justice
Protesters Demand Police Accountability, Attract Counter Demonstration
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“You’re locking my friends in cages when they need to be in hospital rooms.”
New York Police Draw Anger After Plainclothes Officers Throw Woman Into Unmarked Van
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Online video shows men grabbing a woman during a demonstration and hauling her away in an unmarked van. Police said they arrested the woman on suspicion of damaging police cameras.
binghamton
Police Groups, GOP Lawmakers Seek A Pause On Criminal Justice Reform
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“They ignore us, they issue edicts, having no idea what the unintended consequences are going to be.”
Cariol Horne Gains Legal Help As Supporters Urge Passage Of “Cariol’s Law”
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The proposed Cariol’s Law, which she and her peers first introduced June 30, would make it mandatory for police officers to intervene and stop acts of brutality by fellow officers.
App NEWS
Siena Poll: White And Black New Yorkers Divided Over Policing
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54% of Black respondents supported defunding police departments, compared to 24% of white respondents.
Protester Knocked Down By Buffalo Police Leaves The Hospital Nearly One Month Later
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Martin Gugino suffered a fractured skull after being shoved backward by officers at a protest against police violence on June 4. The 75-year-old will continue his recovery at an undisclosed location.
Proposed “Cariol’s Law” Would Require Police To Intervene When Witnessing Excessive Force
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Cariol Horne was fired in 2007 after stepping in to stop a White officer who held a Black suspect in a chokehold.
NYPD Officer Accused Of Using Chokehold Charged With Strangulation
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The officer, 39-year-old David Afanador, was suspended the same day the cellphone video appeared to show him choking a Black man on a Queens boardwalk.
App NEWS
Local Police Commonly Disbanded In PA, But It Creates Larger Problems For State Police
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“These ideas increase funds, but don’t increase public safety.”
Recovering Buffalo Activist Will Remain In Hospital This Week
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Two Buffalo Police officers have been suspended from the department and are charged with second degree assault.
NYPD Suspends Officer Over Using Apparent Chokehold During Arrest
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Video shows an officer using an apparent chokehold on a man who had been shouting invective at passersby and police. Chokeholds have been banned in New York City since 1993.
App NEWS
Ithaca Plans Yearlong Review Of Its Police Policies And Spending
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The mayor called the process a reinvention of public safety that will include town hall meetings, canvassing, and outreach to a variety of organizations.
Crime and Justice
Incarceration Can Change Views on Freedom
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“It’s right back to hiding and ducking and worrying about everything, especially right now.”
Crime and Justice
PA House Committee Advances Two Police Reform Bills
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Action comes one week after Black Caucus members led protest on House floor
Three More Police Reforms Signed Into Law By Cuomo
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“It’s about people wanting to change. Well, New York will be the place that actually makes the change and we pass laws that have done just that.”
New York Governor: Now Is The Time For ‘Fundamental Redefinition’ Of Policing
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For years, the governor says, Democrats in the state didn’t have the political or popular support to enact reforms. Now, lawmakers have passed sweeping police accountability and transparency measures.
At Protests, Street Medics Take COVID-19 Precautions
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“Our primary goal is keeping people safe, whether that be making sure they’re wearing masks, or if someone falls and gets hurt, or any number of different kinds of ailments.”
New York Professor On Misinformation And How Not To Be Part Of The Problem
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“We need to be critical, even for things we can see with our own eyes. We need to relearn not to trust everything
binghamton
State Leaders Favor Restructuring, Not Defunding New York’s Police
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“A legitimate conversation about whether or not the police are the best people to send for a situation is, I believe, a valid conversation.”
App NEWS
Lawmakers Repeal New York Law Used To Suppress Police Disciplinary Reports
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Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, the first African-American to hold that title, has long supported the repeal of the provision, but it has long languished in the legislature.
Crime and Justice
GOP Congressman Says The Time For Protests Is Over, Leaders Must Debate Change
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“Now is the time when true leaders will emerge to roll up their sleeves, stay in the room and have the passionate debate.”
Trump Tweets Conspiracy Theory About Injured Buffalo Protester
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One theory floated after the incident accused Gugino of rigging fake blood under his mask to flow upon his fall.
Crime and Justice
New York Lawmakers Resume Work On A Police Accountability Package
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“I’m hopeful that this is our moment, that George Floyd and all those that came before him did not die in vain.”
Featured in Category
Democratic Legislators Take Over PA House Floor, Demand Action On Police Reform Legislation
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Speaker Turzai says he supports calling a special session
Uncategorized
De Blasio Promises Cuts To NYPD, Ends NYC Curfew
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The call to end the curfew comes a day earlier than previously planned. De Blasio noted that most protesters had been peaceful, and admitted that the NYPD had sometimes overstepped its duty.
App NEWS
VIDEO: Two Buffalo Officers Suspended After Violently Shoving Elderly Man
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Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in a tweet, called the incident “wholly unjustified and utterly disgraceful.”
3 Police Injured During Brooklyn Stabbing Incident
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The late-night incident occurred in the Flatbush neighborhood, when police say a man approached an officer assigned to an anti-looting patrol and stabbed him in the neck.
App NEWS
Binghamton Protesters Promise Repeated Marches Against Racism
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Hundreds of people marched in Binghamton on Tuesday night, as part of nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police.
Peaceful Daytime Protest Turns Violent At Night, 2 Police Officers Injured In Buffalo
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Both officers, one a Buffalo Police officer and the other a New York State trooper, are currently in stable condition.
‘I Hear The Agony’: Coronavirus Crisis Takes Toll On New York’s First Responders
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For weeks, paramedics and EMTs in New York City have been struggling to respond to a high number of 911 calls during the coronavirus pandemic. More first responders are getting sick themselves.
Pennsylvania Paramedic On Coronavirus: ‘We Don’t See An End In Sight’
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Paramedic David Goroff works in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania.
Government
After Decades Of Frustration, Auditor Says PA’s Statewide Radio System May Soon Work Properly
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The old system was expensive, and its coverage was so spotty that police and other first responders couldn’t rely on it for communication.
App NEWS
Deposit To Dissolve Police Department
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The department will dissolve by March 1st. After that, Sheriff’s departments from Broome and Delaware Counties will service the area.
App NEWS
A Look At Deposit’s Push To Dissolve Police Department
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The alternative is having sheriff departments from Broome and Delaware cover the area.
App NEWS
After Complaints Over School Safety Law, PA Senators Return To Drawing Board
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A law to expand schools’ security options in Pennsylvania now has some school law enforcement officers miffed.
App NEWS
Ithaca Common Council Issues Letter To District Attorney Over Controversial April Arrests
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“The need is it let the public know that we are deeply concerned about this issue.”
App NEWS
Delaware Sheriff’s Deputies Now Wear Body Cameras
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“In these days and times with a lot of negative attention being drawn toward the law enforcement community, the body camera really produces an unbiased witness to any type of incident.”
Jury Acquits White PA Police Officer In Fatal Shooting Of Unarmed Black Teen
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A jury of seven men and five women, including three black jurors, found the former officer not guilty of murder in a racially charged case.
New York Lawmakers Call For Less Piercing Emergency Vehicle Sirens
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Council Member Helen Rosenthal introduced a bill this month after receiving complaints about the impact of wailing ambulances.
Government
After Years Of Debate, PA Taxpayers Still Fund State Troopers In Towns Without Cops
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About 1,300 Pennsylvania communities don’t have their own police departments and rely instead on state police. But they don’t pay anything for the service – and it costs state taxpayers nearly half a billion dollars every year.
binghamton
Schumer: Police Need New Tools, Not A National Emergency Nor A Wall
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During a stop in Elmira, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer predicted lawsuits challenging the President’s declaration of a national emergency will be successful.
New York City Police Detective Killed By Apparent ‘Friendly Fire’
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Police said they found an imitation gun at the scene of the reported armed robbery. The 19-year-veteran of the force was not supposed to report to work on the day he died.
crystal meth
Meth’s Resurgence Means Olean’s Police Need New Gas Masks
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New gas masks acquired by Olean police should allow them to search meth labs more safely.
Addiction
Opponents Of Legalized Marijuana Speak Out
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It seems all but inevitable that New York State will legalize recreational marijuana sometime this year, now that the governor and leaders of the legislature all agree that it should happen. But a coalition of groups, including county sheriffs and the PTA, warn of moving too quickly.
Crime and Justice
PA Police Now Limited In Flagging Undocumented Immigrants To ICE
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Last year, ProPublica and The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Pennsylvania State Police had no guidelines preventing troopers from engaging in behavior that raised questions of racial profiling and unlawful arrests. That behavior is now forbidden in Pennsylvania,
PA Police Department Seeks Volunteers To Drink To Excess
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The Kutztown, Pa., Borough Police Department was overwhelmed with volunteers after turning to Facebook to ask for help with its sobriety test training.
Uncategorized
1968: After Dozens Of Acquittals, New York Police Were Forced To End Raids On Gay Haven
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When nearly two dozen gay men were arrested, put on trial, and eventually acquitted of sodomy in 1968, it demonstrated to the larger gay community that they could organize against police harassment.
New York Police Find ‘Wanted’ Man: Clumsy Proposer Who Lost Engagement Ring
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New York City police used social media to reunite an engagement ring with the couple (so far publicly unidentified) who dropped it in a grate in Times Square.
Crime and Justice
New York State Police Warn Against Phone Scam
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the New York State Police and seeking personal information, don’t share anything — it’s a scam.
Crime and Justice
PA State Police Upping Presence In Certain Schools
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HARRISBURG, PA (WSKG) — State troopers are about to be spending more time in some Pennsylvania schools.
Crime and Justice
More Police Officers Train To Spot Drug-Impaired Drivers
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SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) – Drunk driving crashes are on the decline in New York State, according to the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. But at the same time, the number of crashes involving drug impaired drivers is on the rise. Now the state is increasing the numbers of highly trained officers who can identify the signs of drug-impaired driving.
NYPD Pursues Internal Charges Against Officers In Eric Garner’s Death
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The department is giving federal authorities a deadline to announce action in the 2014 death of Garner, who died after being put in a chokehold by a police officer.
Crime and Justice
PA’s District Attorneys Outline Best Practices, Possible Pitfalls For Police Body Cameras
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HARRISBURG, PA (WSKG) — Some state police troopers are slated to start using body cameras later this year. So, to keep them and other officers across the commonwealth from running afoul of the law or damaging criminal cases, the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association has released a list of best practices.
NYC Police Fatally Shoot Unarmed Black Man
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Police said they received calls about a man pointing a gun at people on the street in Brooklyn. The man was reportedly well known in the area as “mentally ill but generally harmless.”
Government
Budget Hearings Dredge Up PA Police Funding Conundrum (Again)
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HARRISBURG, PA (WSKG) — Pennsylvania lawmakers are trying to figure out a better way to pay for state police. Most of the department’s annual budget comes from the commonwealth’s Motor License Fund, which is supposed to pay for roads and bridges.
Increased Training Could Prevent Some Fatal Police Shootings
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State Police troopers recently resolved a stand-off with an armed man in Dauphin County by taking him for mental health treatment. Credit NEW YORK STATE POLICE / FACEBOOK
An increase in training may have kept the situation from turning tragic. About a quarter of people shot and killed by police nationwide are suffering from a mental illness, according to a database maintained by The Washington Post. Oftentimes, the blame is placed on a lack of training. State Police Corporal Adam Reed said an emphasis has been placed on training troopers to better recognize mental health issues.
documentary
The Gray Riders
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The Gray Riders DVD is now available as a thank you gift for your contribution of $60 or more to support WSKG Public TV programs. Contribute online or call 1-877-975-9754. ABOUT THE FILM
THE GRAY RIDERS is a one-hour Public TV documentary that looks at the remarkable 100-year history of the New York State Police. The film features photographs and rare footage from the vast New York State Police archives along with dozens of interviews and comments from the men and women whose extraordinary service and dedication have made the State Police what it is today – one of the finest and most respected law enforcement agencies in the world. https://youtu.be/1Plp58qvYN4
In the Spring of 1913, Samuel Howell, the foreman of a construction firm, was attacked and robbed of the company’s payroll by four men on a rural road near the town of Bedford in Westchester County. He was shot seven times.
News
Despite Bipartisan Support, Police Transparency Bill Faces Another Veto
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HARRISBURG (WSKG) — A proposal struck down by Governor Tom Wolf last session is back in the legislature, and may very well pass again. The measure aims to shield police officers from public scrutiny after they’ve been involved with shootings or other similar incidents. And though it has fairly bipartisan support, lawmakers are hard-pressed to figure out a way to get Wolf to sign it. House Bill 27 would keep local police departments from releasing names of officers involved in shootings for at least 30 days following an incident. It saw strong opposition from the ACLU and governor, but passed both chambers last session. This session, it again passed the House.
documentary
The Gray Riders
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THE Gray Riders is a one-hour documentary that looks at the remarkable 100-year history of the New York State Police.
Education
Teen Wonders How to Move Forward After Week of Violence
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Police officers in Oakland, Calif., line up across from demonstrators on July 7 as protesters marched against police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota. Amanda Agustin/Youth Radio
After a week of violence and death, Youth Radio’s Soraya Shockley ponders how to move forward despite the sadness and anger.
On Tuesday, in Baton Rouge Louisiana, 37-year-old Alton Sterling was shot by police. The next day, in Falcon Heights, Minnesota police shot and killed 32-year-old Philando Castile. Both were black men, and videos of their deaths have been watched by millions on social media. Including me. These two videos aren’t special.