New York Attorney General Letitia James has introduced a new bill that would limit the use of force by police officers. James hopes to change the state’s use of force law “from one of simple necessity to one of absolute last resort.” In addition, James hopes to punish officers who use “far more force [than] is necessary.”
“In New York, our laws have essentially given police blanket defense to use force in interactions with the public, making it exceedingly difficult for prosecutors to go after officers who have abused this power,” Gwen Carr, Eric Garner‘s mother, said at a press conference alongside James.
James also hopes that this proposal will prevent officers from using suspicion of a crime as a justification for excessive force. the bill would also allow prosecutors to examine if police conduct contributed to the severity of the situation.
After introducing her bill, James faced major pushback from police officers across the state. The New York City Police Benevolent Association claims that James’s bill would make it impossible for officers to do their jobs.
“This sweeping proposal would make it impossible for police officers to determine whether or not we are permitted to use force in a given situation,” New York Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch said.
“The only reasonable solution will be to avoid confrontations where force might become necessary. Meanwhile, violent criminals certainly aren’t hesitating to use force against police officers or our communities. The bottom line: more cops and more regular New Yorkers are going to get hurt.”
Aside from pushback from police unions, Assemblymember Nick Perry and Sen. Kevin Parker have publicly supported the bill. The two state officials have also said that leadership is in favor of the bill and hope that it can be passed later this year.
