As protesters of police brutality demand accountability, New York lawmakers are poised to overhaul a decades-old law that has kept officers’ disciplinary records secret. The state law, known by its section title, 50-a, was passed in the 1970s to prevent criminal defense attorneys from subjecting officers to harassing cross-examinations about irrelevant information in their personnel file. The law applies to jail guards and firefighters, as well. But over the years, the law has draped a veil over most records of police misconduct, including allegations. Formal complaints about excessive force by officers are not public in New York. In recent years, police departments have cited the law in refusing to say even whether officers have been punished.

The dripping hypocrisy and double standard is simply sickening. Hasidic children were once again tossed out of a playground. It happened on Monday afternoon at the park located at Lee Avenue near Division Avenue. Meanwhile, just a few days ago, NYC Mayor DeBlasio (who was not wearing mask) joined tens of thousands at a protest in Brooklyn at Cadman Plaza to protest the horrific murder of George Floyd. Once again, it’s a tale of two cities. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Monday morning, officials said there were no arrests at protests in New York City on Sunday night, even without a curfew looming. Another day of peaceful protests is planned throughout the city Monday. Sunday, police moved barricades so protesters could approach the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Midtown Manhattan as thousands continued to march against police brutality. Peaceful protests continued Sunday with hundreds of protesters, most of them wearing masks, making their voices heard in several locations across the city. Marches took place over the course of the day as demonstrators walked through Union Square, Washington Square Park, Columbus Circle and throughout Brooklyn.

Protesters are pushing to “defund the police” over the death of George Floyd and other black Americans killed by law enforcement. Their chant has become a rallying cry — and a stick for President Donald Trump to use on Democrats as he portrays them as soft on crime. But what does “defund the police” mean? It’s not necessarily about gutting police department budgets. WHAT IS THE ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ MOVEMENT? Supporters say it isn’t about eliminating police departments or stripping agencies of all of their money. They say it is time for the country to address systemic problems in policing in America and spend more on what communities across the U.S. need, like housing and education.

The vast majority of complaints about New York City police officers’ mistreatment of youths stemmed from encounters with black and Hispanic children, according to a new study by the city’s police watchdog agency. Nearly two-thirds of youth complaints to the Civilian Complaint Review Board involved young boys of color, the report says, including some “stopped for seemingly innocuous activities such as playing, high-fiving, running, carrying backpacks, and jaywalking.” The report, based on a review of more than 100 complaints, highlights several instances of racial profiling and comes amid mounting calls for police reforms in the wake of the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

After three bleak months, New York, the corner of the U.S. hit hardest by the coronavirus, gradually began reopening Monday in what was seen as a landmark moment in the crisis and a test of the city’s discipline. With the virus in check — at least for now — stores previously deemed nonessential were cleared to reopen for delivery and pickup, though customers cannot yet browse inside. Construction, manufacturing and wholesalers also received the go-ahead to resume work. “This is a triumph for all New Yorkers that we’ve gotten to this point,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. But he warned the city against letting its guard down and risking a resurgence of the virus: “We got this far by doing it the right way, by doing the social distancing, the face coverings.

As New York City prepared to reopen after a more than two-month coronavirus shutdown, officials on Sunday lifted a curfew that was put in place amid protests of police brutality and racial injustice. But they also urged that demonstrators be tested for COVID-19. “Get a test. Get a test,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo urged people who have been participating in rallies and marches in memory of George Floyd. He said the state planned to open 15 testing sites dedicated to protesters so they can get results quickly. “I would act as if you were exposed, and I would tell people you are interacting with, assume I am positive for the virus,” Cuomo added.

New York City is lifting its curfew spurred by protests against police brutality ahead of schedule, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Sunday morning. The 8 p.m. citywide curfew, New York’s first in decades, had been set to remain in effect through at least Sunday, with the city planning to lift it at the same time it enters the first phase of reopening after more than two months of shutdowns because of the coronavirus.

Mayor Bill de Blasio laid out the next wave of police reforms on Sunday, including shifting funds from the NYPD to youth and social services, in the aftermath of days of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. “The details will be worked out in the budget process in the weeks ahead. But I want people to understand that we are committed to shifting resources to ensure that the focus is on our young people,” de Blasio said. “I also will affirm we will only do it in a way that is certain to continue the city will be safe.” Another key point of the plan includes reforming 50-A, the state law that keeps police behavior from public scrutiny. “The current law is broken and stands in the way of improving trust between them and the community,” the mayor said.

A man identifying himself as “Ace Burns” delivered an ominous threat to Orthodox Jewish New Yorkers Saturday during a live interview on Fox News, warning that protesters could set fire to Manhattan’s storied Diamond District if New York leaders don’t meet their demands. “Today, I’m leading a demonstration from Barclay’s Center at 6 p.m. to City Hall, and that’s the first stop — and we’re hoping [Mayor] De Blasio and [Gov.] Cuomo come out and talk to us and give the youth some direction,” he told Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich. “But if they don’t, then [the] next stop is the Diamond District,” he said, referring to a block on Manhattan’s 47th Street known for jewelry shops. “And gasoline, thanks to Trump, is awfully cheap.