Federal Monitor Says Changing NYPD Culture a Challenge
Source: Associated Press
Federal Monitor Says Changing NYPD Culture a Challenge
By COLLEEN LONG, ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK Feb 16, 2016, 2:32 PM ET
The federal monitor overseeing changes to the New York City Police Department's stop-and-frisk program said in a progress report Tuesday the department has done good work setting new policy, but putting it into practice will be a challenge.
A federal judge ruled in 2013 that the practice violated the civil rights of minorities. Monitor Peter Zimroth said in a report to the judge that the police department has distributed a new patrol guide that prohibits biased-based policing, and put into use new training for recruits and current officers. A new stop-report form is being tested.
"The progress the report details owes much to the hard work of NYPD officials and valuable input from the plaintiffs. All the parties worked diligently, collaboratively, and in good faith," he wrote.
But the challenge will be to ensure the written changes are carried out. Zimroth says he's discovered in focus groups that many officers and higher-ups do not understand what is expected of them.
The message "needs to be communicated and reinforced better, not just at the top, but throughout the department," he wrote.
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