Eric Gardner died after a NYPD officer apparently put him in a chokehold. The whole thing was caught on camera by a bystander. Now, this instance of alleged police brutality in New York City has spurred at least one City official to call for body cams for all NYPD officers to prevent other instances of excessive force in New York.
The NYPD has come under heavy fire from the media, residents, and public advocacy groups after numerous instances of alleged brutality and excessive force have come to light in recent years. While the mayor’s office has vowed to get to the bottom of the issue, it seems that more and more individual cases keep making headlines.
Indeed, chokeholds have been a major embarrassment of late for the department. Their use has been banned since 1993, however, in just the last five years there have been over 1,000 individual complaints filed against the NYPD for use of the prohibited maneuver-including one complaint involving a pregnant woman.
This latest measure, proposed by Public Advocate Trish James, would outfit NYPD officers with personal cameras that would record their daily routine. It is hoped that having the ever watchful eye figuratively looking over their shoulders will prevent officers from engaging in use of excessive force and brutality.
The cameras and their implementation would cost roughly $5 million but could end up actually saving the City money. New York City has paid out $152 million in judgments due to police misconduct in just the last year alone, according to a report in the Latin Post.
But the real victory would be for the citizens of New York. Similar programs in other cities across the country resulted in a dramatic drop in the use of force by police officials (up to 59%) and a decrease in complaints against police officers of 88%.
If you or a loved one has had your civil rights violated by the NYPD, contact a New York City police brutality attorney today to discuss your case. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel for a free consultation at or 212-385-1122 to learn your rights.