Don’t Settle For Less

Don’t Settle For Less

Is the NYPD Targeting Minorities in Corona Crackdowns?

On Behalf of | May 29, 2020 | Civil Rights

Social distancing guidelines were put in place to protect everyone in NYC during this unprecedented pandemic but a watchdog report shows that those guidelines are likely not being enforced universally. Indeed, data shows that the NYPD has focused more aggressive forms of enforcement in communities that are predominantly inhabited by minorities. Advocates on the lookout for Civil Rights violations in New York City say the disparity was highlighted in two incidents on the same weekend when NYPD officers handed out masks to individuals in parks in a predominantly white neighborhood while at the same time other officers were enforcing the same mask and social distancing orders much more aggressively in a predominantly black neighborhood.

The NYPD deployed over 1,000 officers on the weekend in question to police social distancing requirements and to ensure that New Yorkers-who had come out to enjoy the warm weather-were not getting too close to one another. The weekend enforcement resulted in at least one charge of excessive force against an officer (who has since been placed on modified duty) who got into a physical altercation with an individual which was caught on video.

There’s no doubt that the coronavirus and New York’s response to it are an exploration of uncharted territory. Nothing has happened like this in the recent past and there are no established guidelines for what officials should or can do to keep individual citizens safe. However, what the NYPD cannot do is engage in racial profiling when determining how and when enforcement of coronavirus enforcement is employed.

If you or a loved one has been a victim of excessive force, racial profiling, or other violations of your rights as a human being and a citizen of The United States, contact a Civil Rights attorney in New York City without delay to recover the compensation you are entitled to. Call the experienced and skilled attorneys at the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 today for your free and confidential consultation.

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