New York introduces 10 laws to combat police brutality in wake of George Floyd’s death
- Among the measures is a law forbidding chokeholds being used by law enforcement officers
The state of New York on Friday adopted a series of laws designed to put an end to police brutality against the African American community, a sign of the impact that nationwide protests over the George Floyd are having.
Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo officially signed 10 laws that the two houses of the state legislature passed earlier in the week.
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Among the measures is a law forbidding chokeholds being used by law enforcement officers that was named in memory of Eric Garner, a black man suffocated by New York police in 2014.
The state also repealed legislation that designated as “confidential” any document pertaining to professional evaluations of police officers, including records of disciplinary proceedings.
In future, the public, including members of the media, will be able to access such records through freedom of information requests, without requiring a court order.
After the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers on May 25, the city police department revealed that Derek Chauvin, the officer who killed him by kneeling on his neck, had been the subject of 18 abuse complaints in his 20 years on the job.