NY introduces police reform measures in wake of George Floyd murder

Police reform measures may be coming into effect for the New York City Police Department police officers after the New York state Assembly and the Senate brought forth legislature that would ban police officers from using chokeholds to subdue suspects as well as a bill that would require law enforcement to disclose racial disparity in policing, according to Reuters.

The reform measures come in the wake of unprecedented protests in response to the murder of George Floyd, 46, by a Minneapolis police officer, while he was in custody. The officer, who was white, knelt on the neck of Floyd, who is black, for almost nine minutes while Floyd plead with the officer that he couldn't breathe. Floyd was suffocated to death and will be buried in Houston on Tuesday.

A wave of protests across U.S. cities has followed the murder of Floyd. The protests stand against racism and the systematic mistreatment of black people. The majority of the protests have been peaceful however some have turned into rioting and looting which has forced police to respond with violent tactics to control the situation.

Though mostly peaceful, there have been episodes of arson, looting and clashes with police, who have been accused of using heavy-handed tactics in response.

On Monday, the ban on chokeholds and the bill to disclose racial disparities was passed by the Democrat run state Assembly and Senate. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo stated that he supported the reforms and would sign the bills into law.

“The legislation that will be passed over the coming days will help stop bad actors and send a clear message that brutality, racism, and unjustified killings will not be tolerated,” said New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins in a statement.

Other bills, such as the repeal of so-called section 50-a fo the civil right law which protects officers from having to disclose their disciplinary record will be brought forward in the coming days.

New York City's Police Benevolent Association (PBA) has called the reforms an "attack on law enforcement" and plans to push back on the new legislative agenda.

In response to calls for police reform across the U.S., Minneapolis City Council members have agreed to dismantle the city's police department and plan to to shift to a more community-based programs with the hopes of reducing violence and the presence of armed law enforcement.

On a national level, congressional Democrats brought for a bill on Monday that intends to finally address longstanding charges regarding racial injustice within U.S. policing.