Leventhal & Klein Urges City Council to Override Bloombergs Veto on Bills Prohibiting Stop-and-Frisk

NEW YORK - Aug. 23, 2013 - PRLog -- Jason Leventhal, Partner, Leventhal and Klein, LLP, says the New York City Council should override Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s veto of the Council’s bills calling for the prohibition of the New York Police Department’s practice of “stop-and-frisk” and the establishment of an Inspector General to oversee the NYPD. Mr. Leventhal says the practice unjustly targets minorities and the police department needs more oversight to see how the officers do their jobs.

The City Council will vote today in an attempt to override Mayor Bloomberg’s veto of the two bills. On June 12, the City Council introduced two bills — one that would end “stop-and-frisk” and allow those who believe they racially profiled to take legal action against the NYPD, and another calling for an Inspector General to monitor the NYPD. The City Council approved both pieces of legislation on June 26 and sent to the mayor’s office on July 26, where it was vetoed.

“I am hoping that the City Council has enough votes to override Mayor Bloomberg’s veto,” Mr. Leventhal says. “It is clear that the NYPD is damaging the relationship between police officers and our communities. The NYPD’s practice of racially motivated stop and frisks needlessly endangers New Yorkers every day. We’ve represented hundreds of victims of police misconduct, many of whom have brought complaints to the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau. Based on that experience, it is clear that the ‘blue wall’ remains strong and that the NYPD does not adequately police itself.  It is also clear that the leadership of our City — Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Kelly — refuse to objectively monitor the NYPD’s policies and practices, as evidenced in their defiant rejection of the findings of an esteemed federal judge who struck down the department’s implementation of stop-and-frisk. The time has come for an independent police monitor to change the culture in the NYPD to one that serves our communities and protects the constitutional rights of all New Yorkers.”

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