Adams Warns Civilians Who Create a “Dangerous Environment” by Recording Police Activity – NBC New York

Mayor Eric Adams warned Wednesday that there will be no tolerance for civilians who record police activity from a close and unsafe position on their phones, creating a “dangerous environment” for NYPD officers, themselves and others. for other viewers.

“If an officer is on the ground struggling with someone who has a gun, they shouldn’t have to worry about someone standing in front of them with a camera,” Adams said. “If an officer is trying to prevent a dispute from occurring and defuse it, he shouldn’t have someone standing on his shoulders with a camera in his face, yelling at them without even realizing what the encounter is about,” he said. leader.

Adams, a former police captain, said New Yorkers can safely record encounters with police and the footage can be analyzed later to understand what happened.

“There is a proper way to monitor and there is a proper way to document. If your iPhone can’t capture that image from a safe distance, then you need to upgrade your iPhone,” Adams said.

“Stop being all over my cops while they’re doing their job. That is not acceptable, and will not be tolerated. It is a very dangerous environment that you are creating when you are on top of that officer, that he is clear about what he is doing at that moment while you are yelling ‘police brutality’, while insulting them”.

The increasing prevalence of cell phones has resulted in more recording of police activity, particularly in volatile and tense situations.

In 2020, the City Council passed a bill protecting the right of civilians to record police officers, as part of a broader package of police reform legislation pushed by former Mayor Bill de Blasio.

It was also in 2020 that a 17-year-old used her cell phone to record Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer, kneeling on George Floyd’s back and neck for more than nine minutes during an arrest. The video became an integral piece of evidence in the resulting trial, and Chauvin was later sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for Floyd’s murder.

In New York, a witness recorded in 2014 the moment Eric Garner was detained by NYPD officers and then placed in a prohibited choke hold.

In the video Garner is heard repeatedly expressing “I can’t breathe” as he fades into unconsciousness. He was later pronounced dead.

Adams made the expressions during an event at the Police Academy where he announced the official launch of the new NYPD Neighborhood Safety Teams alongside Commissioner Keechant Sewell.

This is a revamped version of the controversial anti-crime units dismantled in 2020 under then-commissioner Dermot Shea. Adams promised to revive the show as part of his platform to decrease gun violence and the presence of illegal weapons in New York.

The teams, made up of five officers each, will be deployed to 30 precincts throughout the city. Unit officers initially volunteered for the assignment, but were ultimately selected following a vetting process and recommendations from their commanding officers. Team members participated in a seven-day training course that began in February and included sections on community relations and constitutional police.

–