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Police Union Leaders Fight With State Senators Over NYPD Transparency
By
George Joseph
Published Oct 17, 2019
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George Joseph / WNYC
By
George Joseph
Published Oct 17, 2019
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A State Senate hearing on a controversial law that shields police personnel records from the public became heated on Thursday when police union officials questioned how much lawmakers cared about violence against police.
“I wonder how many people in this room remember the last police officer that got killed,” said Lou Matarazzo, a retired NYPD officer representing the New York State Association of PBAs. “Anybody remember his name? Does anybody remember the last three names? I dare say most of you don’t.”
Queens State Senator Jessica Ramos replied by asking the union representatives to name the last three civilians killed by NYPD officers. Matarazzo responded by incorrectly citing the death of Eric Garner, which took place in 2014, and Sean Bell, which took place in 2006. “Garner, Bell, and the third one I do not know,” he said, drawing boos from the audience.
“That’s the thing about pointing fingers and not being open to having a sincere conversation about what repealing 50-a really means for communities of color,” Ramos responded. “I’m a little admonished by your testimony because it comes across as if you think that because you wear a badge you are better than us.”
Section 50-a of New York’s civil rights law prohibits the release of police personnel records. It was passed in the 1970s to protect police from harassment, but reformers say it protects officers from accountability for brutality, dishonesty and other misconduct.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPD have supported reform of the law but not outright appeal. Governor Cuomo’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Thursday's hearing comes against the backdrop of last year’s election in which Democrats wrested control of the chamber from Republicans.
State Senator Julia Salazar, a first-term Democrat from Brooklyn, questioned union officials on why New York’s records disclosure laws should “continue to lag behind” other states’ levels of transparency.
Paul DiGiacomo, vice president of the Detectives Endowment Association, responded that NYPD officers face unique dangers, given their numerous undercover and anti-terrorism operations worldwide. “I don’t think you can compare [it] to any other agency,” he said.
Three mothers whose sons were killed by NYPD officers—Gwen Carr, Valerie Bell and Constance Malcolm—spoke out against 50-a. They argued that 50-a blocked grieving families from getting records on officers’ histories of misconduct.
“We should know first hand when our loved ones are killed. We should know who did it, why they did it, and you know all the details. But this is hidden because of 50-a,” said Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, who died after a police chokehold on Staten Island five years ago.
Not all state Democrats at the hearing were on board with Senator Jamaal Bailey’s proposal to fully repeal 50-a. Brooklyn State Senator Kevin Parker said he supports a partial repeal of 50-a, but did not get into specifics of what such a modification would entail.
An NYPD official was supposed to speak at the hearing and take questions from elected leaders, but cancelled shortly before the event, according to Senator Bailey.
Asked about the lack of participation, an NYPD spokesperson stated in an email, “NYPD leaders have made their position on supporting reforms to 50-a clear and maintain that it remains important to increase transparency and accountability in policing.”
Listen to George Joseph's radio report on the hearing:
George Joseph
George covers Brooklyn for THE CITY with a focus on criminal justice and housing. He previously worked for WNYC and Gothamist, and has published stories with NPR, ProPublica, Esquire, and The Intercept among other outlets.
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