New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing widespread criticism after vetoing a city council bill known as the "How Many Stops Act" that would require officers to document every "investigative encounter" with the public.
During a press conference on Friday, the New York City mayor said that the city council's proposed legislation could slow down the response times of the New York Police Department (NYPD). He added that the bill, known as Intro. 586-A could also undermine community-oriented policing and add tens of millions of dollars in overtime to the NYPD budget.
Adams argued that while the city council's new bill has good intentions behind it, it is misguided and compromises public safety. As per Fox News, he added that his administration supports efforts to make law enforcement more transparent, more just, and more accountable.
However, he argued that the proposed bill would handcuff the police by drowning officers in unnecessary paperwork that would saddle taxpayers with tens of millions of dollars in additional NYPD overtime each year.
In announcing his veto of the bill, Adams called on his government colleagues to work with his administration to improve public safety. The mayor cited serial stabbing suspect 27-year-old Jermain Rigueur, who is accused of at least five stabbings within about a week. He said that the bill would impede such quick arrests of dangerous individuals.
The new bill was co-sponsored by New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams and was passed by the council in December last year. It would require the NYPD to log and report basic information on Level 1, 2, and 3 investigative encounters between law enforcement personnel and civilians.
Veto of the Controversial City Council Bill
Some people opposed the bill, arguing that an officer doing a canvass can talk to dozens of people in just a few hours but may only get relevant information from one, if any. If the proposed bill is passed, every interview, whether productive or unproductive, will require a form to be filled out, according to the New York Post.
The police officer will be required to either stop to fill out the form during the interview or take notes on the characteristics of the person he talked to, the reason for the discussion, the circumstances that led to it, and other information.
On Friday, Adams said that he had discussions with several city council members regarding the bills. This suggests that he persuaded some of them to oppose the legislation.
The speaker for the council, Adrienne Adams, said that despite the New York City mayor's late push, the City Council is "prepared to override" his veto. If successful, it would mark the second time the council has overridden the mayor, following a decision in July to reject his veto of a housing voucher program, according to the New York Times.
