Page 25 - bon dia aruba 20200627

A25
U.S. NEWS Saturday 27 June 2020
U.S. police registry would fail without changes in states

Continued from Front law enforcement officers” — have no decertification
and publish an annual process at all. Neither does
In the wake of Floyd’s summary. Then-President the federal government
death, lawmakers in se- Barack Obama created a for most of its estimated
veral states have proposed task force on policing that 130,000 law enforcement
bolstering their states’ po- in 2015 recommended the officers, including agents
wers to identify and remo- creation of a police mis- in the FBI, U.S. Immigration
ve problem officers. conduct registry, but no and Customs Enforcement
“I think the politicians have action was taken. And the and the U.S. Border Patrol.
been reluctant to take a outlook for a policing bill is The Department of Justice
step that might be per- newly uncertain after Sena- declined to comment on
ceived as anti-police,” te Democrats on Wednes- how it would implement
Ohio Attorney General day blocked a Republican Trump’s executive order.
Dave Yost said. proposal from moving for- For now, states voluntarily
Yost and Ohio Gov. Mike ward. The House approved submit the names of offi-
DeWine, both Republicans, In this Feb. 20, 2020 file photo, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a far-reaching police over- cers to a private database
have proposed giving speaks in Columbus, Ohio. haul from Democrats on called the National Decer-
their state’s police licen- Associated Press Thursday, but it has almost tification Index that police
sing agency the power to zero chance of becoming agencies can use in hiring.
remove officers from law enforcement. The Associa- police officer who killed Phi- law. In the meantime, the But Georgia doesn’t submit
enforcement for racial ted Press this month asked lando Castile, a Black man, most complete information names to the index becau-
profiling or other miscon- all 50 states to provide the during a 2016 traffic stop on officer shootings, sexual se it is “not a governmental
duct that doesn’t lead to number of officers they de- was never decertified. The assaults and arrests has institution,” according to
a criminal charge, a power certified for the last five full officer, Jeronimo Yanez, been compiled by univer- Ryan Powell, deputy direc-
many states already have. years. Georgia said it de- was acquitted of second- sity researchers and news tor of the state’s standards
“The potential for reform is certified 3,239 officers bet- degree manslaughter and organizations. board. Meanwhile, Minne-
better than it’s been in my ween 2015 and 2019. Min- later left his department In 2015, The Associated sota and almost all other
professional lifetime,” Yost nesota, where Floyd died under a settlement. He is Press found that nearly states do.
said. “That doesn’t mean after a white police officer not working in law enfor- 1,000 officers had been de- The index was created and
it’s a certainty on how pressed a knee on his neck cement elsewhere in Min- certified across the country updated with Department
much we’re going to get, for several minutes, decer- nesota, according to the over six years for sexual as- of Justice grant funding
but there’s a genuine inte- tified 21. Maryland decerti- state licensing board. sault or other forms of sexu- but last received federal
rest and willingness to look fied just one officer. A federal requirement to al misconduct. money in 2005, said Mike
at these things seriously Minnesota revokes an offi- collect police misconduct The AP’s investigation Becar, director of the orga-
and honestly.”One measu- cer’s license automatically data already exists. Ac- uncovered examples of of- nization that runs the index.
re of police misconduct at only after the officer is con- cording to criminal justice ficers who were accused of He runs the database on
a state level is decertifica- victed of a felony. Geor- experts, the Justice Depart- sexual misconduct at one roughly $1,000 a month.
tion. Almost all states issue gia can take an officer’s ment has never met a re- agency, fired or allowed to “The federal government
licenses to police officers license on several grounds, quirement in the landmark resign, then rehired in law could apply a lot more
by mandating standards including misuse of force, 1994 crime bill — signed by enforcement and accused pressure,” Becar said. “The
and training. Most states committing a theft that then-President Bill Clinton, a of misconduct again. biggest hurdle is the 50 sta-
can decertify an officer’s isn’t prosecuted or lying in Democrat — that it would Five states — California, Ha- tes with their own individual
license to prevent a bad an internal investigation. “acquire data about the waii, Massachusetts, New laws and regulations and
one from working in law The suburban Minneapolis use of excessive force by Jersey and Rhode Island legislatures.” q

Judge blocks 25% capacity rule for religious services in N.Y.

By KAREN MATTHEWS parable secular activities," of houses of worship."
Associated Press Sharpe said in his 38-page Restrictions limiting the
NEW YORK (AP) — A feder- ruling from Albany. number of people who can
al judge on Friday blocked The plaintiffs, two Roman attend outdoor religious
New York state from en- Catholic priests from up- gatherings will also be lifted
forcing coronavirus restric- state New York and three by the injunction.
tions limiting indoor religious Orthodox Jewish congre- The judge noted that both
gatherings to 25% capacity gants from Brooklyn, ar- Cuomo and de Blasio
when other types of gath- gued that the restrictions have expressed approval
erings are limited to 50%. violated their First Amend- for protests against rac-
Judge Gary Sharpe en- ment rights to practice their ism and police brutality
joined Gov. Andrew Cuo- religion. that followed the death of
mo, New York City Mayor The plaintiffs said the re- George Floyd in Minneapo-
Bill de Blasio and Attorney strictions forced the Rev. lis last month while continu-
General Letitia James from Steven Soos and the Rev. ing to support restrictions
enforcing some of the ca- Nicholas Stamos to either on religious gatherings.
pacity restrictions put in turn away parishioners who "Governor Cuomo and In this April 28, 2020 file photo, hundreds of mourners gather
in the Brooklyn borough of New York, to observe a funeral for
place by executive order wished to attend Mass "or Mayor de Blasio could Rabbi Chaim Mertz, a Hasidic Orthodox leader whose death
to contain the spread of to hold more Masses per have just as easily discour- was reportedly tied to the coronavirus.
the virus. day than are possible." aged protests, short of con- Associated Press
The plaintiffs' religious ac- Christopher Ferrara, an at- demning their message, in
tivities "will be burdened torney for the plaintiffs, the name of public health for public safety reasons in- disregard of the outdoor
and continue to be treated called the unequal restric- and exercised discretion stead of encouraging what limits and social distancing
less favorably than com- tions "an irrational targeting to suspend enforcement they knew was a flagrant rules," he said. q