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U.S. NEWS Thursday 5 sepTember 2019
NYPD: Fewer

arrests since ‘I can’t

breathe’ officer’s firing

By MICHAEL R. SISAK judge deemed a banned
Associated Press chokehold. Garner’s dying
NEW YORK (AP) — Arrests words after the confronta-
totals in New York City have tion with the white officer,
plunged in the two weeks “I can’t breathe,” became
since the police depart- a rallying cry for the Black
ment fired an officer for the Lives Matter movement.
2014 chokehold death of Pat Lynch, the president of
Eric Garner, pointing to a the Police Benevolent As- New York City Police Commissioner James O’Neill, left, and
possible slowdown amid a sociation, said in the wake Mayor Bill de Blasio confer during the monthly crime briefing
heated response to the fir- of the firing that officers at New York City Police Department headquarters, Wednesday
ing from the officers’ union. would continue to uphold Sept. 4, 2019.
Felony arrests are down their oath to serve and pro- Associated Press
about 11% and misde- tect the public, but not “by cept a slowdown, said on Aug. 28, O’Neill said.
meanor arrests are down needlessly jeopardizing our Wednesday: “Our officers The friction surrounding
about 17% since Officer careers or personal safety.” are keeping people safe Pantaleo’s firing comes
Daniel Pantaleo’s Aug. 19 Lynch said it was time for and they’re acting like amid a rash of incidents
firing, compared with the each officer “to make professionals. And if there involving members of the
average daily totals for their own choice” and that are some sporadic issues, public attacking police of-
the rest of the year, Po- the union urged them to they’ll be dealt with.” ficers. On Friday in Queens
lice Commissioner James “proceed with the utmost The city has been seeing a and Monday in Brooklyn,
O’Neill said Wednesday. At caution in this new real- systematic drop in summons officers shot and killed men
the same time, the NYPD ity, in which they may be and arrest totals since 2014 who had fired guns at their
has seen a 32% drop in deemed ‘reckless’ just for amid an overall reduction vehicles.
moving violations, he said. doing their job.” in crime, but enforcement On Tuesday in the Bronx,
O’Neill stopped short of A few weeks earlier, when activity after Pantaleo’s fir- people displaced from a
saying the declines were an administrative judge ing has declined at a rate burning apartment build-
the result of an intentional recommended that Pan- greater than the annual ing starting fighting with
slowdown. He said he and taleo be fired, Lynch urged decline police see in each officers in the street, includ-
other department leaders officers to “take it a step category of enforcement, ing a woman who was ar-
are studying data such as slower” when responding the NYPD said. rested for allegedly tearing
sick time usage, response to 911 calls and to wait for Before Pantaleo’s firing, the off an officer’s body cam-
times, radio backlogs and a supervisor instead of us- city was averaging about era. That was after videos
enforcement activity to ing physical force on an 237 felony arrests and 373 posted on social media in
pinpoint where and why uncooperative suspect. misdemeanor arrests per July showed people in vari-
fewer arrests are occurring. Last week, Lynch’s union day this year. Since then, ous parts of the city pouring
“We have expectations approved no confidence it’s averaging 210 felony ar- buckets of water on patrol
that our officers perform,” resolutions Wednesday rests and 311 misdemeanor officers.
O’Neill said. calling for O’Neill’s immedi- arrests per day. “This is not a new thing,”
The head of the officers’ ate resignation and Mayor Part of the drop in misde- O’Neill said. “This happens,
union hinted at a possible Bill de Blasio’s removal from meanor arrests of late may and when it happens there
slowdown following Panta- office. be the result of a marijuana have to be consequences
leo’s firing for using what a De Blasio, who earlier decriminalization law that for it. As police officers, we
department administrative said the city wouldn’t ac- went into effect in the state have to take action.”q
Judge lets man sue after DMV rejects

specialty license plate

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A The DMV told Kotler the ently lettered plates is- the Fulham club as “the
U.S. judge ruled a soccer lettering has “connota- sued each year, “it strains Whites” while Chelsea, an-
fan can sue the California tions offensive to good believability to argue other London soccer club,
Department of Motor Ve- taste and decency.” that viewers perceive the is known as “the Blues,” for
hicles and claim it violated U.S. District Judge George government as speaking the color of its jerseys.
his freedom of speech by Wu in Los Angeles refused through personalized van- New Zealand’s national
rejecting his request for a last week to dismiss the ity plates,” the judge said rugby team is the “All
specialty license plate. lawsuit by Kotler, a Univer- about the DMV’s conten- Blacks.”
Jonathan Kotler, a devot- sity of Southern California tion. In court filings, state law-
ed fan of Britain’s Fulham journalism law professor, DMV regulations define yers argued that the
Football Club, sued the the San Francisco Chroni- “offensive” plates as in- public knows the DMV
DMV after it refused to is- cle reported Wednesday . cluding those with any approves messages on li-
sue him a license plate California sought the dis- sexual connotation, as cense plates and would
lettered “COYW,” short for missal, saying all vehicle well as any term that is vul- assume that those mes-
“Come On You Whites” license plates constitute gar, racist, profane, insult- sages came from the
and the fans’ regular speech by the govern- ing or degrading. state.
chant for their white-jer- ment. Wu disagreed. Wu noted in his ruling The DMV declined to com-
seyed players. With thousands of differ- that British media refer to ment on Wu’s ruling.q