Reform NYPD Amid Coronavirus Recovery, Says BK Borough Prez

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Former cop, current Brooklyn Borough President and mayoral hopeful Eric Adams unveiled a coronavirus recovery proposal with a heavy emphasis on NYPD cuts and reforms.

Adams released the proposal "Real Recovery NYC" on Tuesday as New Yorkers went to the polls for a primary election.

The coronavirus pandemic "laid bare existing inequalities in New York City in devastating ways," it states, before tying in recent protests over systemic racism.

"Bold steps are needed now to rescue the city from a long-term downturn due to the financial crisis," it states. "But as we launch our recovery, it is also the City’s responsibility to recover the right way by addressing historical injustices once and for all. It would be unconscionable to rebuild the same shoddy structures that led to so much unnecessary, unequal death and pain."

Adams, a former NYPD police captain, is eyeing a move to Gracie Mansion once Mayor Bill de Blasio's term ends in 2021.

He spent much of the coronavirus pandemic in the public eye, hopping from event to event and releasing proposal after proposal. He did so as well once protests after the killing of George Floyd spread across the city.

The new proposal ties in those issues into a plan with three prongs: NYPD reforms, reducing economic inequality and addressing New York City's looming $9 billion budget deficit.

The police reforms lead off with a shift toward more civilians in the police force — an 80/20 civilian to police officer split, it states. Civilians cost less and generally are Black and Brown city residents, it states.

Other proposed police reforms include an overtime overhaul and transparent forensic audits for the department.

The proposal's economic measures include a tax credit for frontline workers, the creation of a local banking network, incentives for companies to hire locally and small business relief.

The budget reduction proposals include temporary furloughs for city employees who qualify for unemployment benefits "that make them whole" and taxes on millionaires and luxury homes.

Read the full proposal here.