In move ‘away from brute force,’ NYPD closes anti-crime units linked to death of Eric Garner
New York City’s police department is disbanding the type of plainclothes anti-crime units that were involved in the 2014 death of Eric Garner and have long been criticized for aggressive tactics, Commissioner Dermot Shea said Monday.
The NYPD’s anti-crime units, which focused primarily on seizing illegal guns, were responsible for a disproportionate number of shootings and complaints, Shea told reporters after meeting with top deputies to discuss the move.
The change comes amid a nationwide reckoning over police brutality sparked by George Floyd’s death in Minnesota.