The NYC City Council is expected to override Mayor Eric Adams' veto and pass a bill requiring NYPD to document basic information, and reason for interaction, whenever officers question someone, despite the objections of Mayor Eric Adams, reports the Associated Press. The bill, dubbed the How Many Stops Act, is headed for a final council vote on Tuesday. The issue was thrust into the national spotlight again recently when NYPD officers pulled over Black NYC Councilman Yusef Salaam without explanation. Adams, a former NYPD captain, vetoed the legislation earlier this month, saying that the reporting requirements for low-level stops would be too time-consuming for officers, forcing them to fill out forms every time they speak to a person rather than focusing on solving a crime.
On Friday night, the mayor hosted a police ride-along for council members in an effort to sway some lawmakers from voting to override his veto. But the event was overshadowed because, earlier that evening, an officer had pulled over Salaam, an exonerated member of the “Central Park Five. Body-camera footage shows that when Salaam identified himself as a City Councilman, the officer said, “Oh, OK. Have a good one” before walking away. Though such a stop would not be covered by the transparency bill — police already have to record information when they pull a driver over — Salaam argued the encounter underscored the need for greater police transparency. The Council is also set to vote Tuesday to override Adams’ veto of a bill that would ban solitary confinement in the city’s jails.
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