The announcement comes at a time when calls for police reform are spreading across the United States. The New York police, the country's largest service, will dismantle a brigade of plainclothes anti-crime police. It was dedicated to tracking down violent crimes and was involved in some of the city's most serious police shootings, according to the New York Times .
"Make no mistake, this is a radical change in the culture of the New York police," said its chief Dermot Shea on Monday. A total of 600 agents will be redeployed to other positions, notably in surveillance, local police or in fact-finding missions. "I think it's time to move on and change the way we police in this city. We can do it with our heads, in a tricky way, we can move away from brute force, ”insisted Dermot Shea to the press.
Police accused of several blunders
The NYPD, with around 36,000 police officers, has been accused of multiple blunders in the suppression of protests against racism after the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American who was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25. Some agents were filmed pushing demonstrators to the ground or using pepper spray after removing the mask from one of them.
Since the death of George Floyd, a movement calling for police reform has been launched in the United States. Many cities have already amended their practices, in particular to prohibit the use of bottlenecks or strengthen disciplinary procedures. A bill is also being studied at the federal level.
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