Governor Paterson Accepts Final Report from Police-on-Police Shootings Task Force

ALBANY, NY (05/27/2010)(readMedia)-- Governor David A. Paterson today accepted the final report of the Police-on-Police Shootings Task Force. Established by Executive Order No. 23, the Task Force undertook a comprehensive examination of fatal and non-fatal police-on-police confrontations in order to better understand the dynamics of these confrontations, and to develop strategies to prevent future similar incidents.

"The shooting deaths of New York Officers Christopher Ridley in January 2008 and Omar Edwards in May 2009 prompted me to create a Task Force that would take a look at fatal police-on-police shootings. This Task Force has delivered ground-breaking work, and I am certain that these efforts will help save lives," Governor Paterson said. "I look forward to further review of the report and we will consider the implementation of the recommendations outlined in the report in the coming weeks. I congratulate the Task Force for its work as part of our effort to help prevent these tragic events from ever happening again."

The Task Force investigated the circumstances surrounding confrontations between on-duty and off-duty officers, officers of different races, nationalities and ethnicities, and examined how to prevent such incidents in the future. Based on its research, the Task Force delivered a series of recommendations designed to: improve police officer training and provide guidance on tactics to defuse police-on-police confrontations before they become fatal, improve the investigation of police-on-police shootings, and provide procedures that can improve the treatment of the officers and families involved in such confrontations. The Task Force undertook a nationwide, systematic investigation of mistaken-identity, police-on-police shootings-the first time an independent panel has conducted such an inquiry.

Task Force Chair Christopher Stone said: "All of the members of the task force are grateful for Governor Paterson's leadership on this issue and for his concern for the safety of all the men and women in law enforcement. Speaking personally, I think it was essential that the Governor asked us to look at the issues behind these tragedies, challenging us to craft recommendations that will enhance officer safety and public safety. I believe that we have met that challenge. These recommendations can save lives and our findings can help everyone understand the important issues of race that are entwined in these cases. I look forward to working together with officials in State and Federal governments to implement our recommendations."

Summary of Recommendations

Based on its findings, the Task Force made nine recommendations:

1. That common protocols be developed both statewide and nationwide regarding when and how to take police action while off-duty or out-of-uniform, and how challenging and confronted officers should conduct themselves to minimize mistaken-identity fatal confrontations.

2. That interactive, scenario-based training on the protocols become mandatory in New York State and routine throughout the nation, both for new recruits and for veteran officers, and that training be developed for supervising police personnel in how to respond effectively to police-on-police shootings.

3. That both Federal and State governments accelerate the development of testing and training to measurably reduce unconscious racial bias in shoot/don't shoot decisions.

4. That police training on issues of race and diversity be expanded to include a focus on diversity within police agencies, drawing on the experiences of officers of color who have been mistaken for offenders.

5. That a specialized support team be developed that could be quickly deployed to any location in the State where a police-on-police shooting occurs, and that could be available to assist departments in other states upon request.

6. That a mandatory statewide reporting system be established for all firearms discharges, and that a voluntary annual survey be distributed to individual officers to report police-on-police confrontations.

7. That prosecutors overseeing these investigations publicly disclose as many details as legally possible as early as possible.

8. That the protocols developed to protect officers be adapted for use by those community organizations providing training to civilians on how to handle themselves during encounters with police, and that this training be made available to civilians of all races and ethnicities.

9. That the federal government, together with local law enforcement agencies, launch a program of dialogue and research on the experiences of officers of color, especially when off duty.

A full copy of the final report is available at: http://www.ny.gov/governor/reports/pdf/Police_on_Police.pdf.

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The following quotes were provided in support of the findings of the Police-on-Police Shooting Task Force:

Damon Hewitt, Executive Director of the Task Force, said: "The findings in this report validate the concerns of many regarding how issues involving police training and race can lead to unspeakable tragedies if left unaddressed. But with thoughtful implementation, the recommendations assembled by this Task Force should lead to meaningful reforms that will help save the lives of both police officers and members of the community at large. We owe a debt of gratitude to the officers, researchers and community members who volunteered their time and ideas to this important effort."

Michael Farrell, Deputy Commissioner for Strategic Initiatives for the New York Police Department, said: "These Task Force recommendations offer great hope that we can prevent future incidents of police-on-police shootings and their devastating effects on families, communities and law enforcement agencies."

Lewis Rice, former Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency, New York Division, said: "As a former federal narcotic agent, who has conducted hundreds of investigations around the world, I salute Governor Paterson for his willingness to take a close look at the root causes of police-on-police shootings. These incidents, although infrequent, have a demoralizing effect on law enforcement organizations, their personnel and the community. Over the last ten months the Task Force closely examined and candidly discussed the issues of race and tactics and produced a meaningful report that has the potential to save lives. It is our hope that law enforcement organizations, around the country, will review this document and implement our nine recommendations which are designed to improve public safety."

Reverend Dr. Herbert Daughtry, President of the Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance, said: "Initially I was reluctant to participate, but in the end I found the experience educational and challenging. I think we did a good lasting work. Each participant bought experience knowledge and commitment. I think the Governor and the public will be pleased. Our work will be comprehensive enough to include citizens."

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