A federal monitor has submitted a guideline for NYPD behavioral standards that’s so basic it looks like it could be a poster in a 2nd grade classroom. That’s not an insult against the federal monitor who is overseeing NYPD reform, but against the cops, who sadly seem to need reminders like, “Remember most people are good, law-abiding citizens.” Three of the ten rules are about how to not be a dick, while 7 are specifically about how to not be a racist dick.
The New York Daily News reports that Peter Zimroth is seeking approval from a Manhattan federal judge to use the materials in training cadets in June, which include a “Policing 101” list and a 75-page powerpoint that elaborates on the points made in the list. The federal monitor was charged with helping reform the NYPD after Judge Shira Scheindlin ruled its stop-and-frisk policy unconstitutional in 2013.
Here’s the full list:
1. Do not imitate the speech of others.
2. Avoid expressing stereotypical assumptions.
3. Tell a person why he or she was stopped.
4. Remember most people are good, law-abiding citizens.
5. Don’t judge the beliefs or customs of people if they’re not breaking the law.
6. Don’t target certain races because they appear more often in local crime stats.
7. Don’t assume that only criminals fear the police.
8. Generic descriptions like “young black male” do not support reasonable suspicion.
9. Do not engage in racial profiling.
10. Do not tell or tolerate ethnic, racist or sexist jokes.
(Photo: Dave Hosford)
