In June of 2020, during the heart of national protests against racialized police violence, the NYPD announced a long-overdue step: the disbanding of plainclothes police officers. Noting that these covert forces were a remnant of the now-unconstitutional "stop-and-frisk" era of policing, the then-police commissioner argued that disbanding the plainclothes unit was a crucial step towards building community trust and reducing violence. Now, former-cop Eric Adams wants it reinstated.
Sign now to tell NYC Mayor Eric Adams that reinstating the violent and controversial plainclothes unit will only result in more civilian deaths!
New Yorkers overwhelmingly believe the plainclothes unit is a bad idea. And the data supports these opinions -- despite making up less than 6% of all officers, a 2018 investigation found that 31% of fatal NYPD shootings involved plainclothes officers since 2000. Even the NYPD itself found that just under half of officers involved in incidents "when an officer intentionally discharges his or her firearm during a confrontation with a subject" were in plainclothes in a 2016 report.
There is no reason for the NYPD to reinstate this violent and unnecessary police unit. As now decades of research show, more police do not reduce crime, and a growing body of experts argue that putting more cops on the street actually increases it. If the mayor is really worried about the victims of violent crime, he should invest money into the resources that can actually help decrease it -- expanding access to mental healthcare, food, education, and housing for all New Yorkers.
There will be blood on the hands of Eric Adams if he knowingly reinstates a unit of the police force that has a history of racial profiling and excessive use of force. Sign the petition imploring him to scrap the dangerous idea of bringing back the plainclothes police unit!