Tag: nypd

NYPD Deploys Counter Terrorism Unit To Protect Wall Street in Response To Gamestop Protests

The Charging Bull statue in Manhattan’s Financial District has become the sight of protests amid a wider financial rebellion happening online. On Friday, a handful of activists were seen in Bowling Green Park, posing with the bull, and holding signs that said “Tax Wall Street Trades.” A thin band of tape was also placed on the statue’s head and rear end, featuring slogans like “Hold the line” and “WSB” — both allusions to the GameStop insurrection against hedge funds organized by Reddit’s “Wall Street Bets” community. A similar fate befell the new Fearless Girl statue, which faces the New York Stock Exchange building. Both the bull and the girl are meant to symbolize the power, bravery and daring of the city’s financial traders.

In response, the New York Police Department (NYPD) mobilized its anti-terrorism unit, sending masked, blad clad police officers wearing armor and carrying assault rifles to protect and secure the area. “The Stock Market has had an interesting week to say the least. We are happy to report that the Wall Street Charging Bull is secure and continues to preside over Bowling Green for the foreseeable future,” it announced. The bull was covered in a blue tarp to prevent further vandalism.

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NYPD DISAPPEARED BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTERS INTO DETENTION FOR DAYS AT A TIME. LAWMAKERS WANT TO END THE PRACTICE.

IN EARLY JUNE, hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters languished for days in cramped New York City jail cells. Stuck in holding pens without masks and exposed to soiled conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic, they were unable to reach loved ones or lawyers. The protesters were effectively disappeared into New York City’s detention system.

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Lawsuits Against NYPD Cost Taxpayers $230 Million Last Year

New York City taxpayers are stuck with a $230 million bill for the thousands of lawsuits against the NYPD that the city settled in the last fiscal year, according to a report released this week by Comptroller Scott Stringer.

The annual claims report found that the majority of suits against the department were related to improper police conduct, including excessive force and false arrests. While the number of claims against the NYPD has remained stable—there were 6,472 actions last year, compared to 6,546 in 2017—total payouts have decreased significantly from last year’s high of $335.5 million.

The Comptroller’s report noted that five wrongful conviction suits accounted for $33 million of this past year’s payouts. Four out of five of those claims involved people who spent decades in prison before their sentences were vacated by the late Brooklyn D.A. Ken Thompson’s Conviction Integrity Unit. Their settlements ranged from $1.5 million for Paul Gatling, who was exonerated at the age of 81, to $12.3 million for Andre Hatchett, who spent 25 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

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