NYPD Announces Plans to Retrain Police Force
NYPD Announces Plans to Retrain Police Force
New York City's police department's looking to move forward following a grand jury's decision not to indict the officer at the center of the chokehold death of Eric Garner.
The NYPD says more than 20,000 police officers will be required to complete a 3-day training course that will refresh their knowledge about police techniques and improve their communication skills when interacting with the public.
Mayor De Blasio says one focal point of the training will be teaching officers how to de-escalate conflict using as little force as possible.
"Yes, one person has a uniform and a weapon," he said. "But there's another way to move the person you're dealing with to the right place using the power of words and moving people towards compliance."
Mayor De Blasio says the reform will impact millions of New Yorkers.
"Every interaction that every officer has with their fellow New Yorkers after they are trained again will be different," he said. "And that will multiply many times over, for years and years to come, and a whole new generation of officers will be trained with a new approach."
The first series of 3-day programs begins this month.
