NYPD Deputy Commissioner Pushes for Regular Training Key for Better, Safer Policing

New York Police Department (NYPD) Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker said the days of the department's overlooked and underfunded personnel training are over. Tucker praised the ongoing training of officers as a critical factor in the consistent reduction of the necessity of using deadly force.

Tucker told reporters that the New York department and its police officers use firearms much less than any other department in the nation. He noted the reason was the training that personnel received that reduced the number of incidents that required violent tactics.

Effective training

According to Fox News, the Use of Force report of the NYPD in 2018 recorded police officers only unloaded their firearms 35 times out of 6.1 million 911 calls that department received.

The deputy commissioner was an influential figure in opening the new College Point training facility after Eric Garner's death in 2014. Garner was a 39-year-old black man who died after an encounter with police officer Daniel Pantaleo. The officer alleged Garner was resisting arrest and placed him in a chokehold.

Tucker said it was the incident that made him realize that officers who received tactical training while studying in the academy did not receive further instruction. Previously, Commissioner Bill Bratton appointed Tucker as the deputy commissioner for training.

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The official said after officers did not receive further training after they were assigned to permanent commands and throughout their careers. Tucker noted while there were a few exceptions, they decided to conduct retraining of the entire police force.

On the year Tucker proposed the retraining, 22,000 patrol officers received coaching and received personal body cameras. He noted having footage of encounters through the cameras made the officers more effective and efficient.

Measure of accountability

Many people believe body cameras provide an accountability measure to police officers. The videos assist in corroborating facts about police encounters so that authorities can take necessary disciplinary actions.

One such incident was when Officer David Afanador, who used a chokehold on a suspect from Queens who was allegedly resisting arrest in June.

Tucker noted the body cameras show not only how police officers arrest suspects but also reveals to the public the dangers and threats that law enforcement face on a daily basis. He said both officers and criminals have firearms and the possibility of a shootout poses real risks to the lives of police.

The deputy commissioner said the training that NYPD police officers receive focuses on de-escalation and that retraining practices are held on a regular basis to ensure that it is always reminded to every single officer.

In July, an NYPD training video was spread around to police officers warning them not to subdue suspects or individuals with chokeholds or placing pressure on their neck, backs, or chests, all of which have become illegal under the new legislation, as reported by NY Daily News.

The seven-minute training video was distributed to department-issued smartphones of all NYPD police officers. The footage also encourages officers to restrain and pull colleagues who are using the newly illegal moves on suspects.