17 YEARS LATER: The #DOJ Ends Monitoring of #Yonkers, #NewYork Police DepartmentDEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE >>> PRESS RELEASE: Justice Department Announces Successful Conclusion of Agreement with the City of Yonkers, New York and the Yonkers Police Department to Ensure Constitutional Policing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Justice Department announced today the successful conclusion of its agreement with the City of Yonkers, New York, and the Yonkers Police Department (YPD).
YONKERS, NY: The agreement required YPD to improve its policies and practices regarding the use of force, stops, searches, and arrests, the protection of First Amendment rights, misconduct investigations and discipline, and community policing.
Over the past eight years, the city and YPD have implemented all of the reforms required by the agreement and sustained those reforms for more than a year. Today, the Justice Department agreed to terminate the agreement and commends the city and YPD on their achievements.
“The success of Yonkers and the Yonkers Police Department under this agreement demonstrates the fundamental truth that fair, constitutional and effective policing can enhance public safety and promote trust between police and the community they are sworn to protect and serve,” said Assistant Attorney General #KristenClarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
“Through this agreement, the city and YPD have significantly decreased settlement payouts on excessive force claims, and from 2017 to 2023, violent crimes in Yonkers also fell substantially. We commend YPD leadership, including former #YPD Commissioners #CharlesGardner and #JohnMueller, current YPD Commissioner #ChristopherSapienza, as well as civilian staff and officers for their commitment to ensure constitutional policing for the people of Yonkers. Our settlements with police departments are of little utility unless real work and effort is put in to ensure that reforms are brought to life and successfully implemented.”
“Since the commencement of our investigation in 2007, the Yonkers Police Department has worked assiduously and cooperatively to implement significant reforms which ensure that its officers are well trained, well informed and guided on appropriate uses of force, and that a thorough and robust review system is in place to identify potentially problematic incidents, officers, training and tactics,” said U.S. Attorney #DamianWilliams for the #SouthernDistrictOfNewYork.
“The Yonkers Police Department has achieved substantial compliance with all provisions of the agreement and established policies and programs that demonstrate a dedication and commitment to serving the community and ensuring its safety and well-being. I commend the Yonkers Police Department for its efforts.”
Over the period the agreement has been in place, there are substantial indications that the agreement has led to improvements in the constitutionality and effectiveness of #YonkersPD’s policing.
The #CityOfYonkers has experienced a significant reduction in excessive force settlement payouts due to a marked decrease in allegations of unlawful uses of force.
YPD’s Internal Affairs Department has dramatically improved its average times to complete critical use-of-force investigations, from 245 days in 2019, down to 69 days in 2023.
YPD’s Internal Affairs Department has significantly reduced its average times for completing civilian misconduct complaint investigations, from 236 days in 2019, to 72 days in 2023.
The City of Yonkers has also experienced a 22% reduction in violent crimes over the last five years.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York jointly handled the matter.
The Justice Department’s investigations have led to significant reforms of law enforcement agencies nationwide.
The technical assistance letter for Yonkers can be found here. PHOTO: Yonkers Mayor #MikeSpano At A Press Conference Announcing That The Federal Department Of Justice Had Terminated Its Investigation Into The Yonkers Police Department
EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT: .Despite Previous Promises He Would Not Do It....
President #JoeBiden has issued a pardon for #HunterBiden that will cover federal #GunCharges and #TaxCharges.
This action reverses previous statements where #Biden had promised not to intervene with a #PresidentialPardon powers for family members.
Here's a breakdown of the situation:
On December 1, 2024, Joe Biden announced he had signed a "full and unconditional" pardon for Hunter Biden, which covers not only the gun and tax #Convictions but also any other offenses against the United States he may have committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024.
Despite Biden's earlier assertions that he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence, this decision marks a significant change in policy.
Biden had publicly stated he would respect the #JudicialProcess regarding Hunter's #Legal issues.
Hunter Biden was convicted on federal gun charges in #Delaware for lying about his #DrudAddiction during a gun purchase in 2018 and had pleaded guilty to tax charges in #California for failing to pay over $1.4 million in #Taxes.
These cases were set for #Sentencing in mid-December before the pardon was issued. In his statement, President Biden claimed that Hunter was "selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted" due to #PoliticalMotives, suggesting that his son was targeted because of his #Family name.
He argued that typically, similar cases do not lead to #Felony charges without aggravating factors.
This decision has sparked significant #Controversy, with #Republicans labeling Biden a "liar" for going against his previous assurances.
Some #Democrats have defended the move by questioning the fairness of the prosecutions against Hunter.
#SocialMedia posts show a range of reactions, from surprise to criticism, highlighting the political fallout and public perception of this move.
Some users anticipated this outcome, reflecting a belief in political manipulation of #LegalProcesses.
This development, as well as, other developments involving President Elect #DonaldTrump is likely to have lasting implications on public trust in political figures and the perceived impartiality of legal actions against them.
PLEASE READ MORE HERE:
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#Republican Sen. #TommyTuberville (R-AL) tried to take a jab at #Ukraine this week, but instead ended up on the receiving end of a brutal #FactCheck after he confused the facts.
In a recent display of what can only be described as a significant #Confusion, #GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville has once again made #Headlines, but not for the reasons he might have hoped.
This time, his comments were not just #Controversial; they were factually #Incorrect in a way that has prompted #Laughter, #Mockery, and a stern #RealityCheck from communities on #SocialMedia as well as from various #NewsOutlets.
#Tuberville, known for his previous #ControversialStatements, made a claim on X that has since #Backfired spectacularly.
He stated, "The United States has sent $211 BILLION of your tax dollars to Ukraine, 4X as much as the rest of the world COMBINED."
This assertion was quickly met with a fact checking correction, which clarified that the $211 billion figure actually represents the amount the #Russian has spent on its #MilitaryOperations agaist the Ukrainian peopler not the #USA's military aid to Ukraine.
This correction was backed by a #Reuters #News article which detailed the Russian expenditure, making Tuberville's claim not just an error but a complete reversal of reality.
The reaction was swift and unforgiving.
Posts on SocialMediaPlatforms ranged from outright mockery to expressions of #Disbelief at Tuberville's grasp of #InternationalAffairs.
Even more concerning is the broader context of Tuberville's statements on the Ukraine conflict.
He has previously downplayed Russian #Aggression, once suggesting that #VladimirPutin simply did not want U.S. missiles on his border, a statement that oversimplifies the complex #Geopolitical tensions and ignores Russia's clear territorial ambitions in Ukraine.
This incident isn't just a minor slip-up; it's indicative of a broader issue where #PublicFigures, especially those in positions of power, disseminate #Misinformation or incorrect information about critical international issues.
When senators, who are part of bodies making significant decisions on foreign policy, demonstrate such a misunderstanding, it raises questions about the quality of #Debate and #DdecisionMaking in the U.S. #Senate.
Moreover, Tuberville's position on the Senate #ArmedServicesCommittee makes his grasp of these facts even more crucial.
His previous actions, like blocking #MilitaryPromotions over policy disagreements, alongside this recent gaffe, might lead some to question his suitability for that role.
Senator Tommy Tuberville's blunder where he confused U.S. aid to Ukraine with Russian military expenditure is more than just a factual error; it's a reminder of the importance of #Accuracy in #PublicDiscourse, especially from those in influential positions.
This event not only underscores the need for fact-checking in real-time on #SocialPlatforms but also emphasizes the responsibility of public officials to be well-informed on matters of national and international significance.
As the discourse around #US involvement in international conflicts continues, one hopes that this serves as a lesson in the necessity of clarity, accuracy, and perhaps a bit more #Humility when discussing complex geopolitical issues.
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