Police

Gothamist reports: More than 19,000 of New York City’s first responders have yet to comply with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s new COVID-19 vaccine mandate on the eve of its deadline. As of Wednesday, 86% of the city’s 378,000 municipal workers have received at least one dose, according to the mayor’s office. That’s only a 2 percentage point increase since the …

The Hill reports: The Los Angeles City Council approved a plan on Tuesday that calls for deducting the cost of COVID-19 tests from the paychecks of police officers, firefighters and other city workers who remain unvaccinated. The plan, which passed the council by a 13-0 vote, according to the Los Angeles Times, requires that all unvaccinated employees reimburse the city …

The New York Daily News reports: The NYPD’s largest union sued the city Monday, asking a judge to block Mayor de Blasio’s COVID vaccine mandate from taking effect this week.The lawsuit, filed in Staten Island Supreme Court by the Police Benevolent Association, argued that the NYPD’s “vax or test” program, which requires unvaccinated officers to get tested weekly, was enough …

Law & Crime reports: A U.S. Capitol Police officer pleaded not guilty to helping a Facebook friend scrub evidence of participation in the Jan. 6 siege of the complex he was sworn to defend. Officer Michael Angelo Riley, who has more than 25 years of experience, allegedly helped a man he barely knew — known only as “Person 1” in …

Oregon Public Radio reports: Not long after the pro-gun rally in Salem, Portland police officer Joseph Webber appears to have joined the Oath Keepers militia, an anti-government, anti-immigrant extremist group that was thrust into the national security spotlight for its role in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection. According to data leaked earlier this month and reviewed by OPB, Webber …

The Associated Press reports: A man who was shot in the arm by Kyle Rittenhouse during a protest last year against police brutality in Wisconsin has filed a federal lawsuit alleging police enabled the violence by allowing an armed militia to have free run of the streets during the demonstration. The filing maintains police knew the militia was there to …

The Associated Press reports: A U.S. Capitol Police officer has been indicted on obstruction of justice charges after prosecutors say he helped to hide evidence of a rioter’s involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection. The officer, Michael A. Riley, is accused of tipping off someone who participated in the riot by telling them to remove posts from Facebook that had …

Gothamist reports: Over the last decade, dozens of current and former law enforcement officers, military personnel, and government officials in New Jersey joined a far-right, anti-government militia called the Oath Keepers, according to a WNYC/Gothamist analysis of what appear to be membership rolls obtained by an anonymous hacker. In response, the state’s Attorney General’s office said it was troubled by …

The Miami Herald reports: Miami City Manager Art Noriega moved to fire embattled Police Chief Art Acevedo Monday night, ending weeks of speculation following two circus-like public hearings where city commissioners slammed the chief for everything from a tone-deaf statement about “Cuban Mafia” running the department to a tight jumpsuit he wore years ago during a fundraiser in another city. …

Our Tallahassee reports: Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell this week spoke at an all-expenses-paid three-day retreat at one of America’s most notorious homophobic institutions: the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). BGEA hosted the three-day long Chief Law Enforcement Officer Appreciation Event retreat from September 28-30th at the opulent Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove. Tallahassee Police Department Chief not …

The Washington Examiner reports: Los Angeles’s sheriff said he is refusing to enforce the vaccine mandate passed by the City Council among his workforce, citing how the issue of COVID-19 vaccines has become “so politicized.” “I’m not forcing anyone,” Villanueva said Thursday. “The issue has become so politicized. There are entire groups of employees that are willing to be fired …

The New York Daily News reports: Ex-Sergeants Benevolent Association President Ed Mullins filed for retirement after being stripped of his gun and shield Wednesday, one day after the FBI raided the union’s headquarters and his Long Island home. A source said the federal investigation centered on suspected misuse of union funds. The Sergeants Benevolent Association cannot provide an attorney for …

The New York Daily News reports: The controversial president of the union representing NYPD sergeants resigned Tuesday after federal investigators searched the union’s headquarters and his home. Sergeants Benevolent Association President Ed Mullins resigned at the request of the union’s board, the board said in a letter to its membership late Tuesday. Mullins was a brash leader known for his …

CNN reports: US Capitol Police on Tuesday took into custody a suspect from a “suspicious vehicle” parked near the Supreme Court after giving the person commands and using a flash bang device. They said in a news conference Tuesday afternoon they don’t know what motivated the man who they identified as Dale Paul Melvin, 55, from Kimball, Michigan. Deputy Chief …

The New York Times reports: Federal investigators on Tuesday morning raided the Manhattan office of one of New York City’s main police unions in connection with an ongoing investigation, according to two people with the knowledge of the matter. The union, the Sergeants Benevolent Association, represents about 13,000 active and retired police sergeants in New York. Its headquarters were searched …

The Sacramento Bee reports: Five years after a former California Highway Patrol officer sued the agency alleging he was driven out of his job because he was gay, the CHP has settled the lawsuit for $2.2 million. Jay Brome, who spent 20 years with the CHP until he took medical stress leave in January 2015, agreed to the settlement after …

New York City’s CW affiliate reports: As the NYPD continues to work on improving customer service and neighborhood relations, the department has launched a new greeter program featuring “community guides.” The Community Guide is a dedicated customer service representative who will serve as the first point of contact to welcome all visitors who come into precincts, according to the NYPD. …

USA Today reports: More than half of police killings in the U.S. are not reported in official government data, and Black Americans are most likely to experience fatal police violence, according to a new study released Thursday. An estimated 55% of deaths from police violence from 1980 to 2018 were misclassified or unreported in official vital statistics reports, according to …

Gothamist reports: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office said it will scrutinize NYPD ranks following a WNYC/Gothamist investigation of online records that appears to tie several New York law enforcement officers and public officials—including at least two active members of the NYPD—to a far-right, anti-government militia. The mayor’s investigation comes after an anonymous hacker released what it claims …

The Hill reports: Dozens of state troopers in Massachusetts have resigned as a result of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate, a key union said Monday. State Police Association President Michael Cherven made the announcement in a statement, adding that some troopers had intentions of moving to departments that offered “reasonable alternatives such as mask wearing and regular testing.” In August, …