NY Times: Complaints of police abuse against black residents during Cory Booker's Newark tenure

[Buzz Lightyear]

Newark’s mayor, Cory Booker, had swept into office in 2006 pledging a safer city through zero tolerance on crime. And while killings actually rose in his first year, over the next three they fell to historic lows. Yet grievances against the police were piling up in the city’s black wards, with allegations of racial profiling, unlawful stops and excessive force. The A.C.L.U. and local activists pressed for reforms, complaining about pushback from Mr. Booker, whose administration was promoting the plunging homicide rate.
And when the A.C.L.U. finally went public with its plea to the Justice Department, the mayor went on WNYC radio, telling an interviewer that the petition was “one of the worst ways” to bring about meaningful change. “We don’t need people who are going to frustrate, undermine and mischaracterize our agency,” he added.

...

Ultimately, the Justice Department intervened at the A.C.L.U.’s request and Mr. Booker came around, calling the investigation a “win-win” for the city. That inquiry would document a pattern of unconstitutional behavior by the Newark police: Three-quarters of pedestrian stops failed to meet the legal criteria, and blacks were at least 2.5 times more likely than whites to be stopped or arrested. The police department remains under a Justice Department consent decree.

More: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/27/us/politics/cory-booker-newark.html

[LovingA2andMI]

1. Not even a supporter of Cory Booker but....

Come on. This is petty as hell. Anytime there is a Mayor of a majority minority city, this is a possibly considering a majority of police force is likely Caucasian as most law enforcement units are.

[True Blue American]

2. Trolling again.

[LovingA2andMI]

3. What?

Asking a question is TROLLING? We been here by the way but obvious we need to take another action if whoever you are want to refer to folks as Trolls. Tootles.

[True Blue American]

4. My post was not meant for you.

It was for the top post. 41 posts? Dumping on Democrats?

[BlueFlorida]

6. I noticed that as well.

It seems par with the course of attacking every Democrat except one. We have seen this before.

It makes me weep.

[True Blue American]

9. Same here because

Cory Booker was a hands on Mayor. I read a great deal about him, how he helped people, even shoveling snow for those who could not get out.

Corey is a fine, considerate, caring mam.

In short a good Democrat!

I found the top post offensive.

[Buzz Lightyear]

10. "demands for an independent police monitor were ignored."

From the article.

[George II]

12. You forgot about THIS, also from the article:

"Newark’s policing problems date at least to the 1950s..."

Or this:

"The changes were real. During his first term, homicides fell nearly 40 percent..."

People have to be aware of what Newark was like BEFORE he took office.

[Buzz Lightyear]

15. Bad logic

You argue that if a problem has been going on for a while, a mayor’s performance cannot possibly be criticized because the problem is supposed to continue forever.

And you note that crime went down. But nobody is disputing that. Police abuse can occur while crime goes down. Ask Giuliani.

[George II]

16. Problems with the police had been going on for more than 50 years before he took office....

...he certainly wasn't going to turn it around in a year or two.

The problems were greatly reduced by the time he left the mayor's office.

[Buzz Lightyear]

17. So the complainants need to calm down?

I don't think I would go up to the people complaining about abuse and telling them to chill out because "this ain't new".

[WeekiWater]

5. Cory Booker is a genuinely distinctive Democrat on one big issue: criminal justice

In announcing his presidential campaign on Friday morning, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) may have become the criminal justice reformer’s candidate.

Just about every Democratic candidate is expected, at this point, to voice some level of support for reversing mass incarceration, pulling back the war on drugs, and ending police brutality.

But Booker has been a steady leader on this issue. He introduced the most ambitious marijuana legalization bill at the federal level. He’s proposed several criminal justice reform bills, including measures that would target not just federal prisons but state and local ones too. And he’s even acknowledged that criminal justice reform should, at some point, move beyond helping only nonviolent offenders.

Simply put: Booker is often far ahead of other politicians, including those in his party, when it comes to criminal justice reform. In the 2020 Democratic primary, it’s one issue that could make him stand out.

VOX

[ehrnst]

14. But for the dualistic thinker, the minute he doesn't fit the user preferences, he's UNACCEPTABLE!

Less than PEFECT, as defined by a particular manifesto, means that one is A COMPLETELY CORRUPT SHILL!

Mere competency is no match for PURITY!

[BlueFlorida]

7. Weak Tea nt

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[George II]

11. Here we go again....

Those are HIGHLY selective excerpts from the article.

[ehrnst]

13. What candidate isn't this post about?