www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY June 14, 2020 2
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
BY JASON COHEN
Amid national uproar
against police brutality
and the systemic violence
against black and brown
communities, Senator Alessandra
Biaggi introduced
two pieces of legislation to
demilitarize law enforcement
this week.
The fi rst bill provides
that no law enforcement
agency shall use a chemical
incapacitant, including
tear gas and prohibits
the use of pepper spray for
crowd control purposes.
The second one prohibits
a law enforcement agency
from receiving or purchasing
the following property
from a military equipment
surplus program operated
by the federal government:
drones that are armored,
weaponized or both, aircraft
that are combat confi
gured or combat coded,
grenades or similar explosives
and grenade launchers,
silencers or militarized
armored vehicles.
“Across New York and
our nation, ongoing protests
demanding racial justice
and an end to police
brutality have been met
with local law enforcement
in riot gear, armed with
chemical weapons,” Biaggi
said. “The militarized response
to peaceful protest
and civil disobedience has
only escalated violence,
shocking the conscience of
New Yorkers and Americans
across the country
witnessing this trauma for
the fi rst time.”
A study of 9,000 law enforcement
agencies across
the U.S. found that police
militarization does not reduce
violent crime or impact
the number of offi cers
assaulted or killed on the
job, police forces are more
likely to deploy militarized
units in black neighborhoods
and the use of military
grade equipment by
the police decreases public
confi dence in law enforcement.
Additionally, evidence
shows that the militarization
of law enforcement
is associated with an increase
in police violence.
But this is nothing new
— for decades, municipalities
have increasingly militarized
their law enforcement
and the consequences
have been deadly. Federal
surplus programs have allowed
police to receive military
grade equipment like
tanks, armored drones,
and grenades, which they
have disproportionately deployed
in Black and brown
Biaggi moves to demilitarize law enforcement File photo
communities. The use of
military equipment in U.S.
localities does nothing to
advance public safety or
even protect police offi cers
— it only incites violence
and terror in our neighborhoods.
To further exacerbate
police hostility, local law
enforcement maintain access
to prohibited mechanisms
of chemical warfare.
Tear gas has been banned
from use on battlefi elds
by the Chemical Weapons
Convention for decades, but
to this day is used by New
York law enforcement to
dispel protestors exercising
their fi rst amendment
rights.
“The sheer purpose
of tear gas is to trigger
pain receptors that cause
crying, sneezing, coughing,
diffi culty breathing,
and temporary blindness
upon exposure with the
risk of long-term consequences,”
said Biaggi.
“It is unfathomable that
in the middle of a respiratory
pandemic, we are
seeing offi cers fi re tear
gas and pepper spray at
peaceful protestors with
impunity. For years, police
have abused tear gas,
showing zero restraint.
Enough is enough.”
Biaggi added, “As long
as police continue to arm
themselves with militarygrade
equipment — they
will approach our communities
as warzones, looking
for an enemy, instead
of seeing their neighbors
as the people who they are
sworn to protect.”
Biaggi legislation moves to
demilitarize law enforcement
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