75th precinct to wear body cameras by November as tensions rise in community
Eagle Cameras Censored by Police During Public Meeting
Tension was high during a recent 75th Precinct Community Council meeting in East New York, where distrust between police and the community has simmered for years, but is now coming to a boil since the July death of Eric Garner in Staten Island.
At the most recent meeting, which is held on the first Wednesday of each month, tempers flared over a recent alleged incident. Members of the community have charged police with using excessive force and assaulting a local high school vice principal on Sept. 28.
“The principal was assaulted when she attempted to ask the police why they needed to use excessive force and expletives [during an arrest],” said Rickford Burke, president of the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID). “A young child, 15 years old, was assaulted with visible marks on the side of his face.
“I am appealing to you to try to increase the dialogue between the community and the police and to have your officers treat the community with respect,” Burke continued. “Yes, young men must treat the officers with respect; I don’t condone any violence or disrespect, but it must be a two-way street.”