Upon his election, incoming President Donald J. Trump declared an intention to discontinue the comprehensive police inspections spearheaded by President Biden as an anti-abuse measure. The onus will now lie upon Trump’s administration to decide on the potential reforms required within the Special Victims Unit (SVU) of the New York Police Department (NYPD), which is responsible for investigating these situations.
Throughout President Biden’s time in office, revamping the infamous, yet tainted sex crimes unit of the NYPD was a response to the #MeToo movement and seen as part of an all-encompassing agenda to ameliorate American policing methods. However, the successful implementation of these plans, along with similar measures in 11 other jurisdictions, is now at the mercy of President Trump. After securing re-election last week, he promised to halt the expansive, across-the-board police examination supported by Biden.
Started two years ago, the Department of Justice (DOJ) delved into possible cases of gender discrimination by the SVU due to purported mishandlings. The probe drew upon over ten years of public grievances related to inadequate staffing in the unit, investigators’ maltreatment of victims, and neglect of basic investigatory measures.
The DOJ has so far only undertaken a single police accountability examination, marking the lowest figure since these investigations were instituted in 1994. While the DOJ and the city may reach an agreement on executing changes, court approval remains necessary. With time of the essence, securing this approval could pose a serious challenge.
The NYPD’s case is only one amongst 12 such policing practice inquiries unveiled during President Biden’s tenure, that President Trump stands to inherit. Alongside these, he will also assume control over 16 resolutions achieved by past administrations. Last month, Trump addressed a rally in Charlotte, N.C., where he blamed Democrats for instigating a law enforcement battle, vowing to restore the power, protection, and respect to the police force that he believes they merit.
In New York, the SVU fields in excess of 14,000 complaints of sexual offenses annually, as per the NYPD’s data. The outcomes of cases scrutinized by the unit’s 225 detectives and 45 officers seldom culminate in arrests or prosecutions. Victims have repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction over multiple decades, expressing that detectives often portrayed insensitivity and haste in closing their cases without gathering crucial evidence.
Notwithstanding presidential influence, the city is not dependent on federal authorities to effect changes. It can develop its own plan to better investigations and safeguard victims, potentially providing a model for other agencies nationwide to emulate.
Criminal justice reform was a key aspect of Biden’s mandate, elected as he was three years after the #MeToo movement. This movement catalyzed worldwide objections towards sexual violence and showcased the inadequate responses of law enforcement agencies. During his presidency, Biden enacted bipartisan legislation limiting the secretive contracts and binding arbitration traditionally used to conceal sexual harassment and assault incidents in workplaces.
The results of attempts to compel transformations within police departments have been mixed. Federal attorneys have met resistance from unions and law enforcement leaders who take issue with excessive oversight. According to Jason C. Johnson, former Deputy Police Commissioner in Baltimore and current head of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, cities are increasingly recognizing that such heavy-handed approaches are resource demanding and not a responsible expenditure of tax dollars.
Supporting his view, Johnson pointed out that while the Obama and Biden administrations resorted to consent decrees to enforce wide-ranging changes, they oftentimes overlooked cheaper, more effective alternatives. Johnson predicts that Trump’s strategy will likely be more targeted, focusing on addressing specific illicit practices.
New York’s Mayor Eric Adams has promised to fully cooperate with the investigation. In addition, he expressed willingness to collaborate with the Trump administration to promote the city’s best interests. However, it remains uncertain whether these adjustments have translated into an increase in successful arrests or convictions, and Mayor Adams’ future prospects are unclear due to federal corruption charges and a sexual assault accusation he has denied.
This marks at least the third federal investigation into the NYPD since the 1990s. In 1999, two years post the torture of a Haitian immigrant in a Brooklyn police station, federal attorneys exposed a police culture that encouraged harsh tactics. They recommended alterations in the department’s officer investigation and discipline procedures. However, then Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, objected and the case was dropped when fellow Republican, George W. Bush, became president.
In a separate instance, federal attorneys determined that the members of the Street Crime Unit were guilty of racial profiling. This finding materialized after the unit’s members fatally shot an unarmed Guinean immigrant in 1999. The unit was disbanded in 2002 as the NYPD underwent downsizing.