NYPD to reassign 600 plainclothes officers to into new roles immediately, Commissioner announces

'We welcome reform, but we also believe that meaningful reform starts from within', Police Commissioner says

The New York Police Department (NYPD) plans to reassign roughly 600 plainclothes police officers into new roles effective immediately, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea has announced.

The anti-crime unit, which especially targeted violent crime and gun violence, will be disbanded as the department refocuses on community-based efforts.

Officers are set to be reassigned to work in “a variety of assignments including detective bureaus, neighbourhood policing, and other assignments,” Mr Shea said at the press conference on Monday, CNN reported.

“This is a seismic shift in the culture in how the NYPD polices this great city. It will be felt immediately among the five district attorneys' offices. It will be felt immediately in the communities we protect,” Mr Shea added.

The announcement follows weeks of unrest in New York and across the US over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in custody in Minneapolis after a white police officer pinned him to the ground by his neck for a prolonged period of time.

“Thankfully, here in New York City, angry demonstrations have turned peaceful. Thoughtful discussions about reform have emerged,” Mr Shea said, according to WNBC.

“We welcome reform, but we also believe that meaningful reform starts from within,” the commissioner said.

The state’s officials have been under pressure by demonstrators to defund the police department and reallocate budgets back into community policing.

Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch spoke out against the decision.

“Anti-Crime’s mission was to protect New Yorkers by proactively preventing crime, especially gun violence,” he said in a statement.

“Shooting and murders are both climbing steadily upward, but our city leaders have clearly decided that proactive policing isn’t a priority anymore. They chose this strategy. They will have to reckon with the consequences.”

On Friday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a police reform agenda that includes the banning of chokeholds in the state.

The series of reforms included a number of provisions such as banning chokeholds by law enforcement officers, prohibiting false race-based 911 reports, and designating the Attorney General as an independent prosecutor for matters relating to the civilian deaths.

The agenda also repealed section 50A of the civil rights law to allow for transparency of prior disciplinary records of law enforcement officers.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday also announced a pledge to cut funding to the NYPD.

“This is 21st-century policing,” Mr Shea said at the news conference announcing the transition of the anti-crime units into other assignments, The New York Times reported.

“We must do it in a manner that builds trust between the officers and the community they serve.”