Defying Mayor Bloomberg and his top cop, Raymond Kelly, the City Council passed two bills Thursday morning to rein in the NYPD’s use of stop and frisk.
The Council voted with veto-proof majorities for the bills to create an inspector general who will oversee the NYPD and to allow people to sue over racial profiling by cops.
The inspector general bill passed 40-11, and the racial-profiling bill by 34-17 -- getting exactly the number of votes needed to withstand Bloomberg’s expected veto.
The votes came in a dramatic session that started late Wednesday and spilled into Thursday, and saw supporters and opponents of the bills passionately staking out their positions.
“There have been a lot of bald-faced lies told about this bill,” said Councilman Jumaane Williams (D-Brooklyn), in a speech urging lawmakers who have never experienced being black, Latino, gay, Muslim or in another profiled group to “please listen to us.”
The Council voted with veto-proof majorities for the bills to create an inspector general who will oversee the NYPD and to allow people to sue over racial profiling by cops.
The inspector general bill passed 40-11, and the racial-profiling bill by 34-17 -- getting exactly the number of votes needed to withstand Bloomberg’s expected veto.
The votes came in a dramatic session that started late Wednesday and spilled into Thursday, and saw supporters and opponents of the bills passionately staking out their positions.
“There have been a lot of bald-faced lies told about this bill,” said Councilman Jumaane Williams (D-Brooklyn), in a speech urging lawmakers who have never experienced being black, Latino, gay, Muslim or in another profiled group to “please listen to us.”
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