Volpe, who is white, was accused of brutalizing Abner Louima with a broken broomstick in a Brooklyn station house. Another officer was found guilty of holding down Louima, and three other officers were acquitted. Howard Safir say things have changed mightily since the August 1997 attack.
More minorities are now officers, they say, and more community outreach efforts are underway.
But critics argue changes are slow in coming. The dire need for reforms, they say, became evident again in February, when four white undercover officers shot and killed Amadou Diallo outside his apartment building. A fusillade of 41 bullets were fired at the unarmed Diallo, who was black, striking him 19 times. The officers are set to stand trial in January on second-degree murder charges. Their image is tarnished beyond repair unless sweeping changes are implemented.