In February 1999, these tensions increased when an unarmed man, Amadou Diallo, was shot and killed by four officers from the NYPD s Street Crime Unit. These officers fired 41 bullets at Mr. Diallo in the vestibule of his home. Although these incidents are not the focus of this report, the Commission cannot dismiss or deny the significant impact that they have had on police-community relations in New York City. Indeed, it is obvious from the testimony and voluminous documents produced as a result of the New York hearing that this city and others around the country could benefit from an honest dialogue about police practices and civil rights. In previous publications by the Commission on police practices, it has been established that most properly trained, culturally sensitive officers handle the difficult and life-risking challenges of policing with the level of professionalism required to protect lives, civil rights, and property within the boundaries of the law.
Professionalism is the key to effective police strategies.
Police officers must be willing to remain professional and uphold the duties of their office, even in the face of mounting public criticism. The Commission is concerned, therefore, that at the time this report was being approved, the NYPD was facing new allegations that in June 2000, several officers failed to respond to calls for help from women who were being sexually attacked at an event in Central Park. It is our hope that these allegations against a few officers are not a sign, as some critics have suggested, of a frustrated force, weary of official scrutiny. This report should help law enforcement officials to better understand that police officer professionalism and stronger ties with the community are inextricably connected. This hearing report is legally and logically supported by facts secured from the sworn testimony of witnesses who appeared before the Commission at its public hearing.