Q&A
Mastro's plans for addressing police misconduct as Corporation Counsel
2:39:02
·
171 sec
Randy Mastro outlines his plans for addressing police misconduct if he becomes Corporation Counsel. He proposes a more proactive approach to reviewing and addressing cases of police misconduct.
- Mastro suggests creating a dedicated team to review police misconduct cases thoroughly
- He emphasizes looking beyond risk management to address root causes of misconduct
- Mastro proposes working with the police department to implement systemic reforms
Randy Mastro
2:39:02
No.
2:39:02
Please let me finish.
2:39:03
I don't condone any of that police violence.
2:39:07
In fact, as corporation counsel, I would want Corporation Council's office to play an even more proactive role, not just having risk management to review instances of police misconduct or allegations of brutality, but to do a deep dive at the outset to try to have a dedicated team to do a deep dive at the outset to to determine the merits of those cases and look at systemic reform and what needed to be done with those individual police or otherwise.
2:39:34
So I think corp counsel's office can play a very constructive role in doing more than just risk management and what it's costing the city and actually trying to get to the root causes and who's causing it and to try to do something working with the police department and the rest of the administration.
2:39:51
In addressing those causes.
2:39:52
So, no, I don't I I don't condone those things.
2:39:56
I never did condone those things.
2:39:57
And the person you quoted from the Civil Liberties Union will tell you if you speak to him that I'm an excellent lawyer, and he has a great deal
Crystal Hudson
2:40:06
of questioning your ability as a lawyer nor nor did I say you condone those actions.
Randy Mastro
2:40:12
Okay.
2:40:12
What
Crystal Hudson
2:40:12
I asked was how would you engender confidence about police accountability and admit to wrongdoing by the NYPD in similar cases of police brutality in the future.
2:40:25
Surely, I'm you can understand that New Yorkers who were here under the Giuliani Times and remember those times specifically and who were impacted directly by a lot of those policies and decisions, and these particular events that I've outlined might have some skepticism.
2:40:43
So I'm asking how do you provide confidence in your ability to those New Yorkers?
Randy Mastro
2:40:50
Sure.
2:40:51
So I I I was attempting to answer your question, councilwoman.
2:40:55
I I I do have, you know, the the confidence and respect of civil liberties leaders like Norman Siegel, who I've done I'm
Crystal Hudson
2:41:09
asking about regular New Yorkers.
2:41:11
Not the people who are here to give.
Randy Mastro
2:41:13
Let me let me please finish.
Crystal Hudson
2:41:15
Words on your behalf.
Randy Mastro
2:41:16
How can you how can you have confidence in my abilities in this respect?
2:41:20
I've already told you that I would do something transformative at the court council's office, which is to have a dedicated team to review those cases, do a deep dive try to get to the root causes, not just evaluate them from a risk management standpoint.
2:41:32
And you can have confidence because I've actually brought cases about police brutality, including in June 2020 when federal authorities police and local police assaulted peaceful racial justice protesters at Lafayette Square in the wake of George Floyd's murder.
Crystal Hudson
2:41:51
Okay.
2:41:51
I'm glad
Randy Mastro
2:41:52
you gave those case.
Crystal Hudson
2:41:53
I'm glad you brought that up because I do have a question about about that and other pro bono work you've done.