A pair of bills introduced by State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi is aimed at demilitarizing law enforcement agencies across New York.
One of them would ban the use of tear gas and prohibit officers from using pepper spray as a crowd control measure.
Another part of it would preventing law enforcement agencies from receiving or purchasing military surplus equipment. That includes drones, grenades, silencers, and militarized armored vehicles.
“The sheer purpose of tear gas is to trigger pain receptors that cause crying, sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, and temporary blindness upon exposure with the risk of long-term consequences,” Biaggi said in a press release. “It is unfathomable that in the middle of a respiratory pandemic, we are seeing officers fire tear gas and pepper spray at peaceful protestors with impunity. For years, police have abused tear gas, showing zero restraint. Enough is enough.”
This content is brought to you by the FingerLakes1.com Team. Support our mission by visiting www.patreon.com/fl1 or learn how you send us your local content here.