Suffolk County officials say their sweeping police reform plan is now in effect, making the Suffolk County Police Department one of the first law enforcement agencies in New York to enact widespread changes first announced after the death of George Floyd.
The reform plan includes bias training for officers, over 1,600 body and car cameras, and the formation of a new behavioral mental health unit.
"We have now implemented all major elements of the police reform plan," County Executive Steve Bellone said at a news conference.
That includes the final step — community advisory boards that will serve as liaisons to all seven precincts.
Police will also publish data on traffic stops, which is an important improvement according to activists who say Black and Brown residents are arrested at higher rates than whites.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered police departments statewide to overhaul their policies three years ago after the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota.
