New York County Defender Services

“For decades, prosecutors were allowed to portray police officers as untainted and unbiased witnesses, while laws were used to shield the public and the court from the truth regarding the misconduct and misdeeds of those very witnesses. The Law Enforcement Lookup will provide transparency and real accountability where it is needed most: our courtrooms," Stan Germán, executive director of New York County Defender Services, said.

“My clients tell me that even on the PACE unit, the thing that they don’t like is they have to be awake when someone comes around to dispense the medication,” said Katherine Bajuk, a mental health specialist at New York County Defender Services. “At 5:30, when someone comes to their housing cell and says, ‘Come take this morning medication,’ sometimes they’re just sleeping, and they miss it that way.” Bajuk said this can hurt her clients when courts look into a person’s compliance with medication when considering treatment alternatives to incarceration.

Homeless New Yorkers with serious mental illness keep falling through the cracks despite billions in spending

For years, the police have received thousands of 911 calls reporting fights, murders, bombs and hostage situations at the same address. But officers never find victims or make arrests. Why?

We are morally obligated to address the challenges of mental illness by assuring community-based support throughout a person’s life. If there is criminal legal system involvement later because of such failures, then we must advocate for treatment, not jail.