De Blasio Upset That NYPD Nabbed a Black Criminal Using Facial Recognition

The New York Police Department should have been congratulated by Mayor Bill de Blasio for arresting a Black Lives Matter activist who was wanted for assaulting an officer earlier this month by shouting into his ear with a bullhorn. De Blasio should have thanked the NYPD for their diligence, come out forcefully against any protester who would try to harm an officer of the law, and praised the advanced facial-recognition software that allowed the NYPD to get their man.

Instead, he basically apologized for the arrest, and he vowed to “reevaluate” how the NYPD uses the software.

From Gothamist:

The New York City Police Department used facial recognition software to track down a Black Lives Matter activist accused of assault after allegedly shouting into a police officer’s ear with a bullhorn. The mayor’s office says it will “reassess” standards for using facial recognition after criticism that the case shows the technology being used indiscriminately.

On August 7th, the police department sent dozens of officers, including some in riot gear, to the home of 28-year-old activist Derrick Ingram. A stand-off followed, live-streamed by Ingram on Instagram, during which he repeatedly asked officers to produce a search warrant. They refused to do so. After protestors supporting Ingram flocked to the street, the NYPD stood down and Ingram turned himself into the police the next day.

The story here (as it ought to be in so many of these “innocent black man” pieces) should be one simple message: When cops come to arrest you, it’s time for you to be arrested. No resisting. No shouting about your rights. No fighting the cops. Nothing. You put your hands behind your back, you do exactly what they say, and that’s all. If you think you’re being treated unjustly, you bring that up in court. You prove it to a judge. You sue the city for all it’s worth, if that’s called for. You do not – ever – resist arrest in the moment.

But that’s NEVER the story, even though resisting arrest is always what gets these people killed. What would be easier: “Reforming” police, defunding agencies, and abolishing law enforcement…or simply explaining to people that resisting arrest is an excellent way to get hurt or killed? Because guess what: No matter how much reform we do, that is always going to be the case as long as there are guns in play.

But de Blasio won’t say any of that, so he told Gothamist: “We have to be very careful and very limited with our use of anything involving facial recognition. Those standards need to be reassessed. It’s something I will do with my team and with the NYPD.”

Yeah. THAT’S the important thing to do right now. America is burning, and the left is worried about cameras.

Cool.