On May 13, the Long Island Advocates for Police Accountability (LIAFPA) held a press conference at the Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington, urging Governor Andrew Cuomo to reject Nassau County’s defective police reform plan and to withhold state funding for its failure to comply with Executive Order 203. LIAFPA also demanded that Nassau County amend its plan to include real measures of police accountability and oversight.
LIAFPA demanded that the Nassau County plan needed to be amended to include reforms, including a Civilian Complaint Review Board, an Inspector General to conduct audits, inspections and oversights of police department policies and data, and the Right to Know Act, which would require officers to identify themselves and to obtain consent prior to a search.
The press conference came only days after a letter from New York Attorney General, Letitia James, was obtained by Newsday. The letter contained criticism of the Nassau County police reform plan for its “failure to create meaningful checks of law enforcement.”
On February 16, 2021, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran filed a police reform plan with the county Legislature, but without the consent of its police reform task force.
On April 1, 2021, the county submitted its police reform plan to the Director of the New York State Division of the Budget, Robert Mujica, in compliance with E.O. 203 Mr. Mujica is authorized to provide state aid to Nassau County with the implementation of a meaningful police reform plan, as required by E.O. 203. However, LIAFPA said Mr. Mujica should withhold state funds until the county submits a new police reform plan that complies with both the spirit and the letter of the governor's executive order.