New York cops reach out to immigrants

NEW YORK—A week after donning a sartorial civilian outfit at a Caribbean Heritage Month event, detective Arthur DeShong was back in his element, among uniformed and plain-clothes officers at the multi-tier Police Athletic Building on 12th Street, Manhattan. Detective DeShong is from St Vincent and is a 19-year veteran of the New York Police Department (NYPD). He is a member of the Community Affairs Bureau Crime Prevention Unit, a ubiquitous division, given the unique plurality of New York city. “Our work is so important to the reduction of crime…We go into communities and build trust,” he said in an hour-long interview.

In a society of nine million people, with thousands of immigrants arriving daily, Detective DeShong believed his unit has performed commendably, helping in the adjustment process. “One of the most important tasks is advising immigrants of ways that they can become functional and legal members of the society,” he said. “We help in their assimilation, as we work with community leaders. We have to assure immigrants that we are not immigration officers, that their status has little bearing on how we do our job.” However, he cautions that one’s status will become a point of focus if one is arrested and enters the prison system.

DeShong migrated to the US when he was 12 years old. Despite being from a family of police officers in St Vincent, he recalled being “anti-police and rebellious as a young man but realised in a civil society, policing is essential.” As an immigrant, he understands the unique challenges facing new arrivals, the culture shock and related difficulties in dealing with law enforcement. “We have had high-profile cases where immigrants have been abused, but the culture and police tactics have changed,” DeShong said. He cited Abner Louima, Amadou Diallo, and the Sean Bell cases as regrettable, but was confident that provisions were in place to prevent such situations from reoccurring. 

“For a while the image of the department was damaged,” he said. “We all felt the community distrust and anger but the immigrant community is an important part of the city’s culture and every effort is being made to engage this group.” DeShong, who is also the president of the Caribbean Law Enforcement Association, advised that immigrants, regardless of status, be aware of several options if their rights were violated.“They should call 311 to file a complaint or go to any precinct and ask for a supervisor,” he said. “You don’t need the name of the officer…Each patrol car has a number.” 

He said the the number and time that the incident occurred were really important, as the officer could then be tracked. He was also dismissive of the so-called “Blue Wall of Silence” which purportedly shields officers who are alleged to have perpetrated even the most egregious of acts. “This is a myth, especially now,” he said. “I can tell you that the NYPD has a zero tolerance policy. “The Internal Affairs Bureau and the Civilian Review Board are very impartial. To be honest, our superiors will come after us. They will let the hammer fall. The entire department is all about professionalism right now and civilians will be given a very fair shake.”

The NYPD has also assembled a cricket team as part of its community outreach drive. Still culturally attuned to the Caribbean, DeShong is particularly thrilled with this venture. “The NYPD cricket has been around for four years and has been very competitive, especially in Brooklyn,” he said. His Caribbean Law Enforcement Association has taken him to several islands at the invitation of local bodies. “Its all about giving back,” he noted, recalling his participation in several crime-related workshops in Jamaica, Barbados and St Vincent, and mentions Trinidad and Tobago as the group’s next stop.

“We held seminars on counter-terrorism and emergency disaster relief,” he said. “If we don't have the expertise, we invite the relevant personnel.” He expressed bewilderment at the high crime rate and challenged the Caribbean community to get more involved in law enforcement efforts, to be more vigilant in reporting illegal activity. “The police brass in the Caribbean is well trained…Many have been to the FBI academy,” DeShong said. “It’s also a question of making the police more accountable. “This is where the community and civilian authorities come in. 

“Why can’t the region stem the crime rate?” he asked. “In this city of more than nine million with more cultures than you can imagine, we have, year after year, kept the murder rate under 500.” And in apparent jab at the hiring practices of Caribbean authorities, he said: “There is a tendency to look to the UK, Canada and elsewhere for police chiefs when you have Caribbean law enforcement officers in the NYPD which is by far the most efficient and sophisticated agency in the world.”