THREAD: A few weeks ago, new Manhattan DA released a modest plan. To be bit fairer when charging & caging people. Police began lying, including to crime victims. Media amplified it. Before the plan even started, he caved. Criminal policy is made based on lies & fear. Not reason. 
After new DA Alvin Bragg announced he’d—on a case by case basis—stop the practice of charging non-violent commercial theft as *violent robbery*, NYPD lied to two storeowners who actually were violently robbed that there was nothing they could do. They wrote a NY Post opinion.
https://twitter.com/scotthech/status/1482869672038985728
After new Manhattan DA announced he’d think more critically about pretrial caging & prison for simple gun possession (no use) given the racist impact & reasonable fear for safety, NYPD blamed it for the police *shooting deaths* of 2 officers. A widow called him out at funeral.
After new Manhattan DA announced he’d stop charging transparently false claims of “resisting arrest,” a routine tactic by NYPD to arrest people for no reason &/or cover up excessive use of force, police screamed & Eric Adams pledged 100s millions more to their $11 billion budget.
The reality is that new Manhattan DA hadnt even started changing practice. Public defenders still saw overcharging, bail, jail, & prison as the default & norm. No different than under his carceral predecessor Cy Vance. Problem is the message this all sends. Fearmongering works.
Once again, despite *knowing* how brazenly, unlawfully & routinely police lie about matters big & small, media outlets & we (the general public) bought their transparent lies. We allowed them to enrage us. We allowed them to kill any patience for slight change. We caved. A cycle.
https://twitter.com/ScottHech/status/1475615278960496642
Once again, before a new policy, that would’ve produce both greater fairness AND public safety/health could even begin, a leader (Alvin Bragg in this case) caved to fear, instead of defending reason. Same thing happened after bail reform passed in 2019. Rolled back weeks after.
https://twitter.com/scotthech/status/1279183828653924360
Gut reaction criminal justice policy, driven by outlier cases & political expediency is how we got mass incarceration. We're watching attempts to grow & perpetuate it happen right now. We need to take a breath & let change work. Have patience for change.
https://twitter.com/scotthech/status/1485745281543000067?s=21
Police are desperate to terrorize the general public into giving up on forward thinking changes to our irrational & oppressive legal systems. They’re scared that if given a chance to succeed, alternatives will be proven to work. They’re already working. Bail reform for example:
https://twitter.com/scotthech/status/1488591408206258178
Have to start somewhere. We have to be more discerning consumers of media. Demand better. In New York, visit this new project for real facts & context about pretrial reform from legal & policy experts. Justicenotfear.org/new-york
Have to start somewhere. Listen and talk to public defenders, organizers, people w direct experience. No one wants health & safety more than these folks.
https://twitter.com/5BoroDefenders/status/1489752461007011841
Lastly, struggle to see things differently. Have imagination. Don’t fall for the same old talking points. Even in the hardest cases. For example: The 2 tragic killings of police in Harlem actually underscored the need for less policing. Not more. thenation.com/article/societ…
I think it's possible if we really focus a lot of energy on raising awareness of what copaganda is, that we are being duped, and centering the need for better journalism as a racial and social justice imperative. Copaganda only works if it's spread.
https://twitter.com/_katiedewi_/status/1490003397487042560?s=20&t=wqNFNcndMFl4_ps1mby_oA
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