Settlement will prevent illegal NYPD surveillance of Muslims
Police spied on ordinary people at mosques, restaurants, and schools starting in 2002.
The New York Police Department has agreed not to conduct surveillance based on religion or ethnicity and to listen to Muslims as it develops new training materials as part of a deal to settle claims that it illegally spied on Muslims for years after the September 11 attacks.
The agreement announced April 5 by the city and the Islamic community also calls for the city to pay $75,000 in damages and nearly $1 million in legal fees. It also requires surveillance in New Jersey to follow rules defined in another landmark civil rights case.
“Today’s settlement sends a message to all law enforcement: simply being Muslim is not a basis for surveillance,” said Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, a legal advocacy and educational organization.
