This year, tensions between law enforcement and civilians have been at an all-time high. In a attempt to properly respond and diffuse the tensions, NYPD and New York City government officials have been listening, and are now placing new rules and regulations to better police and protect.

The city is launching a new team to respond to emergency mental health calls rather than police. The newly created team will include EMS health workers and mental health crisis workers that will be dispatched through the city’s 911 system. Police will not be involved unless the subject is threatening violence or has a weapon.

More than 170,000 mental health calls were placed on the city’s 911 system last year. The mental health teams will be launched in February in two high-need communities that have yet to be identified. Many are hopeful in the program on both police and mental health professional’s side.

Officials in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, and Albuquerque, New Mexico are implementing similar programs. A similar program CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out on The Streets) has operated in Eugene, Oregon for 31 years. In 2019 they responded to about 24,000 calls in a town of 171,000 people. It is reported only 150 of that required backup.

Another advancement made by the NYPD is that they will now allow people to wear religious head coverings in booking photos. This came after two lawsuits in 2018 from four Muslim women who claimed that their hijabs (religious head scarfs) had been forcefully removed for booking photos. One of the four women, Laila Ibrham, was arrested in 2018, and when asked to remove her hijab for the booking photo, she tried to explain that she couldn’t due to her religious beliefs. Due to her limited English proficiency, the officers didn’t understand. When she asked for a translator, it was deemed unnecessary, and the officers then removed her hijab in a room full of men. She told CNN that she felt humiliated and frustrated.

While women will still be required to remove hijabs, this will now take place in a private room with an officer of the same gender. Under special circumstances, such as a birthmark or prominent hair color, or if the crime was committed without wearing the head covering, then they will be required to remove it for a booking photo. The booking photo will be taken in a private room with an officer of the same gender. The Council on American Islamic Relations- New York’s executive director said that they welcome the new change.