Cabán calls deaths in police custody "systemic failures"
Tiffany CabánNew York City Council member, in a public defender coalition's press release
Council Member Tiffany Cabán said the deaths of nine people in police custody that year were a horrific indictment of the criminal legal system, that they were systemic failures rather than accidents, and that no one should die waiting for medical care in a jail cell.
“The fact that 9 people have died in police custody this year is a horrific indictment of our whole criminal legal system. These deaths aren’t an accident or an aberration. They are systemic failures that should outrage every New Yorker. No one should die waiting for medical care in a jail cell.”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Is the NYPD failing people who fall ill in its custody?
At least six people have died in 2026 after medical emergencies in NYPD custody before arraignment, most recently Reginald Newkirk, who was returned to a Brooklyn precinct after a hospital visit and died the next morning. Public defenders and elected officials say the deaths reflect systemic failures in police custody and medical care. NYPD officials say the department investigates every death and that a death does not mean officers did something wrong, and a spokesperson said all but one of this year's detainees were sent to or cleared by medical facilities before they died. The question is whether the NYPD and the city are failing people who fall ill in police custody.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Press release from a coalition of New York City public defender offices announcing a ten-point plan on deaths in NYPD custody, issued before the Council's September 22, 2025 hearing.
Before the quotation
Cabán's statement appeared in a press release from a coalition of public defender offices announcing a ten-point plan to address deaths in NYPD custody.
After the quotation
The release says at least nine New Yorkers died in NYPD custody in 2025, three of them while awaiting arraignment.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether the NYPD and the city are failing people who fall ill in police custody. Cabán calls the deaths "systemic failures" and says "No one should die waiting for medical care in a jail cell." That attributes the deaths to failures of the system holding people in custody, so we labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, which would fit a call to wait for investigations; she offers no qualification.
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More from this case
Read the full caseBrooklyn Defender Services urges reforms on deaths in NYPD custody "without delay"
Brooklyn Defender Services
“These incidents underscore the urgent need for reform. Last year, we joined fellow public defenders, advocates, and impacted New Yorkers on the steps of City Hall to put forward a 10-point plan to address the crisis of deaths in or following NYPD custody. We again urge the Mamdani Administration to implement these commonsense reforms without delay.”Read statement
Legal Aid's Amanda Jack says people in withdrawal "should not remain in prolonged police custody"
“Once the NYPD chooses to keep someone in custody, it assumes responsibility for that person's well-being ... People experiencing a substance-use crisis or withdrawal need timely medical care, and they should not remain in prolonged police custody while awaiting arraignment on low-level offenses.”Read statement
Mamdani's spokesperson says the city is "reviewing every stage of the process" after deaths in custody
“The safety of every person in custody is a top priority for the Mamdani administration ... We are reviewing every stage of the process, from arrest through arraignment, to identify any changes needed to protect the health and safety of everyone who enters the system.”Read statement
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- The Dispute Index
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- Cabán calls deaths in police custody "systemic failures"
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The Dispute Index. "Cabán calls deaths in police custody "systemic failures"". First published: 2026-10-09. Last updated: 2026-10-09. https://disputeindex.com/events/5306-council-member-tiffany-cab%C3%A1n-said-the-deaths-of