Restler calls deaths in NYPD custody a "phenomenal number, disturbing number"
Lincoln RestlerNew York City Council member for District 33, at a Public Safety Committee hearing
Council Member Lincoln Restler told NYPD officials that 45 deaths in NYPD custody over two years was a phenomenal and disturbing number.
“Forty-five deaths in NYPD custody over the last two-plus years. It's a phenomenal number, disturbing number.”
Original text
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
Original text
About this source
Official transcript of the Public Safety Committee's oversight hearing on NYPD officer discipline and the Civilian Complaint Review Board, where members questioned NYPD officials about deaths in custody.
Before the quotation
Restler, whose district includes the Brooklyn criminal courthouse where two people died in NYPD custody in 2025, questioned NYPD officials at a Public Safety Committee hearing.
After the quotation
He asked whether the NYPD had adequate medical care on site at Brooklyn Criminal Court, called the Force Investigation Division's process opaque, and urged the department to support a bill for courthouse clinics.
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. Restler calls the 45 deaths in NYPD custody he cited over two years "a phenomenal number, disturbing number" and pressed NYPD officials on medical care at Brooklyn Criminal Court. That treats the deaths as a problem the department must answer for, so we labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, which would fit a request for information alone; he characterizes the toll and presses for changes.
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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
Cite this record
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- The Dispute Index
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- Restler calls deaths in NYPD custody a "phenomenal number, disturbing number"
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/5313-council-member-lincoln-restler-told-nypd-officials-that
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Restler calls deaths in NYPD custody a "phenomenal number, disturbing number"". First published: 2026-10-09. Last updated: 2026-10-09. https://disputeindex.com/events/5313-council-member-lincoln-restler-told-nypd-officials-that