Ramping up their feud with Mayor Eric Adams over police legislation, the leading Black members of the City Council loudly rejected the mayor’s offer for them to go on ride-alongs with cops to better familiarize themselves with the NYPD.
“As elected officials who have long engaged with our local precincts and officers, we reject any premise that we lack an understanding of the day-to-day work of NYPD officers in our communities or how the people we represent are affected,” said the 12 members of the Council’s Black subcommittee in a statement given to NY1.
“We don’t need a litmus test from this mayor about our work on behalf of the people who elected us," they added.
Adams offered the ride-along on Sunday as a somewhat last-ditch effort to change some opinions on the “How Many Stops” Act.
The legislation would require police officers to document most of their investigative encounters with civilians. Currently, police must document “Level 3” investigative encounters; the bill would add “Level 1” and “Level 2” encounters.
The subcommittee in the Thursday statement noted that City Council members were open to the idea of a ride along but would prefer to conduct one within their respective districts.
“Our personal experiences, as well as those of our loved ones and families in our districts, all speak to the need for greater transparency and accountability, which the How Many Stops Act can provide,” the statement read.
The statement comes as the City Council and the mayor are squaring off over Adams' veto of the legislation last week. The mayor has gone on a public campaign criticizing the bill.
On Tuesday, the squabbling bubbled over into a petty fight over chairs and lights at a Council event.
“A lot of fear mongering that's happening that creates a real feeling of divisiveness. I think it’s dividing communities. It’s pitting Black folks within the Black community against each other. It’s pitting Black folks against other communities of color,” City Councilwoman Crystal Hudson of Brooklyn said to NY1.
The mayor has insisted the legislation would occupy police time with administrative work instead of police work, while local lawmakers say the bill adds needed transparency and accountability to the police department.
If all of the original supporters of the bill maintain their position, the Council will have enough votes to override the mayor’s veto.