Communities of color and their representatives are asking police unions to stop appealing the federal court ruling in Floyd vs. City of New York and work towards reform.
The case found the police practice of stop, question and frisk violated the constitutional rights of people of color.
A year ago, Judge Shira Scheindlin in her ruling recommended a court appointed federal monitor meet with all stakeholders and decide on reforms. Five police unions appealed the decision in the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, and now 60 grassroots groups, along with 25 City Council members and New York City Public Advocate Letitia James have filed an amicus brief against the union's appeal.
Council Members, Communities United for Police Reform and the Center for Constitutional Rights held a press conference on Wednesday at New York City Hall.
"Eight months ago the Mayor announced he would move forward with reforms. We're here today again because we are still fighting this out in the court, not with the commissioner, not with the mayor but with the unions who purport to represent the interest of the police officers of this city," Darius Charney, senior attorney from the Center for Constitutional Rights, said.
Brooklyn City Council member Jumaane WIlliams said police unions have been frightening police officers that court reforms would open the flood gates for lawsuits against the city, but since the court case a year ago that has not happened.
The Patrolman's Benevolent Union and other unions are appealing the court's decision because they like the burdens the ruling would put on ran and file officers.
"After the Judge in the Floyd case had determined that there should be Federal monitor and that certain reforms she put in the place to resolve what has been unconstitutional stops on behalf of police predominately on people of color -- African-Americans, Latinos, Asians and the LGBT community -- the police union continues to put road blocks," said Lower Manhattan City Council member Rosie Mendez.
The case revealed that in 2002 the NYPD made approximately 97,000 stops. By 2010 the number of stops had increased to more than 601,000, with blacks and Latinos facing the brunt of the practice and representing more than 80 percent of people stopped, despite representing just over 50 percent of the city's population.
"We are siding with the officers and with the community. We don't believe the union is representing the interests of officers of color. We have about 50 percent of the New York Police Department is now minority people of color and most of our members all live in the five boroughs, and not outside those five boroughs, and so when we speak we are speaking about people who live here and understand the everyday consequences on both sides of the fence, they have children who walk these streets and also are subject to these random stops an questions What we are saying at this time there is no reason this process should be stooped," Anthony Miranda, National Latino Police Officers Association told Latin Post.