Reform Campaign Condemns de Blasio’s Unilateral Appointment of Civilian Monitor for Disregarding New Yorkers Targeted by NYPD’s Unwarranted Political and Religious Surveillance
In response to Mayor de Blasio unilaterally appointing a civilian representative to the Handschu Committee to prevent any further improper and unwarranted surveillance of political activities and Muslim communities by the NYPD, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokesperson Mark Winston Griffith, the executive director of the Brooklyn Movement Center.
“Mayor de Blasio has once again disregarded communities impacted by the NYPD’s abusive and discriminatory policing, prioritizing announcements above substance. When New Yorkers are the subject of unwarranted surveillance based on their political activities or religion, it doesn’t build trust to secretly appoint and announce an independent civilian monitor without input from the communities who forced the appointment of such an official by the courts in the first place. Unilaterally choosing a monitor, in consultation with only Bill Bratton and not those New Yorkers directly affected by the NYPD’s alarming surveillance of political activities and Muslim communities, raises questions about the mayor’s commitment to creating the lasting change we need to prevent any further unwarranted surveillance of New Yorkers.
“We echo the call by others that Judge Robinson immediately meet with communities impacted by the NYPD’s egregious surveillance in violation of the Handschu agreement. Statements by a de Blasio administration spokesperson with meaningless pledges of intention are not sufficient, particularly since years of discriminatory and legally dubious surveillance are being followed by this mayor’s lack of transparency and lack of community involvement in this selection.”
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