Advocates Applaud Assembly Passage of Police-STAT Act, Call on Senate to Advance Transparency Bill to Ensure Justice & Safety for Communities across New York

In response to the New York State Assembly passing the Police-STAT Act (A.5946/S.147) on Thursday, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokesperson Kesi Foster.

“The State Assembly, through the leadership of Speaker Heastie and Assemblyman Lentol, took a critical step towards justice and safety for communities across the state. By passing the Police-STAT Act, the Assembly addressed New York’s failure to collect and publicly report critical policing data from departments throughout the state. Without the information, policymakers and the public are left without the necessary transparency to show the impact of policing practices on New Yorkers and ensure community safety. The Assembly did its part to make New York a model in how police transparency is necessary for accountability, justice and safety. “It is now time for the New York State Senate and Governor to prioritize justice and safety through the transparency that the Police-STAT Act provides by taking action.”

Donna Lieberman, Executive Director of the New York Civil Liberties Union stated: “We commend the Assembly for voting to open the books on policing in New York State. With the Trump administration promising to turn a blind eye to police misconduct, transparency and accountability are more important than ever. We now call on the Senate to pass this critical measure without delay.”

BACKGROUND

The Police-STAT Act would ensure that law enforcement officials, policy makers, and the public have reliable access to critical police data. Without a statewide reporting process, New York -- like many states across the country -- lacks the information needed to understand and account for the impact of its police departments.

Consistent with recommendations in the 2015 President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing report, the Police-STAT Act would require statewide reporting on:

• The total number of arrests and tickets for violations and misdemeanors, and information on their disposition.
• The race, ethnicity, age, and sex of people who are charged with violations or misdemeanors.
• The total number of people who die during an interaction with police or in police custody, including demographic information.
• The geographic location of enforcement activity and arrest-related deaths.

This is the second consecutive year that the New York State Assembly has passed the Police-STAT Act.

About Communities United for Police Reform

Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) is an unprecedented campaign to end discriminatory policing practices in New York, and to build a lasting movement that promotes public safety and policing practices based on cooperation and respect– not discriminatory targeting and harassment.

CPR brings together a movement of community members, lawyers, researchers and activists to work for change. The partners in this campaign come from all 5 boroughs, from all walks of life and represent many of those unfairly targeted the most by the NYPD. CPR is fighting for reforms that will promote community safety while ensuring that the NYPD protects and serves all New Yorkers.

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