In response to comments NYPD Commissioner Bratton made on MSNBC’sMorning Joe about the ‘values’ of Black communities and communities of color, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from Veronica Bayetti Flores.
“Ray Kelly is entitled to his own opinion, but facts are facts – our communities and a majority of New Yorkers were fed up with the abusive and discriminatory stop-and-frisk practices that were counterproductive to public safety. Comparing the NYPD's own data on the number of stops and shooting victims during the Bloomberg administration showed that its stop-and-frisk policy did not impact gun violence in any consistent and positive way, and recent data from the current administration shows that crime has only continued to go down.
In response to a report from the Intercept on documents released by the MTA showing the NYPD and MTA police engaging in surveillance of activists, protesters of police brutality and journalists, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from Monifa Bandele.
Communities United for Police Reform, elected officials, and a diverse group of homeless and anti-poverty advocates united to call for an end to the recent public dialogue in New York City that has, in effect, sought to demonize and shame homeless and poor New Yorkers.
“We applaud Senator Squadron and Assemblyman Quart for advancing transparency by proposing the public release of footage captured by body cameras. In order to end discriminatory and abusive policing, transparency that moves us towards true police accountability is essential. We hope all state legislators will support the many steps that are necessary to provide the accountability and transparency that promote equal protection under the law for all communities throughout New York.
Group calls for Bharara to prosecute officers who killed Graham before joining rally outside DOJ New York Eastern District to demand same in killing of Eric Garner
The day after the one year mark of Eric Garner’s death, Constance Malcolm, the mother of the Ramarley Graham – the unarmed Bronx teenager who was shot and killed by NYPD in 2012 – was joined by community groups at a protest action outside of U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s office. The group called for Bharara to prosecute the officers responsible for Graham’s death before marching across the Brooklyn Bridge to join the mass of protesters outside of the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse to call for the same in the killing of Eric Garner.
“After a year where the police abuse and brutality of civilians – and lack of accountability for it – received immense attention across the nation and here in New York, it’s shameful that New York City has failed to take any steps towards addressing this critical issue. Police brutality and discriminatory policing are what killed Eric Garner, and neither retraining nor ‘neighborhood policing’ will address this issue. This isn’t about police-community relations, it’s about stopping policing that abuses and brutalizes New Yorkers.
“The many families of New Yorkers killed by police who have tenaciously and selflessly championed the sound policy of appointing a special prosecutor to handle police killings are our s/heroes today,” said Priscilla Gonzalez, Organizing Director of Communities United for Police Reform.
“As family members of New Yorkers killed by the NYPD over the past two decades, we know first-hand that the rights of New Yorkers are too often disregarded by the NYPD.
“There's a clear imbalance of power between police officers and community members in daily interactions, and the rights of New Yorkers must be protected. There must be accountability, transparency & respectful communication in the most common daily interactions, whether on the street, in our cars or in our homes.
New York, NY – Following a week where the City Council adopted a budget that adds 1,300 new positions within the NYPD, community groups and elected officials called for passage of the Right to Know Act at a Council Public Safety Committee hearing on several pieces of legislation related to the NYPD.
