Press Releases

For immediate release: October 7, 2015

CPR Responds to CCRB Substantiating James Blake’s Complaint of Excessive Force

In response to reports that the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board substantiated James Blake’s complaint that a NYPD officer used excessive force, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokesperson Mark Winston-Griffith, executive director of Brooklyn Movement Center.

“This quick turnaround by the CCRB appears to be nearly unprecedented, and now the true mechanism of accountability awaits in how the NYPD disciplines Officer Frascatore. Everyday New Yorkers find themselves suffering the same abusive and violent experiences at the hands of the NYPD as James Blake, but their reality is not one where the mayor and police commissioner apologize and pledge to take swift action, and the CCRB acts in this timely of a manner.

For immediate release: October 1, 2015

CPR Responds to NYPD Inspector General Use of Force Report, NYPD Announcement

In response to the NYPD Inspector General releasing a report critical of NYPD use of force policies and the NYPD announcing patrol guide and reporting changes, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokesperson Priscilla Gonzalez.

“While the move towards NYPD patrol guide and reporting changes that increase the transparency surrounding use of force policies are a positive step, they will have little practical impact without fixing the department's failure to hold officers accountable in an adequate, timely fashion. NYPD reporting also needs to include reporting of disciplinary actions taken for use of force cases, not just those reported and substantiated by CCRB.

For immediate release: September 1, 2015

CPR Responds to Bratton’s Comments on ‘Values’ of Black Families, Youth

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.

 

For immediate release: August 31, 2015

Police Reform Campaign Responds to Former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly

In response to comments former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly made about stop-and-frisk, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokesperson Joo-Hyun Kang.

“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.

For immediate release: August 19, 2015

Police Reform Campaign Responds to Report of NYPD and MTA Police Conducting Surveillance on Activists, Protesters of Police Brutality

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.

For immediate release: August 18, 2015

Elected Officials, Community Leaders & New Yorkers Call for City Residents to Unite in Fight against Poverty, Homelessness

After weeks of attention that vilifies underprivileged New Yorkers, diverse group unites to call for end to demonization and focus on real solutions

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.

For immediate release: August 6, 2015

Police Reform Campaign Responds to Proposed Body Cams Bill by Sen. Squadron & Assemblyman Quart

In response to Senator Squadron and Assemblyman Quart introducing legislation to make the footage from body cams available to the public, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokesperson Priscilla Gonzalez.

“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.

For immediate release: July 18, 2015

Mother of Ramarley Graham, Activists Hold Protest Action at Office of U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara before Marching over Brooklyn Bridge to Join Brooklyn Rally

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.

For immediate release: July 17, 2015

In Year after Eric Garner Killed by NYPD Officers, de Blasio administration Took No Meaningful Action on Police Brutality & Accountability

In response to today being one year since Eric Garner was killed by NYPD officers in Staten Island, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokesperson Priscilla Gonzalez.

“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.

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