Communities United for Police Reform Responds to Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State Address

Following Governor Kathy Hochul’s first State of the State address, Communities United for Police Reform (CPR’s) released the following statement from Kesi Foster, Spokesperson for CPR:

“As New Yorkers continue to demand transformative approaches to safety and justice, it’s disappointing that Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address omitted critical measures to increase police accountability and transparency across the state,” said Kesi Foster (he/him), Spokesperson for Communities United for Police Reform. “As New Yorkers have been battling COVID-19 for nearly two years, with Black, Latinx, and other communities of color bearing the brunt of the pandemic’s effects, communities need even deeper investments in safe and affordable housing, education, and jobs, not more policing. The state should not be putting more money toward failed policing strategies that don’t keep communities safe. Instead, along with community-led violence interrupter programs that work, we need investment in community-based safety solutions that reduce interactions with police and marginalized communities.

“This year, our legislators must be focused on policies that are reflective of the overwhelming demands from communities to build police accountability and transparency, end police abuse and violence, and reduce the overreach of law enforcement, including:  

• Decreasing police budgets and outsized power of police departments and police unions, while reinvesting resources into communities.
• Removing police from social service and public health response, including removing police from mental health response, schools, youth outreach, homeless outreach, and other areas.
• Building on the historic victory that was the repeal of 50a and the passage of the STAT Act by requiring police departments to release a broad universe of police misconduct information and creating clear guidelines across the state for what must be reported.
• Reducing surveillance and increasing transparency and oversight on regulated surveillance technologies.
• Increasing transparency of harm done by the police and ensuring strong disciplinary outcomes.

“While Governor Hochul’s state of the state address did provide important investments, especially in our health system and community resources, key omissions regarding police accountability for abuses and misconduct must be addressed this legislative session because police cannot continue to move with impunity while receiving more resources.”