For immediate release:
December 18, 2019
Katie Sullivan
215-350-9623
New York, NY - In response to today’s news that the MTA board approved the hiring of 500 new MTA police for NYC transit, Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) released the following statement from spokesperson Anthonine Pierre (pronouns: she/her):
"Today's vote approving 500 new MTA police is backwards policy, fiscally irresponsible and will increase police abuse of New Yorkers. We should be reducing the outsized police force in NYC, not increasing it. This bad political move of increasing police in transit has never been about safety - the purpose is to continue to criminalize poverty and scapegoat people who are homeless, street vendors and Black and other New Yorkers of color. MTA board members who promoted baseless fearmongering and voted for the hiring of new police should be ashamed of themselves."
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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 reduces reliance on policing. CPR runs coalitions of over 200 local, statewide and national organizations, bringing 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 most unfairly targeted by the NYPD.