Today, 18 family members of New Yorkers killed by the NYPD sent a letter to Mayor Adams urging him to sign the recently passed How Many Stops Act (HMSA). The City Council passed this foundational police transparency legislation on Wednesday with a veto-proof majority. Below is an excerpt from the letter:
“As families who have endured the unimaginable loss of loved ones to the NYPD over decades, we advocate for transparency, accountability, and change to prevent further suffering. Some of our loved ones, like Eric Garner and Antonio Williams, were killed during unconstitutional stops—the very encounters HMSA will illuminate. The How Many Stops Act is not the only change we need, but by shedding light on all stops - including how often and where they happen and if they are motivated by racial profiling - it will enable us to work together toward eradicating unnecessary and unconstitutional policing and ultimately prevent others families from suffering as we do.
When some of us families and advocates met with Mayor Adams before you took office in November 2021, you said you were in support of reporting on level 1 and 2 stops. You must not go back on this commitment.
The time for action is now. We urge you to sign the How Many Stops Act into law without delay as an essential step towards true community safety and police accountability and as a measure to begin to heal the wounds of decades of biased enforcement practices. Honor the memory of our loved ones and build a safer, more just New York City for all.”
The letter was signed by:
- Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner (killed by NYPD in 2014)
- Kadiatou Diallo, mother of Amadou Diallo (killed by NYPD in 1999)
- Valerie Bell, mother of Sean Bill (killed by NYPD in 2006)
- Iris Baez, mother of Anthony Baez (killed by NYPD in 1994)
- Mercy Baez, cousin of Anthony Baez (killed by NYPD in 1994)
- Samy Feliz, brother of Allan Feliz (killed by NYPD in 2019)
- Gladys Williams, stepmother of Antonio Williams (killed by NYPD in 2019)
- Shawn Williams, father of Antonio Williams (killed by NYPD in 2019)
- Constance Malcolm, mother of Ramarley Graham (killed by NYPD in 2012)
- Ellen Trawick, mother of Kawaski Trawick (killed by NYPD in 2019)
- Rickie Trawick, father of Kawaski Trawick (killed by NYPD in 2019)
- Angie Hicks, aunt of Shantel Davis, (killed by NYPD in 2012)
- Hertencia Petersen, aunt of Akai Gurley (killed by NYPD in 2014)
- Hawa Bah, mother of Mohamed Bah (killed by NYPD in 2012)
- Natasha Duncan, sister of Shantel Davis (killed by NYPD in 2012)
- Victoria Davis, sister of Delrawn Small (killed by NYPD in 2016)
- Carol Gray, mother of Kimani Gray (killed by NYPD in 2013)
- Margarita Rosario, mother of Anthony Rosario and aunt of Hilton Vega (killed by the NYPD in 1995)
For more on the How Many Stops Act, click here.
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 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.