Press Releases

For immediate release: November 26, 2019

Progressive Advocates Condemn Governor's Plan For 500 New MTA Police Officers, Urge Investments in Transit Service Instead

In a letter Monday, police accountability, transit and racial justice advocates demanded Governor Cuomo shift MTA priorities away from expensive new law enforcement effort aimed at subway and bus riders and toward core service provision instead

New York, NY-- Eighty local, statewide and national progressive organizations, including police accountability, transit advocacy, racial justice and other groups wrote to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday in an effort to combat police abuse and head off a diversion of scarce public transit funds. The groups demanded that the governor not hire a planned 500 new MTA police officers and instead spend transit funding on the agency's core mission of providing accessible and reliable subway, bus, and rail service to 8.6 million New Yorkers each day.

For immediate release: November 18, 2019

Police accountability coalition slams NYPD's body camera testimony at November 18th New York City Council hearing

New York, NY: The NYPD released a new policy last month related to public release of body camera footage and testified at an oversight hearing held by the NY City Council on the policy today. In response to the NYPD's testimony, the following statement was issued by Milan Taylor, Executive Director of Rockaway Youth Task Force and spokesperson for Communities United for Police Reform:

New York, NY: The NYPD released a new policy last month related to public release of body camera footage and testified at an oversight hearing held by the NY City Council on the policy today. In response to the NYPD's testimony, the following statement was issued by Milan Taylor, Executive Director of Rockaway Youth Task Force and spokesperson for Communities United for Police Reform:

For immediate release: November 4, 2019

Outgoing NYPD Commissioner Leaves Legacy of Abusive Policing, Expanded Police Secrecy and Blocking Accountability for Misconduct

Reported Replacement Dermot Shea Signals Continuing Secrecy and Broken Windows Policing

– NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill announced his resignation today after three years in the role marked by abusive policing and failures of transparency and accountability for police misconduct.

For immediate release: November 1, 2019

Mother of Kawaski Trawick & Attorney Slam Bronx District Attorney for Disrespectful & Unprofessional Stonewalling of Basic Information

Trawick Family Walks Out of Meeting Due to Bronx DA Office’s “Selective Transparency

Bronx, New York - After walking out of a meeting with the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, the mother of Kawaski Trawick and her attorney Royce Russell, released the following statements. 

For immediate release: October 21, 2019

Hawa Bah & Advocates Slam de Blasio’s Doubling Down on NYPD Involvement in Mental Health Response

New York, NY - Hawa Bah, the mother of Mohamed Bah, and other advocates react to news that Mayor de Blasio’s Task Force on Crisis Prevention & Response will continue police response to mental health situations.

For immediate release: October 17, 2019

New Yorkers Slam Mayor de Blasio for Pulling City Officials From State Senate Hearing on Nation’s Worst Police Secrecy Law (50-a)

Mothers of Eric Garner, Ramarley Graham & Sean Bell join Other Advocates Testify to Urge Legislature to Fully Repeal 50-a

New York, NY – On October 17, New Yorkers, including mothers of those killed by NYPD officers, and other police accountability advocates testified before the State Senate Committee on Codes in support of a bill to repeal New York state’s police secrecy law, 50-a (S.3695-Bailey/A-2513 O’Donnell).

For immediate release: October 16, 2019

Ahead of New York Senate Hearings, Elected Officials & Groups Call for Full Repeal of State Police Secrecy Law (50-a) That Is Worst In the Nation

Group calls on NYS legislature to repeal state law 50-a in 2020 legislative session

Today, elected officials, families whose loved ones have been killed by police, and advocates rallied on the steps New York City Hall to call for the full repeal of New York state’s police secrecy law, known as “50-a”. The rally preceded upcoming hearings that the New York State Senate Committee on Codes will be holding on October 17th (in New York City) and October 24th (in Albany). Over 100 organizations across New York state support repeal of 50-a, a key priority of the Safer New York Act legislative package, organized by Communities United for Police Reform (CPR).
For immediate release: September 25, 2019

Mother of Mohamed Bah and Supporters Call for the Removal of Police as First Responders to those in Emotional Distress on 7th Anniversary of his Death

Bah family is joined by other families who’ve lost loved ones to the police, elected officials, faith leaders, and police accountability organizations

Harlem, NY -  On Wednesday, September 25, 2019, on the 7th anniversary of the NYPD killing of Mohamed Bah, his mother, Hawa Bah, other families who have lost loved ones to the police, elected officials, faith leaders, police accountability organizations, and community supporters called for an end to the use of police as first responders to those experiencing mental health crisis at a vigil in front of the apartment building in which Mohamed died.

For immediate release: August 27, 2019

Eric Garner’s Family and Police Accountability Advocates Slam Mayor de Blasio for Cover-Up and Failures in Eric Garner case

Gwen Carr, Ellisha Flagg Garner, Communities United for Police Reform & Justice Committee Announce Legal Action Challenging de Blasio & NYPD Violations of Duty Related to Eric Garner, and Announce Filing of First Amendment Demand for Transparency and Related FOIL

More than 5 Years Since Eric Garner Was Killed, Multiple Officers Who Engaged In Misconduct, including False Official Statements, Have Faced No Discipline Or Even Charges from the de Blasio Administration

Eric Garner’s family and advocates are demanding justice and transparency after Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPD’s outrageous attempts to skirt accountability. On Tuesday, August 27, 2019, Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner, and Ellisha Flagg Garner, sister of Eric Garner, along with Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), Justice Committee, the New York Law School Racial Justice Project, Gideon Oliver and others announced the filing of a petition to New York Supreme Court demanding a judicial inquiry into the violation and neglect of duty by Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYPD Commissioner O’Neill and others related to the unjust killing of Eric Garner, the cover-up that continues to this day, and the related failure to discipline officers for misconduct in a meaningful or timely manner.
For immediate release: August 21, 2019

Statement by Gwen Carr, Mother of Eric Garner, After NYPD Cuts Deal With Supervising Officer in Garner Killing

Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, reacts to news that the NYPD cut a deal with Sgt. Kizzy Adonis for her role in Garner’s death. Adonis was charged over three years ago for failing to properly supervise the scene where former Officer Daniel Pantaleo killed Garner.

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