Press Releases

For immediate release: January 6, 2015

Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) Urges Mayor de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Bratton to End All Discriminatory Arrests and Summonses for Non-Violent, Low-Level Offenses

Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), a leading voice for reform at the NYPD, released the following statement on the apparent police work stoppage and called on Mayor de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Bratton to bring about a permanent end to all discriminatory arrests and summonses for non-violent low-level offenses that disproportionately target communities of color in New York City:

For immediate release: December 21, 2014

Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) Statement on the Deaths of NYPD Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos

“Today, it was reported that two NYPD officers were killed by a man who earlier in the day seriously injured a young woman in Baltimore, and who killed himself after shooting the officers. We express our condolences to the families of Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, as well as to the woman reported to be his former girlfriend who was shot earlier today.
For immediate release: December 3, 2014

#ThisStopsToday: After No Indictment in Garner Case, Outraged New Yorkers Demand Full Accountability for NYPD and Plan Massive Action in Foley Square

New Yorkers across the city are outraged that there was no indictment of officers involved in the killing of Eric Garner, expressing the need for full accountability and systemic reforms. They plan to come together at Foley Square tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. to say:

#ThisStopsToday.

For immediate release: November 24, 2014

After Ferguson Grand Jury Failure, Federal Government Must Act for Justice

Today, Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) released the following statement in response to the grand jury’s decision not to indict Darren Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who fatally shot unarmed Michael Brown in August:

For immediate release: November 21, 2014

Swift Accountability and Systemic Change Needed to Address Police Brutality and Misconduct

Today, Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) released the following statement in response to the police killing of Akai Gurley, a 28-year-old black man in East New York, and the macing and beating of Donovan Lawson, a 20-year-old black man in Bushwick:

For immediate release: November 13, 2014

NYPD Reform Advocates and New York City Council Members Announce New Legislation to Improve Communication between Police and Residents

The Right to Know Act, new commonsense legislation introduced in the City Council, will improve communication between police officers and residents, and defuse conflict before it escalates. It is designed to rebuild trust between communities of color and the NYPD.
New Yorkers often have no idea why they are being questioned, stopped or searched, and don’t feel empowered to ask the identity of police officers interacting with them. The Right to Know Act, legislation introduced today by Council Members Ritchie Torres and Antonio Reynoso, would help solve that problem. It has strong support from Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), community groups, local residents, and advocates.
For immediate release: November 10, 2014

For Real Reform, an End to Unlawful Searches Must Accompany New NYPD Policy on Marijuana

Today, Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), a leading voice for change of the NYPD, released the following statement on Mayor de Blasio’s reported plan to require the NYPD to issue tickets for low-level marijuana possession instead of making arrests:

For immediate release: November 5, 2014

Tucker's Appointment Must Come With Real Changes to NYPD

Bratton and Tucker Must Prove Ray Kelly Wrong and Deliver Real Reform
New York, NY – Today, Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), a leading voice for change of the NYPD, released the following statement on the appointment of Benjamin Tucker as NYPD First Deputy Commissioner: “Benjamin Tucker will be judged by whether he takes action to change NYPD for the better. New Yorkers want to see concrete reform at the NYPD, not a continuation of discriminatory broken windows policing from prior administrations.
For immediate release: November 3, 2014

Communities United for Police Reform Statement Re: Departures of Chief Banks & First Deputy Commissioner Pineiro

CPR Says Departures of Banks and Pineiro Signal Need for Systemic & Cultural Change at NYPD
"The recent departures of Police Chief Philip Banks and First Deputy Police Commissioner Rafael Pineiro raise concerns about how changing the NYPD as an institution will move from words to action. Ensuring that senior leadership of the NYPD, like all city agencies, become more representative of the City’s diverse communities is important as one indicator of commitment to change. At the same time, there are concrete changes to NYPD policy and culture that are necessary and long-overdue. Officers who brutalize New Yorkers must be held accountable by the department with timely and appropriate discipline. The NYPD must end discriminatory practices, such as unlawful searches, racially biased marijuana arrests and other examples of abusive ‘broken windows’ enforcement in communities of color,” said Priscilla Gonzalez.

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