About this tip sheet - This was created quickly after NYPD mass-pepper sprayed protesters at a George Floyd protest the evening of Friday May 29, 2020. It’s compiled from a number of sources. This is NOT a comprehensive document – we are offering this tip sheet because many New Yorkers may not have experience dealing with NYPD pepper-spraying and using teargas on protesters.
The Safer New York Act is a package of bills in the New York State Legislature that would help increase police transparency and help increase accountability to New Yorkers' most common encounters with police. The Safer New York Act includes the Police Statistics and Transparency (STAT) Act, codifying and strengthening the Special Prosecutor executive order, reducing Unnecessary Arrests for low-level, ticketable offenses, and repealing the NYS police secrecy law (CRL section 50-a).
The Right to Know Act aims to deter NYPD abuse, help prevent unnecessary police encounters and requires that the NYPD be more transparent when interacting with the public. The Right to Know Act consists of two laws (in effect as of October 19, 2018).
It's been 5 years since Ramarley Graham was shot and killed by NYPD Officer Haste in his home, in front of his grandmother and younger brother. Read & share these EIGHT FACTS about Ramarley’s case and stand with his family to demand NYPD accountability. Mayor de Blasio & NYPD Commissioner O'Neill must fire Officer Haste and the 12+ other officers who abused Ramarley's family and engaged in misconduct surrounding Ramarley's killing. Learn more and get involved today at www.riseup4ramarley.org.
In July 2016, the New York Times reported that NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito had agreed to a deal with then-NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton in an attempt to prevent a vote on the Right to Know Act. The deal removed some of the most important protections of the Right to Know Act, including policies explicitly prioritized by the White House Task Force on 21st Century Policing, and its underlying foundation of accountability. The following fact sheet includes some of these key distinctions and further demonstrates why the NYC Council must pass the Right To Know Act to ensure meaningful and lasting reforms to protect all New Yorkers.
The Right To Know Act is a legislative package that aims to protect the civil and human rights of New Yorkers while promoting communication, transparency and accountability in everyday interactions between the NYPD and the public. New Yorkers want to live in a safe city where the police treat all residents with dignity and respect, and where police are not considered to be above the law.