Take Action for #NYCBudgetJustice
Posted on June 9, 2020
NYC Budget Justice
What George Floyd Protestors Around the Country Want in Order to End Demonstrations
06/04/2020
Newsweek
Crowds took to the streets nearly a week ago in a rage after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, but as the protests move into their next phase, the question of what it will it take to quell them—what exactly that would look like—is gaining new urgency.
The answer is both simple and complicated. Above all, the protesters say they are looking for justice. But what justice looks like varies by city, by incident, and according to the community's history with police.
BRUTAL MATH: The NYPD’s $6B Budget Must Be Cut, Advocates and Lawmakers Say
06/04/2020
Streets Blog
It’s the $1-billion solution.
Activists — and perhaps soon, some politicians — are focusing on cutting the $6-billion NYPD budget by $1 billion, and redistributed in a way that better benefits long-suffering communities and reduces police brutality.
In New York City, Momentum Behind Cutting the NYPD Budget Is Growing
Activists and advocates in New York City have long called for the city to make sharp cuts to the NYPD, the nation's largest police force.
06/05/2020
Jacobin
As protesters continue to meet a massive police presence on the streets of New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city council are under pressure to defund the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and reduce its power. Momentum is building for cuts — the question is how substantial those cuts will be.
What NYC could do with its $6 billion police budget
06/05/2020
Curbed
At a City Council hearing in late May, Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, urged for sweeping cuts to the proposed budget for the New York City Police Department.
“No one knows better than me that when you prioritize, fund, and shield the NYPD—instead of investing in our communities—the impact is devastating for black and Latinx communities,” she said. “In the most extreme cases, the impact is deadly. For me and my family, it means that Eric is gone forever.”
CPR Leaders Call for The Complete Removal of NYPD Officers from Enforcement of Social Distancing
Posted on May 22, 2020
On Friday, May 22, 2020, at a City Council public safety committee hearing, members and leaders of Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) called for complete removal of NYPD officers from enforcement of social distancing enforcement. They recommended that public health professionals and community organizations are tasked with educating New Yorkers about the importance of social distancing and helping to create new norms that will protect all communities through the pandemic. They also called for deep NYPD budget cuts to be redirected to agencies to meet basic needs and help ensure an equitable COVID-19 recovery for Black, Latinx, and other communities of color in NYC. Written and oral comments were submitted by Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) and CPR Members from New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU); Drug Policy Alliance; Justice Committee, Legal Aid Society; Center for Constitutional Rights; and Take Root Justice.
CPR Leaders Call for Deep NYPD Budget Cuts
Posted on May 21, 2020
On Thursday, May 21, 2020, at a city council finance committee hearing, members and leaders of Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) called for deep NYPD budget cuts, and a redirection of resources toward underfunded city agencies that will need to play a large role in driving an equitable recovery for New Yorkers hit hardest by COVID-19. Written and oral comments were submitted by Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) and CPR Members from Audre Lorde Project; Arab American Association of NY; Brooklyn Movement Center; Girls for Gender Equity; Jews for Racial and Economic Justice; and Justice Committee.
NYPD Defends Its Massive Budget As Social Services And Youth Programs Are Cut
05/15/2020
Gothamist
With New York City facing a $10 billion shortfall in tax revenues due to COVID-19, Mayor Bill de Blasio last month unveiled his plan for “painful” cuts to city services. His executive budget, set to be finalized with input from the City Council next month, calls for sweeping and immediate retrenchment — freezing new teacher hires, hobbling environmental initiatives, and cancelling the widely popular youth employment program.