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The New York City Council plans to introduce a package of policing bills in response to Governor Cuomo’s executive order 203, requiring municipalities in New York State to put forward police “reform and reinvention” plans by April 1st.
“It’s a good step that the City Council seems interested in passing a police accountability package, since Mayor de Blasio has abdicated all responsibility in this area,” said Anthonine Pierre, spokesperson for Communities United for Police Reform. “It’s a testament to the organizing of racial justice and police accountability groups that have made demands for years, that some demands are being acknowledged.
“However, the devil is in the details – and the details of the package are mixed. The package has some good bills, some bad bills, and some bills that can be improved if important amendments are made. However, it’s missing important legislation that has been bottlenecked for years – including legislation to require reporting of DNA consent searches and racially discriminatory pedestrian encounters by the police that would help reveal the true extent of racist stop-and-frisk that is still abusing Black, Latinx and other communities of color. In the grand scheme of things, no policing package will reduce police violence or increase police accountability unless it’s accompanied by a serious reduction in the bloated budget, outsized power, size and scope of the NYPD.”
Communities United for PoliceReform (CPR) is an unprecedented campaign to end abusive and 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.
