Last Saturday, the Police Statistics and Transparency (STAT) Act, sponsored by State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Chelsea, Midtown), officially went into effect.
The bill requires the State to record the sex, race and ethnicity of anyone charge with a crime or misdemeanor, and that of anyone who dies in police custody. It passed the New York State Legislature in June, amid a national outcry against police misconduct.
“Starting today, we’ll finally have the data necessary to identify and root out the systemic and discriminatory policing practices that law enforcement uses to target Black and Brown New Yorkers,” said Hoylman. “I’m thankful for the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senate Codes Committee Chair Jamaal Bailey, and Assembly sponsor Joe Lentol for helping me usher this bill to passage, Governor Cuomo for signing it into law, and Communities United for Police Reform for advocating for this legislation for years. I am also grateful for every single New Yorker who took to the streets demanding action in the days following the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and through their voices made passage possible.”