Press Releases

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 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.
For immediate release:
October 31, 2014

Communities United for Police Reform Responds to Court Ruling in Stop-and-Frisk Case

STATEMENT FROM COMMUNITIES UNITED FOR POLICE REFORM

In response to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling to grant the City of New York's request to withdraw its appeal, deny police unions’ appeal to intervene, and to lift the stay on remedies in Floyd v. City of New York, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokesperson Priscilla Gonzalez.

For immediate release:
October 15, 2014

Before Court Hearing Begins in Stop-and-Frisk Appeal, City Leaders, Law Enforcement Associations & Advocates Call for Court to End NYPD Unions’ to End Obstruction on Reforms

Group urges court to lift stay on reform process, oppose NYPD unions’ frivolous legal efforts to hold New Yorkers’ civil rights hostage to their contract negotiations; New Yorkers stress need for court-ordered reform process inclusive of affected communities and other stakeholders to enact lasting reforms beyond just drop in number of stops

New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, New York City Council members and other city leaders from the law enforcement and advocacy communities were joined by New Yorkers from across the city to urge the Court of Appeals to lift its stay on the court-ordered stop-and-frisk reform process and end NYPD unions’ obstruction.  The group, convening just prior to the beginning of the first court hearing with oral arguments on the appeal, also demanded that the police unions stop using frivolous legal maneuvers to block the beginning of the reform process, in which they would be a particip

For immediate release:
September 25, 2014

CPR Statement: Incidents of police brutality in Sunset Park and across City

In response to recorded incidents of police brutality and excessive force by NYPD officers in Sunset Park and across New York City over the past several weeks, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokesperson Joo-Hyun Kang.
“The police brutality in Sunset Park over the last two weeks and the various other incidents of recorded police brutality against New Yorkers of color across our city after the killing of Eric Garner clearly demonstrate that these are not isolated incidents.
For immediate release:
September 24, 2014

City Leaders, Law Enforcement Associations & Advocates Call for NYPD Unions to End Obstruction on Stop-and-Frisk Reforms, Stop Holding New Yorkers’ Rights Hostage to Contract Negotiations

Groups file briefs to oppose police unions’ endless legal efforts to continue Bloomberg administration’s stalling on reforms to protect New Yorkers’ fundamental civil rights

New Yorkers stress need for court-ordered reform process inclusive of affected communities and other stakeholders to enact lasting reforms beyond just drop in number of stops

New York, NY — New York City elected officials joined Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) and a number of law enforcement and advocacy organizations to demand that NYPD unions stop using frivolous legal maneuvers to block the court-ordered reform process to stop-and-frisk and

For immediate release:
September 8, 2014

Advocates, Community Groups Call for Inclusion of Specific NYPD Trainings, Accountability for Excessive Force and End to Disparate Enforcement at Council Hearing

Police reform advocates and community organizations from across the city testified at a City Council hearing on the NYPD’s plan to enhance officer trainings, calling for the inclusion of certain types of trainings and indicating that training alone is not a suitable solution. The advocates reiterated that clear, consistent and timely accountability for officers’ use of excessive force and systemic reforms to the disparate enforcement of minor infractions within communities of color are essential to prevent future tragedies like the death of Eric Garner.
For immediate release:
August 27, 2014

CPR Statement: Quinnipiac Poll

In response to today's Quinnipiac poll of New York City residents on policing issues, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokesperson Priscilla Gonzalez.

“The issue isn’t whether New Yorkers want their quality of life issues addressed – everyone deserves that – or whether the police should enforce the law, but it is in how certain communities are unreasonably targeted for low-level offenses.

Pages