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A Dozen Family Members of New Yorkers Killed by NYPD & Over 60 NYC and National Organizations Urge Withdrawal of or ‘No’ Votes on NYPD-Corrupted Version of Right to Know Act ID Bill (Intro 182-D)

Urge passage of other half of Right to Know Act, Intro 541-C, that is effective and supported by 200+ groups & families of police brutality victims

“We applaud Council Member Antonio Reynoso for showing leadership to ensure Intro 541 of the Right to Know Act, supported by our coalition of 200+ organizations, advocates, and families of New Yorkers killed by police brutality, will be moving forward. His advocacy to uphold effective legislation and secure related agreements from the administration is a testament to his commitment to advancing real change that is backed by and for communities. We urge Council members to support Intro 541 of the Right to Know Act to advance safety and justice in New York City, and the City Council to pass this bill into law.

“We are disappointed that Council Member Torres has taken steps to move forward with a NYPD proposal for Intro 182 that the Right To Know Act coalition opposes because of its immense loopholes that gut protections for the majority of policing encounters. It fails to include the officer identification requirements for all non-emergency investigatory encounters and traffic stops, which are the site of many of the most frequent policing abuses, and creates a major loophole that effectively rolls back the requirement for officers to give an explanation of non-emergency encounters. If this NYPD bill is advanced, it is a sign of bad faith and bad governance, because it reflects neither the Right to Know Act nor a compromise, but calls into question the Council’s legislative independence from the NYPD and the Mayor.

“It's disappointing that Council Member Torres has backed away from his word to be a strong advocate who would work in partnership with the coalition to advance the bill when he was given it by our coalition, and his public statements that he would not pass a bill we did not support. For the Council to take a bill and so severely undermine it and its purpose would be a sad day for the Council and progressive governance. It would be a bad way for this Council to end its legislative session and we urge the Speaker and Council Member Torres to withdraw this unilateral NYPD proposal of Intro 182. If this NYPD proposal moves towards a vote, we urge all Council Members to vote against it.”

List of Organizations Signed on to Statement:

Advocacy Institute

Arab American Association of New York

Audre Lorde Project

Best Practices Policy Project

The Black Institute

The Bronx Defenders

Bronx Freedom Fund

Brooklyn Anti-Gentrification Network

Brooklyn Movement Center

Center for Constitutional Rights

Center for Law & Social Justice at Medgar Evers College

Center for Popular Democracy

Churches United for Fair Housing

Citizen Action of New York

Color Of Change

Community Development Project at the Urban Justice Center

Communities United for Police Reform

Community Voices Heard

Defending Rights & Dissent

Democratic Socialists of America

Drug Policy Alliance

DRUM – Desis Rising Up & Moving

Equality for Flatbush

Faith in New York

FIERCE

Gather for Justice/Justice League NYC

Girls for Gender Equity

Global Action Project

Immigrant Defense Project

Jewish Voices for Peace

Jews for Racial & Economic Justice

Justice Committee

JustLeadershipUSA

Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice at Union Theological Seminary

Katal Center for Health, Equity and Justice

LatinoJustice PRLDEF

Legal Aid Society

Make the Road New York

Malcolm X Grassroots Movement

Met Council on Housing

Middle Collegiate Church

MomsRising

MPower Change

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund

National Domestic Workers Alliance

National Panhellenic Council of Greater New York

New York City Anti-Violence Project

New York Civil Liberties Union

New York Communities for Change

New York Working Families

NYC Democratic Socialists of America

Picture the Homeless

Policing and Social Justice Project at Brooklyn College

Public Science Project

Queer Detainee Empowerment Project

Red Hook Initiative

Rockaway Youth Task Force

Showing Up For Racial Justice – NYC

South Asian Fund for Education, Scholarship & Training

Take on Hate

T’ruah

Turning Point for Women and Children

VOCAL-NY

We Dream in Black

Youth Represent


List of Family Members of New Yorkers Killed by Police Signed on to Statement:

Iris Baez, mother of Anthony Baez (killed by NYPD in 1994)
Hawa Bah, mother of Mohamed Bah (killed by NYPD in 2012)
Valerie Bell, mother of Sean Bell (killed by NYPD in 2006)
William Bell, father of Sean Bell (killed by NYPD in 2006)
Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner (killed by NYPD in 2014)
Victoria Davis, sister of Delrawn Small (killed by NYPD in 2016)
Kadiatou Diallo, mother of Amadou Diallo (killed by NYPD in 1999)
Natasha Duncan, sister of Shantel Davis (killed by NYPD in 2012)
Carol Gray, mother of Kimani Gray (killed by NYPD in 2013)
Joshua Lopez, nephew of John Collado (killed by NYPD in 2011)
Constance Malcolm, mother of Ramarley Graham (killed by NYPD in 2012)
Hertencia Peterson, aunt of Akai Gurley (killed by NYPD in 2014)

About Communities United for Police Reform

Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) is an unprecedented campaign to end discriminatory policing practices in New York, and to build a lasting movement that promotes public safety and policing practices based on cooperation and respect– not discriminatory targeting and harassment.

CPR brings 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 unfairly targeted the most by the NYPD. CPR is fighting for reforms that will promote community safety while ensuring that the NYPD protects and serves all New Yorkers.

Learn more: http://changethenypd.org/
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Topics: Right to Know Act