Groundbreaking Report Makes It Clear: NYPD is a Harm to New York Communities

Today, Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) and the CUNY Public Science Project released the We Deserve To Be Safe Report, one of the largest studies of its kind that documents the opinions and experiences of thousands of people from highly policed neighborhoods across New York City. The academic study reached more than 3,300 people from across all five boroughs through community-based surveys and town halls and found that New Yorkers in overpoliced neighborhoods report across the board that their experiences with the NYPD are overwhelmingly harmful. The report comes on the heels of a series of federal indictments on Mayor Eric Adams, who is a former police officer, and the resignations of two NYPD commissioners and the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety. 

“New Yorkers living in highly policed neighborhoods are outraged and fearful of the physical and financial expansion of the NYPD, along with the corruption and untrustworthy leadership of the Adams administration.  We are done with our city spending billions of dollars to police and criminalize us, while denying our communities true safety through investments in housing and quality healthcare, mental health, education, and employment opportunities. We are done with politicians consistently choosing to throw police at public health, economic, and social problems. We are done with the continued systemic lack of accountability for officers, said CPR spokesperson Divad Durant, Justice Committee Member. “This report makes it clear that there needs to be a fundamental change to policing in New York City and that there needs to be a shift in WHO gets to decide what safety is, HOW safety is produced, and WHO is responding to a safety crisis.” 

The study is unique in that it solicited the perspectives of New Yorkers whose opinions are often not centered in public policy conversations or at 1 Police Plaza.

Researchers found: 

• Over 70% of people from overpoliced neighborhoods experienced varying degrees of physical, sexual, or verbal harm by the NYPD.
   
• New Yorkers from our most overpoliced neighborhoods report that an increase in police presence does not make them safer. 70% feared calling or approaching the NYPD for help because they felt it would make the situation worse or lead to unnecessary violence. Of those who did reach out to the NYPD, 62% had a negative experience when seeking help from the NYPD.

• The NYPD is a pervasive, harmful, violent and frightening occupying force within over-policed communities. 73% of participants understood the NYPD as a constant or frequent presence in their community.

• This report makes it clear that people from over-policed communities need real community safety solutions other than police. 85% of people in highly policed communities expressed some desire for places or people to rely on in emergencies other than the NYPD. 

“This research represents a major effort to speak with those most directly impacted by policing in New York City and to listen to their experiences and perspectives on policing, community safety, and how best to meet their needs. This robust process led to findings I believe New York policymakers need to contend with,” said Brett Stoudt, PhD Associate Professor of Psychology, Graduate Center, City University of New York.

In order to address the clear harm and negative impact that over policing is causing in New York City, the report made the following recommendations: 

1. Expand oversight, transparency & accountability of the NYPD.

2. Reduce the size, scope and budget of the NYPD.

3. Invest in the fundamental needs of New Yorkers.

4. Invest in violence prevention and crisis intervention programs. 

“As one of the largest studies on public safety that is focused on the voices and experiences of heavily policed communities, the We Deserve To Be Safe study reaffirms the need for our City to finally get serious about public safety. For too long, we have relied solely on policing, a strategy that has not delivered the results we need. As New Yorkers point out in this study, we need to make smarter public investments in the continuum of care for true public safety results. Fundamentally, a militarized police is not equipped to handle many of the issues that impact our communities and neighbors, especially when interacting with those experiencing a mental health crisis,” said Council Member Alexa Aviles.