Press Releases

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

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.

For immediate release: August 23, 2014

CPR Statements Re: March against Police Brutality on Staten Island

Re: March against Police Brutality on Staten Island

“Police brutality that has habitually victimized and killed people of color must come to an end. Justice must be served in the killings of Eric Garner, Ramarley Graham, Mike Brown and so many others. The double standards must end with police officers being held accountable for unjustifiable, violent acts in the same way that civilians are held accountable.

For immediate release: August 5, 2014

STATEMENT FROM COMMUNITIES UNITED FOR POLICE REFORM

In response to a press conference and statements by NYC police unions regarding the death of Eric Garner and incidents of police brutality, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokesperson Priscilla Gonzalez.

“While New Yorkers mourn Eric Garner’s death and demand justice, the same police unions that have consistently stood against common sense reforms are wildly lashing out and making appalling statements that blame and criminalize victims of abusive policing to distract from the real facts and issues. The truth is that they failed to protect officers, and thus the public, from a NYPD quota system that contributed to the explosion of stop-and-frisk abuses.

For immediate release: August 4, 2014

CPR Statement Re: Daily News Analysis of Summonses and NYS Department of Criminal Justice Services Data

In response to a Daily News analysis of summonses for minor infractions, and New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services data for the first five months of 2014, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from Priscilla Gonzalez.

 

For immediate release: July 31, 2014

Community Leaders & New Yorkers Impacted by Discriminatory Policing Demand Full Accountability for All NYPD officers Involved in Eric Garner’s Death, Zero Tolerance for All Police Brutality

Groups call for de Blasio Administration to do more than just new NYPD training to prevent police brutality, end discriminatory and abusive Broken Windows policing

New Yorkers impacted by discriminatory policing were joined by elected officials and community leaders on the steps of City Hall to demand that all NYPD officers involved in the incident leading to Eric Garner’s death be held fully accountable, and that the de Blasio administration enforce zero tolerance for all police brutality and halt discriminatory, abusive broken windows policing. “The police brutality that stole Eric Garner from his family, and has taken the lives of so many other Black and Latino New Yorkers must end,” said Priscilla Gonzalez of Communities United for Police Reform. “Serious change is needed that proddvides full accountability for all the officers responsible and ensures there is zero tolerance for all police brutality. The de Blasio administration must also come to terms with the role broken windows plays in the abuse of communities of color. The hyper-enforcement of minor infractions that disproportionately targets communities of color must end for police-community relations to truly improve in any meaningful way.”

For immediate release: July 28, 2014

CPR Statement: Re: Mayor de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Bratton’s Statements on the Eric Garner Incident

In response to comments made by Mayor de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Bratton on the death of Eric Garner at a media availability today, Communities United for Police Reform released the following statement from spokesperson Priscilla Gonzalez.

“Eric Garner’s death did not happen in a vacuum and the division between police and communities was not only the product of the 12 years of the Bloomberg administration’s stop-and-frisk abuses. It is a longer-term problem caused by hyper-aggressive broken windows policing that has unjustly targeted communities of color for over 20 years, led to dozens of deadly police brutality cases and stop-and-frisk abuses perpetrated largely against Black and Latino New Yorkers.

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