Press Releases

Gwen Carr, Mother of Eric Garner, Condemns Minneapolis Police Killing of George Floyd, Who Said “I Can’t Breathe” Before Dying

New York – Today, Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, condemned the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, who was heard on video saying “I can’t breathe” before dying – the same words Garner used when he was killed by NYPD officers in 2014.

Families of New Yorkers Killed by NYPD & Racial Justice Groups Call on New York State Legislative Leaders to Include Police Accountability and Transparency Bills in COVID-19 Relief Package

New York – Today, families of New Yorkers killed by police came together with racial justice groups, police accountability groups, and prominent labor unions like 1199 SEIU-UHWE and 32BJ SEIU to call on the state's legislative leaders to pass police accountability and transparency measures as part of an emergency COVID-19 relief package likely to be considered in the legislature after Memorial Day.

At a New York City Council Hearing Today, Racial Justice Leaders Called for Deep NYPD Budget Cuts, Redirection of Resources Toward Agencies that Can Drive an Equitable Recovery for New Yorkers Hit Hardest by COVID-19

New York, NY – Today, leaders of Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) called for deep cuts to the NYPD’s $6 billion bloated budget, and a redirection of resources toward underfunded city agencies that will need to play a large role in driving an equitable recovery for New Yorkers hit hardest by COVID-19.

Cut the NYPD Budget to Fund Recovery from COVID-19: Elected Officials and Police Accountability Advocates Call for NYPD Hiring Freeze, Smaller NYPD Budget, Redirection of Resources to City Agencies that Help Vulnerable New Yorkers

New York, NY – On a press call today, elected officials joined Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) and Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, to call for significant cuts to the NYPD’s nearly $6 billion bloated budget. Cuts to the NYPD's budget can fund a strong and equitable recovery from COVID-19, particularly for Black and other communities of color most impacted by the current pandemic, participants said.

Racial Disparities in Recent Violent Police Incidents and Arrests Show that Mayor de Blasio Must Remove the NYPD Immediately from Social Distancing Enforcement, and Cut the NYPD's Bloated Budget

New York – Leaders of Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) today said racial disparities in recent violent police incidents and arrests during the COVID-19 pandemic show that Mayor de Blasio must remove the NYPD immediately from social distancing enforcement, and cut the NYPD's bloated, almost $6 billion budget.

More than 110 Organizations Call on Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Johnson to Cut the NYPD’s Budget, Redirect Resources to City Agencies that Can Help Communities Hit Hardest by COVID-19

Today, more than 110 organizations, brought together by Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), called on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson to cut the NYPD budget, in order to protect and redirect resources to core social service/safety net programs run by other city agencies that will be essential for communities hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reduce Policing to Slow the Spread of COVID-19: Medical Professionals, Healthcare Advocates, and Elected Officials Demand Action from Mayor de Blasio and NYPD

In a candid letter today, 200 medical providers and public health advocates urged Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPD to reduce policing as part of the city’s effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. They warned that police officers may be spreading the lethal disease in unnecessary interactions with New Yorkers in public spaces. 

Police Accountability Advocates Call for Disciplinary Charges and Firing of NYPD Officers Caught on Video Threatening New Yorker in Distress

Today, Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), the largest and most diverse coalition of New Yorkers committed to increasing police accountability, called for disciplinary charges and firing of two NYPD officers who were recently caught on video using their patrol car’s megaphone to threaten, harass, and curse at a distressed pedestrian in Manhattan.

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