This past Thursday February 26th a press conference was held at City Hall to launch a “Safety Beyond Policing” campaign, which seeks to stop the 1,000 more cops push from various members of the New York City Council.
The coalition of over a dozen organizations called on Melissa Mark-Viverito, Speaker of the New York City Council and other council members to abandon their plans to add to the NYPD headcount. Viverito mentioned in her state of the city speech a week prior that adding 1,000 more guns and badges could cost somewhere between $90 to $120 million, which doesn’t include the commitment of funds for future years (many millions more).
The organizers at this press conference are calling for safety beyond policing in the form of transformative community investment for high-poverty neighborhoods that are currently bearing the brunt of police brutality and discriminatory “Broken Windows” policing.
Organizations represented at Thursday’s conference included: Black Lives Matter NY, Coalition to End Broken Windows, Million Hoodies, El Grito de Sunset Park, Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Parents Against Police Brutality, Queens Neighborhoods United, Justice for Akai Gurley, Brite Leadership Coalition, Busk NY, ANSWER Coalition, Cop Watch Patrol Unit, Asociación Pro Derechos del Confinado Ñeta, Friends of Brad Will, Stop NYPD Spying, Mothers Cry for Justice, Bronxites for NYPD Accountability, Families for Freedom, Police Reform Organizing Project.
#BlackLivesMatter #iCantBreathe #NoJusticeNoPeace #NoMoreNYPD #SafetyBeyondPolicing #ShutItDown #ThisStopsToday
