June 8, 2020
New York, NY (June 8, 2020) – Today, Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) celebrated a momentous step that brings New York one step closer to stronger accountability, safety and justice through transparent and reliable access to critical police data via the Police-STAT Act. The #PoliceSTATAct is one of three bills that Albany legislators are expected to vote on this week from CPR’s Safer NY Act legislative package. The other two bills are a repeal of New York’s police secrecy law (50-a) and a bill that would codify and strengthen the office of special prosecutor to investigate police killings.
The New York State Assembly passed the Police STAT Act (S1830C/A10609) for the fifth year in a row. The Senate passed the bill for the first time today. It now goes to Governor Cuomo’s desk to be signed and become law.
“New York took a vital step today toward a future with greater transparency, safety and justice for its communities through passage of the #PoliceSTATAct,” said Communities United for Police Reform spokesperson Carolyn Martinez-Class. “New York is finally on the cusp of collecting and publicly reporting critical policing data from departments throughout the state so communities, advocates and lawmakers can see the impact of policing on New York’s communities. We will finally know how many New Yorkers are killed by police or die in police custody, beyond just those that get caught on video. We will finally have numbers to show what communities across the state already know about who is the subject of discriminatory and abusive stops, tickets and low-level enforcement. This brings us a step closer to holding law enforcement accountable for the harm it causes in so many New Yorkers’ lives.”
Members of CPR’s movement are available for comment to talk about the legislation.
More information
The Police-STAT Act is part of Communities United for Police Reform’s (CPR) #SaferNYAct package that includes two other bills expected to be voted on this week: #Repeal50a and a bill that would strengthen and codify the office of special prosecutor to investigate cases where police kill individuals in New York state. The #PoliceSTATAct will ensure that policymakers and the public have reliable access to critical police data. Without a statewide reporting process, New York – like many states across the country – lacks the information needed to understand and account for the impact of its police departments.
The #PoliceSTATAct would require statewide reporting on:
- The total number of people who die during an interaction with police or in police custody, including demographic information.
- The geographic location of enforcement activity and arrest-related deaths.
- The total number of arrests and tickets for violations and misdemeanors, and information on their disposition.
- The race, ethnicity, age and sex of people who are charged with violations or misdemeanors.
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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 reduces reliance on policing. CPR runs coalitions of over 200 local, statewide and national organizations, bringing 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 most unfairly targeted by the NYPD.
