Last week hundreds of New Yorkers joined ColorOfChange Executive Director Rashad Robinson, Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), rapper and activist Talib Kweli, and partners for a rally at City Hall calling on city officials to end the NYPD's abusive Stop and Frisk program and to schedule a vote on the Community Safety Act.
Each year the NYPD targets and profiles hundreds of thousands of mostly innocent New Yorkers based on race, religion, ethnicity and immigration status. The Community Safety Act would curtail the number of folks illegally stopped, hold police accountable to communities they serve, and provide credible oversight to the department.
There has been some good news in the past few weeks. Recently, the Bronx district attorney's office announced that it would no longer prosecute folks who were stopped at public housing projects and arrested for trespassing, unless the arresting officer is interviewed to ensure that the arrest was warranted. And as a result of sustained pressure Speaker Quinn's office has finally scheduled a public hearing on the Community Safety Act. The hearing will be followed by two public discussions in Brooklyn and Queens.
We have to keep the pressure on city officials to end the repressive stop and frisk program. If you have not already done so, please check out the photos from the rally here and sign on to our campaign calling on Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Commissioner Ray Kelly to end the Stop and Frisk program in New York City. Just click the link here and share our petition with friends and family.
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