Following federal court ruling on stop-and-frisk, diverse group of faith leaders call for permanent ban on all discriminatory profiling, independent oversight of NYPD
New York, NY – Today, a diverse group of faith leaders from across New York City held a press conference at City Hall to announce their support for the Community Safety Act and to call for the City Council to override Mayor Bloomberg’s veto of the legislation.
“It’s important that New Yorkers know that discrimination by their own government is prohibited,” said Bishop Orlando Findlayter, senior pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship and the chairman of CUSH – Churches United to Save & Heal (CUSH). “This is a matter of right and wrong – profiling someone based on who they are is simply unacceptable. The City Council should move ahead to improve safety for everyone in our city by overriding the mayor’s veto of the Community Safety Act.”
The group pointed to the federal court decision ruling that the Bloomberg administration stop-and-frisk policy was unconstitutional by racially profiling Black and Latina/o New Yorkers as evidence that the city needs the protections and oversight included in the Community Safety Act.
“After the victory of last week’s court ruling on stop and frisk, we now move forward to the next phase of assuring that the dehumanization of thousands of young black and Latina/o men and women ends permanently by supporting the Community Safety Act legislation,” said Samuel Cruz, Senior Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church and Assistant Professor of Religion and Society at Union Theological Seminary.
Whereas the federal court decision and outside monitor who will ensure its remedies are met will focus solely on stop-and-frisk for a temporary period until the issues addressed are resolved, the Community Safety Act would provide permanent protections for New Yorkers from all forms of discriminatory profiling by the police and ensure there is long-term oversight of the NYPD related to all policies and practices.
“With our commitment to building positive police-community relations, the Interfaith Center of New York strongly supports the Community Safety Act and asks the City Council to override the Mayor’s veto,” said Reverend Chloe Breyer, Executive Director of the Interfaith Center of New York. “An accountable NYPD free from the practice of profiling on the basis of such factors as religion or race is good news for New Yorkers of every background and means a safer, more just city for all of us.”
Even after the federal court ruling, Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Kelly continue their refusal to acknowledge that their stop-and-frisk policy constitutes racial profiling and have taken steps to appeal. Instead of recognizing what a majority of New Yorkers have expressed and a federal court has now ruled, they have steadfastly defended the out-of-control policy despite their own data showing its exploding use has failed to make a notable impact on gun violence.
“The Majlis Ash-Shura (Islamic Leadership Council) of Metropolitan New York continues to join with other faith leaders in both supporting and praying for the City Council,” said Imam Al-Hajj Talib ‘Abdur-Rashid, President of The Majlis Ash-Shura (Islamic Leadership Council) of Metropolitan New York. “The Mayor, supported by the Police Commissioner, continues to defend the indefensible while seeking to veto legislation that would ban racial profiling in law enforcement, and establish Inspector General oversight for the NYPD. In this matter, the City Council has shown courageous and responsible leadership in seeking to establish a balance between public safety and public rights. It must stand fast and act according to its conscience in defense of the public good. We pray for their success, for the sake of all New Yorkers.”
“Jewish tradition teaches that all human beings are created B’tzelem Elohim – in the image of God – equal in dignity, worth, and divinity,” said Rabbi Rachel Grant-Meyer, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice Rabbinic Council. “Now is the time for New Yorkers to come together to ensure that safety is synonymous with protection of human rights and the assurance of human dignity, without the threat of racial profiling and other forms of discriminatory policing. That is what it means to live the value that we are created B’tzelem Elohim.”
In the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin verdict, people throughout the nation have engaged in a substantive dialogue about racial profiling and its dangers. But Mayor Bloomberg has refused to discuss it and fought against the legislation to protect New Yorkers from being profiled based on their age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, immigration status, disability, and housing status.
“If we want to end unlawful profiling by the NYPD, preserve the relationship between law enforcement and citizenry, protect all New Yorkers, and defend the rule of law, we cannot do it without the Community Safety Act,” said Gurjot Kaur, Staff Attorney for the Sikh Coalition. “If we want to maintain the world-renowned multiculturalism of our great city, which is funded by our commitment to civil rights, the City Council must override Mayor Bloomberg’s veto. All New Yorkers, regardless of their race, religion, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, immigration, disability, or housing status, have the right to live their lives with dignity and without fear of being terrorized by the NYPD.”
Last month, Mayor Bloomberg vetoed the two Community Safety Act bills to both ban discriminatory police profiling and establish independent oversight of the NYPD that were passed by a veto-proof majority of the City Council last month.
The legislation to ban discriminatory profiling – Intro. 1080 – builds upon the existing racial profiling law by strengthening it with clear enforcement mechanisms and expanding its protections to LGBTQ and immigrant New Yorkers for the first time, along with other protected classes.
“We, as a movement, are equally committed to policing that both honors the civil rights of every New Yorker and is vigilant about stopping crime,” said Pastor Joseph Tolton of Rivers at Rehoboth Church. “As the gay community has experienced a rash of hate crimes in New York this summer, we are not naive about the need to be intolerant of criminal behavior. Today we stand for justice and call on the city council to stay committed. The balance of safety and civil rights is an achievable goal.”
Contrary to mistruths being used by opponents to incite fear in the public, the bill does not stop police officers from identifying or pursuing a suspect by race, age, gender, or any other descriptive category.
The legislation to establish independent oversight of the NYPD – Intro. 1079 – would provide essential review of policing policies and practices, bringing the NYPD into conformity with every other city agency, police departments in other U.S. cities, and other law enforcement agencies like the FBI and CIA. Oversight would include review of NYPD policies, programs and practices, and issuing recommendations, but would not include the authority to make operational decisions or implement changes.
“We need the Community Safety Act to be implemented NOW,” said Iya Oseye Mchawi, of Omo Obatala Egbe of Brooklyn. “Our youth must not continue to be subjected to the embarrassing, disrespectful and demoralizing stop and frisk policies of the NYPD and Mayor Bloomberg. Fear and mistrust of the police are the results. Is that the intended goal?”
The City Council is scheduled to vote to override Mayor Bloomberg’s veto at its next Stated Meeting on August 22.
Contact: Mandela Jones (CPR), 646.200.5316, Mandela@berlinrosen.com
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