Major Victory for Police Reform with Passage of Historic Civil Rights Legislation

posted on: Jun 28, 2013

After years of organizing against unwarranted Muslim surveillance and unconstitutional stop and frisks, we have reached an incredible milestone in our efforts to end discriminatory policing practices. With the help of your phone calls, email, tweets, and meetings with local representatives, in the early morning hours of Thursday, June 27th, the NY City Council voted overwhelmingly to pass the Community Safety Act with a veto-proof majority! Intro 1079 (the NYPD Oversight Act) that establishes an Inspector General for the New York Police Department passed 40-11 and Intro 1080 (End Discriminatory Profiling Act) passed 34-17.

With increased oversight and an enforceable ban on profiling, these historic civil rights reforms bring New York one step close to a safer and more just City for all communities.

But our fight for better policing is not over.

As we welcome these key reforms, Mayor Bloomberg, Commissioner Kelly and other critics who have mischaracterized the legislation as “dangerous,” are organizing to ensure the Mayor’s veto of the Community Safety Act stands.

We will not let this happen. We will need you once again to urge your Council Members to stay steadfast in their support and vote to override the Mayor’s veto. New Yorkers deserve to live in a City where the color of their faith or the color of their skin is not treated as inherently suspect by the police and the NYPD isn’t above the law. Stay ready to push back!

Arab American Association of New York