Legislative Hearing for Community Safety Act

Date 

Add to My Calendar Wednesday, October 10, 2012 12:00am

Location 

Please join the Center for Constitutional Rights and advocates at this important Legislative Hearing on Wednesday, October 10th at 10:00 a.m.

The Community Safety Act is a landmark police reform legislative package that currently consists of four bills aimed at ending discriminatory policing and bringing real accountability to the NYPD.  New Yorkers want to live in a safe city where police officers treat all residents equally and respectfully, and are not above the law.  These four bills have been introduced in the City Council and are awaiting a hearing and vote. The Community Safety Act includes:

Intro 800 – Protecting New Yorkers against discrimination by the NYPD

  • Creates a strong ban on profiling and discrimination by the NYPD
  • Expands protections to prohibit profiling based on age, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, immigration status, housing status, language, disability, in addition to race, religion or ethnicity
  • Holds the NYPD accountable for practices that impact different communities or groups in discriminatory ways—like stop and frisk practices that single out people of color.
  • Similar laws exist in Illinois, W. Virginia & Arkansas. This bill is also similar to the federal End Racial Profiling Act.

Intro 799 – Protecting New Yorkers against unlawful searches  

  • Ends the practice of the NYPD deceiving New Yorkers into consenting to unnecessary searches  
  • Requires officers to explain that a person has the right to refuse a search when there is no warrant or probable cause
  • Requires officers to obtain proof of consent to a search.  

Similar laws exist in Colorado and West Virginia.

Intro 801 – Requiring NYPD officers to identify themselves and explain their action

  • Requires officers to provide the specific reason for their law enforcement activity, such as a stop-and-frisk
  • Requires officers to provide document to the person with the officer's name and rank and a way to reach the Civilian Complaint Review Board at the end of each police encounter

Similar laws exist in Arkansas, Minnesota and Colorado.

Intro 881 – Establishing an Inspector General for the NYPD to provide independent oversight

  • Creates an Office of the Inspector General to examine systemic issues within the NYPD and provide effective oversight, with subpoena power, to protect New Yorkers from abuses and misconduct

*This hearing is free and open to the public*

 

Associated events: October 23, 2012 Brooklyn Field Hearing Regarding Stop and Frisk, and October 24, 2012 Queens Field Hearing Regarding Stop and Frisk.

Last modified 

October 9, 2012