January 31, 2014
By Council Member Jumaane D. Williams
"I have consistently stated that the previous administration needed to drop the city's appeal and clear up the white noise that exists with regard to the status of Stop, Question and Frisk. I am grateful that the Mayor has fulfilled a campaign promise and is doing the right thing by dropping the appeal.
Dropping the appeal is a great first step. Still, the job isn't done. The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association and the Sergeants Benevolent Association are attempting to continue to keep New Yorkers in a state of confusion by intervening to keep the suit alive. They should abandon these efforts. In fact, the remedies outlined in Floyd will help clear up any confusion about Stop and Frisk. A federal monitor will be appointed to help reform Stop and Frisk, and the community will be given the chance to help reform it in a Joint Remedial Process.
In addition, Floyd is not the only case dealing with the abuse of Stop and Frisk. I look forward to the administration fulfilling the second part of its commitment on this issue by dropping the city's appeal in the lawsuit against the Community Safety Act, specifically the Anti-Profiling bill.
At its height, more than 800,000 New Yorkers- most of them people of more color-were stopped, questioned and frisked, while the overwhelming majority of them had no weapons and were not charged with any crime.
Under this law, no longer do New Yorkers have to fear that they will be stopped solely because of the way they look or the neighborhoods in which they live. The Community Safety Act dramatically extends protections to historically discriminated against groups, including on basis of citizenship status, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and housing status. Combined, the remedies outlined in Floyd, along with the Community Safety Act, will finally give all New Yorkers confidence that this is, and will continue to united city that protects all residents without violating their civil rights and liberties. I look forward to the administration fulfilling its commitment to also drop the appeal against the Community Safety Act."
