FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 31, 2024
Contact: Sophie Ellman-Golan | sophie@jfrej.org
NEW YORK -- Following the City Council's override of Mayor Adams’ veto of the How Many Stops Act, Leo Ferguson of Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ) released the following statement:
“Ten years ago, JFREJ and all our partners in the Communities United for Police Reform coalition took on the NYPD's unconstitutional stop and frisk regime. Since then, we have won every legislative battle we've fought in the city council on this issue — from the Community Safety Act, to the Right To Know Act, to the How Many Stops Act. Until now, at each stage, key pieces of legislation we've worked to pass have been cut in negotiations. After each win, we've had to regroup, repackage those pieces into new legislation, and fight all over again. Not this time. With this victory, we have finally closed an important chapter that began with the passage of the Community Safety Act over a decade ago.
Not only did Mayor Adams' divisive disinformation campaign against the How Many Stops Act fail miserably; it backfired: More council members voted for Intro 586 in the override vote than in the original vote for the bill. This spectacular blow to the mayor is also clear confirmation that New Yorkers are sick and tired of his fear-mongering. We want transparency, good governance, and a just, caring city."
Read more about the history of CPR and JFREJ's decade of organizing to defeat Stop & Frisk.
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Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ) is a 6,000-member grassroots organization and the home of New York’s Jewish Left. For over 30 years, JFREJ members have organized alongside our neighbors to transform New York from a playground for the wealthy few into a real democracy, free from all forms of racist violence.