Transform
how we police
And invest in everything else to undo decades of damage in communities across NYC
It’s clear that we’re at a crossroads. Either we’ll radically re-imagine what a modern police force looks like, or we’ll continue with business as usual and see too many Black and brown lives taken by excessive uses of force. And we must match that with a commitment to reduce prison populations, support folks after incarceration, and invest in the programs that are alternatives to jail.
We need to keep our north star on “Public safety” not just policing — public safety means so much more. My priority will be to go beyond slogans, listen to impacted communities and civil rights leaders, and advocate for reforming the police in meaningful, non-cosmetic ways. We have a real responsibility to show what can be done to reform an over-funded, over-militarized police force and be an example for every other municipality in the US.
These aren’t just numbers. There are meaningful changes that we should be implementing on day one to eliminate the chronic over-policing in communities across the city. That starts with moving crash investigation and other elements of traffic enforcement away from the NYPD, investing in community-led programs that champion restorative justice, and getting police out of schools. The school to prison pipeline should not start with an NYPD officer in an elementary school. It also means establishing first-response mental health agencies so professionals can respond to mental health crises without violence or arrests.
I’m proud to have led the National Campaigns work at MoveOn where we helped engage our members in the national conversation about police violence after the murder of George Floyd and the impact of police union donations on our politics. And I’m not accepting a penny from New York Police unions—and never will.
Together, we can do this:
We must reduce the NYPD budget by removing police from roles better handled by other agencies and responders and reinvest those funds into education, health, mental health, environmental justice, and other programs that promote public safety. That starts with investing in evidence-backed efforts to address societal problems that have been overcriminalized, too often at the expense of people of color and immigrant communities.
Together, we can:
Get uniformed officers out of our schools by putting safety agents under the direct supervision of each Principal, invest in school-based restorative justice programs, and start hiring a counseling staff that reflects the needs of every school
Invest in community-led programs to reduce violence, eliminate domestic violence, and champion restorative justice, like those developed by the Center for Court Innovation and community-based partners
Stop the harassment of the homeless by NYPD officers and instead invest in community led programs that address homelessness’ root causes
Reassign mental health as well as health and wellness calls to agencies trained in de-escalation and with better options than using force to respond to personal crises
The NYPD has shown that as an institution, it is unable to protect people from dangerous driving and too often relies on ticket blitzes rather than focusing on the most risky driver behavior.
Together, we can:
Remove traffic enforcement from the NYPD and transfer the Collision Investigation Squad to the Department of Transportation
Substantially fund the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program
Focus enforcement on the most dangerous behaviors
Use existing technology to augment investigations into crashes, integrating cell data and black box technology to combat biases so we can build a clearer picture of who is responsible and where/how these problems are originating
Decriminalize minor pedestrian and cyclist infractions, such as jaywalking
The events of last summer show that the NYPD is in need of oversight top to bottom.
Together, we can:
Require the advice and consent of the City Council to appoint the City’s Police Commissioner, and fix the Police Commissioner’s term to four years
Reduce the use of, and investment in, surveillance technology by the NYPD, including the use of helicopters over residential areas to monitor routine protests for hours at a time
Pass Intro 2012, which requires the NYPD to report custodial interrogations of minors
Strengthen the CCRB discipline recommendations and impose binding guidelines on the commissioner
Prevent improper uses of AI, facial recognition technology, and other invasive surveillance
For decades, the NYPD has created generational damage to communities — especially communities of color—across NYC. We don’t just need to defund the police, we need to invest in programs that will help build back communities that have been hurt the most.
Together, we can:
Invest in programs shown to dramatically reduce recidivism like the Fortune Society which support people who have been caught up in, and failed by, our criminal justice system
Close Rikers as soon as possible and champion the plan for a Renewable Rikers Island that will reinvest in communities harmed by decades of mass incarceration, and work against any plan to build borough based jails in NYC
Champion Intro 1314, prohibiting discrimination based on one’s arrest record