Joint Statement from Speaker Adrienne Adams and Public Safety Chair Yusef Salaam on the Mayor’s Veto of Police Transparency Bill

 

In response to Mayor Adams vetoing Int. 586 of the How Many Stops Act that would require public reporting of basic data on investigative police stops, Speaker Adrienne Adams and Public Safety Chair Yusef Salaam released the following joint statement.

“It is deeply disappointing that the Mayor is sending the message that Black and Latino communities do not deserve transparency regarding interruptions to their daily lives from investigative police stops. At a time when one out of every four stops made by the Mayor’s new police unit has been found to be unconstitutional, and civilian complaints are at their highest level in more than a decade, the Mayor is choosing to fight to conceal information from the public. Rather than focusing on governing our city, the Mayor and his administration have sought to mislead and incite fear through a propaganda campaign, wasting government resources and creating division. These actions only raise questions about why this administration fears sharing data with New Yorkers about the use of their tax dollars. NYPD officers and our entire city deserve better.

“The false narrative that we cannot have transparency is bad for our city, and belies the fact that accountability is vital to improving public safety by increasing trust. The Mayor’s veto betrays his stated goal of public safety and harms the Black and Latino communities that bear the brunt of these stops. The Council remains committed to honest dialogue about policy, and we are prepared to override this veto to ensure that New Yorkers receive a more accurate accounting from their city that can make our neighborhoods safer.”