What They're Saying: New York Leaders Continue to Voice Opposition to City Council Bill That Could Make NYC Streets Less Safe

January 19, 2024

NEW YORK – Following today’s veto on City Council bill Intro. 586-A — which could make New York City less safe by forcing New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers to spend more time filling out reports after Level 1 interactions with the public instead of patrolling the street and keeping the public safe — faith leaders, community advocates, business organizations, district attorneys, law enforcement professionals, and everyday New Yorkers voiced their opposition to the bill.

Here is what New York leaders are saying:

“The city’s employers want to see faster police response and greater availability to deal with criminal and quality of life issues,” said Kathy Wylde, president and CEO, Partnership for New York City. “As written, this legislation does the opposite. It should be amended to eliminate onerous reporting requirements for police encounters on non-criminal matters.”

“The City Council’s objective to increase transparency in policing and ensure we never return to the days of mass ‘stop and frisks’ is crucial,” said Jessica Walker, president and CEO, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. “But the unintended consequences of this legislation far outweigh the intended benefits. It should not become law and we thank Mayor Adams for having the courage to veto it.”

“As the mayor has hammered home time and time again, there can be no prosperity without public safety,” said Tom Grech, president and CEO, Queens Chamber of Commerce. “As we finally turn the corner on the insipid covid period, we need the NYPD now more than ever.”

“Police work not paperwork,” said Randy Peers, president and CEO, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. “That’s what New Yorkers want, and that’s what will keep us safe.  Thank you to Mayor Adams for standing up for what’s right.”

“With public safety being a high priority in this city, our NYPD officers are better served being on our streets, not behind desks filling out countless paperwork. Businesses, residents, and visitors need to feel safe in order for this city to prosper and thrive,” said Linda Baran, president and CEO, Staten Island Chamber of Commerce.

“A bill that requires police to fill out a form for every engagement concerns us that our men and women in Blue are now facing more bureaucratic burdens, a hindrance to swift responses, and does not give us an opportunity to continue the discussion on finding more effective alternatives to ensure accountability without impeding law enforcement,” said Lisa Sorin, president, Bronx Chamber of Commerce.”

“We should be building bridges between the NYPD and the community they serve, not databases of non-criminal interactions with the public,” said Tom Harris, president, The Times Square Alliance. “We commend the leadership of Mayor Adams and his veto of Intro. 586-A.”

“Regardless of what the sponsors and supporters of Intro 586 are saying about this bill, it is unfortunately ranked at the bottom for our crime fighting force time priority list,” said Sheikh Musa Drammeh, Chairman, Islamic Cultural Center of North America. “When it comes to keeping the Big Apple to be the safest big city in the nation, our patrolling police officers must utilize their precious times to public safety and quality of life as opposed to dealing with another far-left police shackle.” 

“We are opposing the Intro. 586-A bill due to the fact we are already short in police officers in many locations. I reside in a community where nearly about 8,000 people live and if someone had an emergency, we the community wouldn’t be able to get them because they’re sitting at a desk filling out paperwork,” said Decon Burns, president, River Park Towers Tenant Association. “There should be a title of a person who is hired by the City of New York jobs to get a position in doing administration paperwork for the police officers! Stop this bill.”

“Be Proud Inc. categorically supports Mayor Adams position toward 586-A,” said Raisa Chernina, executive director, Be Proud, Inc. “We are against any proposition which makes the work of NYPD more difficult, more bureaucratic and less productive.”

“With the limited personnel in the NYPD, it's important for their time to be utilized wisely,” said Francisco Marte, president, Bodega Association. “Officers shouldn't be spending too much time on small reports when there are bigger, more urgent problems. We need to make sure our officers are focusing on real emergencies that directly impact the safety of our community. By doing this, we're making the best use of our limited resources and ensuring that our officers are where they're needed the most. It's about making smart choices to keep our neighborhoods safe despite the challenges we face with fewer personnel.”

“The Shomrim community knows the importance of having every NYPD officer on the street and not backlogged with insane paperwork,” said Tzvi Weill, coordinator, Flatbush Shomrim. “We strongly support a veto of bill 586. It's a huge public safety issue.”

“We endorse Mayor Eric Adams' stance against Intro 586-A,” said Raja Azad Gul, Raja Community Center. “As a representative organization of the Pakistani American community, we stand united with Mayor Adams. With crime down in New York City, let's prioritize police and focus on core duties. Unnecessary paperwork may divert officers from their crucial responsibilities.”

“This bill will negatively impact community policing as officers will be less likely to interact with the public if they must get information from all these interactions,” said Darlyn Sanchez, director, Livery Round Table. “Similarly, the public will be less likely to speak to officers if they are gathering personal information about them just because they have interacted and will publicly report on it. This raises serious privacy concerns. Also, every report takes a minimum of one minute to fill out on an officer’s phone. This can reasonably delay response times to other 911 calls and local emergencies as officers will be filling out multiple reports. NYPD officers are already constantly criticized for being on their phones too much, if this bill passes, they will spend much more time on their devices, rather than public service.”

“We can't tie the police’s hands! I vehemently oppose Intro 586 because it will increase crime and injustice in our neighborhoods,” said Jackie Rowe Adams, founder and CEO, Harlem Mothers & Fathers Save. “I started Harlem Mothers & Fathers Save to end gun violence and uplift our youth, if the NYPD is forced to file paperwork instead engaging with our youth and fighting crime, our children will suffer from more violence. We thank Mayor Adams for vetoing this bill.”

“The bill is counterproductive because it requires police officers to file reports for every stop they make, which takes away from their ability to respond to emergencies and fight crime,” said Mohammad Razvi, CEO, Council of Peoples Organization Inc.

“The procedures currently proposed in Intro. 586-A will create obligations for the brave men and women of the NYPD that will unnecessarily burden them with a reporting structure that is not realistic or practical,” said Marcelo D. Reggiardo, chairman, National Hispanic Business Group. “Implementation would overwhelm officers in paperwork and potentially disincentivize officers from connecting with community members. Community policing needs to be promoted and enhanced and not be made more difficult by the implementation of the procedures proposed.”

“Public safety is crucial for the sustenance of our city; that’s why we question policies that may dissuade our police officers from being efficient,” said Asif Khan, director, BHALO Inc. “Just as there should be checks and balances to prevent an overreach of the law, we should also make sure our law enforcement agencies are effective in doing their jobs. Paper pushing will not help officers in their interactions and assistance with New Yorkers; it will only delay them further.”

“This bill risks eroding the foundation of community policing by discouraging meaningful interactions between officers and citizens, raising serious privacy concerns and potentially delaying response times to critical incidents,” said Ali Rashid, president, American Pakistani Advocacy Group. “The financial and logistical burdens of processing and storing this volume of data are substantial, diverting essential resources from front-line policing. Imposing a requirement to document every Level 1 encounter will inundate officers with paperwork, significantly detracting from their primary duty of protecting the public. Furthermore, the legal complexities introduced by this bill add another layer of concern. The suggestions made for implementing this policy fail to grasp the operational realities our officers face daily. We urge a thoughtful reconsideration of Intro. 586, advocating for measures that enhance transparency and accountability without compromising the NYPD's ability to effectively serve and protect our community.”

“We, along with the entire executive board of the 121 Precinct Community Council oppose Intro. 586-A,” said Lillian Orlando, secretary, 121 Precinct Community Council. “Every day, New York City police officers are inundated by 911 calls and response time will take longer because of these additional and unnecessary reports. It has been proven that crime is down in all categories. If this bill is passed, criminal activity and crime will increase, and the citizens of New York will feel unsafe and live in fear.”

“We firmly support Mayor Adams in his decision to veto Intro. 586-A,” said Anthony Medigo, Fulton Street Coalition. “This bill, if passed, would further impede the already challenging work of our under-resourced NYPD, which continues to grapple with bureaucratic constraints and political interference Such legislation threatens to exacerbate the issues of lawlessness in our city, showing a blatant disregard for the efforts of our police force. It is imperative that we stand against measures that undermine effective policing and public safety.”

“The bill, intended for transparency, risks misdirecting vital resources from proactive policing and community engagement,” said Sarah El-Batanouny, president, 1st Precinct Community Council. “This could prioritize paperwork over public safety, potentially hampering police effectiveness and diverting focus from protecting our communities.”

“Allama Iqbal Community Centre (AICC) stands firmly in support of Mayor Eric Adams and opposes Intro 586-A. Our community believes in prioritizing public safety, and we trust Mayor Adams' commitment to this cause,” said M. Nasir, chairman, AICC. “Mayor Adams' concerns about the potential impact of Intro 586-A on police response times and overall safety resonate with us. We appreciate the mayor’s dedication to transparency and his efforts to address abusive policing tactics. In alignment with Mayor Adams, AICC believes that maintaining effective law enforcement is crucial for the safety of all New Yorkers. We stand united in opposition to bills that may compromise the progress achieved in enhancing public safety over the past two years.”

“The mayor and the law enforcement community need to be supported to the fullest extent at this time,” said Rabbi Yehiel Kalish, CEO, Hatzalah. “Our community voted for the mayor primarily because of his strong record on safety and that’s something we need more of now. Thank you, Mayor Adams, for your continued commitment to the safety and security of our city.”

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