Press Room

As misinformation continues to circulate about the ‘How Many Stops’ Act to provide basic policing transparency, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams today urged Mayor Adams and detractors of the legislation to read the text of the bill, which runs counter to the claims made in opposition.

“The bill which the mayor and others have spoken out against bears no resemblance to the bill we actually passed,” said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. “This may be the most flagrant misinformation campaign I have seen from any administration in my time in office, misleading both the public and the police. I urge both the mayor and the public to read the actual text of the bill, which should correct what are at best misconceptions and at worst lies, which, unlike this basic transparency bill, will undermine public safety.”

In particular, the Public Advocate highlighted specific language from the bill excluding the kind of casual interactions with the public from reporting requirements, contrary to the bad-faith attacks on the legislation. The bill reads:

“Investigative encounter. The term “investigative encounter” means an interaction between a member of the department and a member of the public for a law enforcement or investigative purpose. The term does not include a casual conversation or interaction between a member of the department and a member of the public unless such conversation or interaction is based on or, in the course of such conversation or interaction, an officer develops: an objective credible reason to approach; a founded suspicion that such member of the public has engaged in or will engage in criminal activity; a reasonable suspicion that such member of the public has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a crime; or a reasonable cause to believe that an offense is being or has been committed.”

Additionally, the Public Advocate pointed to language from the NYPD patrol guide which  indicates that officers should already be logging some information on Level 1 and 2 stops related to Body-Worn-Camera recordings, contradicting the hyperbolic statements about this level of reporting. The guide reads:

Intro 586-A and the other component of the ‘How Many Stops’ Act passed the City Council with a veto-proof majority last month. The information documented. through this bill is critical to prevent the practices that led to the abuse of stop, question, and frisk prior to passage of the Community Safety Act in 2013. The Public Advocate has repeatedly responded to the administration’s misinformation about the bill and its impact, while emphasizing that the priority should be collaborating on implementing this essential legislation.

"We are eager to review the federal monitor's input -- input we requested before passage of the bill. It appears that the separation strategy the monitor is reportedly requesting is exactly what Intro 549-A does. Our bill does not prevent separation into alternative restrictive housing, it prevents the harm of isolation through solitary confinement.

"The administration, which routinely undermines and ignores the federal monitor, cannot credibly use the monitor's condemnation of its long-standing failures and deceptions around running Rikers Island in order to condemn an effort to actually fix it. It is not our job to create laws that conform to failing systems, it is our job to create laws to change them, and if you want something different to happen, you have to do something different. The administration can no longer stand by a status quo that is indefensible and a practice that is unacceptable."

"On Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it’s important to look beyond the sanitized quotes and characterizations to see Dr. King the activist, the agitator, the radical. Through that revolutionary lens, it is easier to see the ongoing struggle and the need to take it up. Because today the Black community can vote – sometimes – and we can go to public schools – sometimes – but the "freedom" of the King dream is far from achieved.

"Right now, as it has been since the days of Dr. King, our community is still trapped between the very real street violence in our neighborhoods and the too-often oppressive overpolicing ineffectively deployed to combat it. And also far too often in today’s political environment, we see leaders who would exploit that tension rather than work to resolve it. We should be wary not to follow those leaders who claim their own purposes should stand in for ours.

"We are not a singular speech, we are a conversation. And that conversation, which stretches back as far as the marches Dr. King led, is critical as we continue the work to upend the same unjust systems those marches opposed."

"New Yorkers deserve to be safe and feel safe. Unfortunately, in her State of State, the governor's emphasis on low-level crimes will likely make people feel less safe, and over-incarcerating low-income New Yorkers for low-level offenses will cause more damage than it prevents, as we've learned from decades of similar attempts. The strategy outlined today showed a focus solely on law-enforcement and carceral solutions, without even an attempt at holistic approaches that have been proven to improve public safety. Additionally, there was no real mention of addressing gun violence across the state.

"Health is a component of public safety that the governor did thankfully address, both in a commitment to combat maternal health injustice and inequity, and in a need to center mental health, especially for young people. As with other areas, though, it is essential that mental health is met with resources, not a criminal response.

"Given her acknowledgement that housing affordability is an urgent crisis and priority for New Yorkers, it is striking how little of the address was spent on addressing that crisis. More housing is absolutely essential, and building on state sites is welcome – but it is far short of the broad plan the governor proposed but failed to collaborate with communities on last year. The answer to make up the additional shortfall is not handouts to developers in exchange for minimal so-called affordable units. This includes any converted commercial spaces, which again, is a vital element. Social housing, controlled by residents, must be central to a plan that can actually meet this crisis. And to help people access the housing we do create, the governor must support the Housing Access Voucher Program.

"Yet again, there was no effort in this agenda to keep tenants in the homes they have, through passing Good Cause eviction protections, expanding rent stabilization, and holding predatory landlords accountable. The governor must recognize this and work with the legislature to get it done. Last year’s impasse and inaction is something New Yorkers cannot afford.

"Lastly, while housing was under-discussed, at least it was given any time at all, unlike the ongoing effort to support migrants arriving here. With the mayor evicting children and families from shelters today, these two crises are intertwined, and it is inexplicable that the governor has gone through another State of the State without addressing one of our most pressing issues.  

"The state of our state may be strong, but far too few of the proposals in this agenda were strong enough to meet the needs New Yorkers face."

“Expanding access to CityFHEPS housing vouchers has been a necessary step in addressing our city’s mounting homelessness crisis. It’s an issue the Council recognized and quickly acted on, and an issue that the administration has resisted then demonstrably disseminated false information about—as apparent through today’s IBO findings.

“As hundreds of new New Yorkers arrive daily to our city, I hope the administration reverses course and understands the fiscal prudence and moral necessity of CityFHEPS vouchers in light of our homelessness crisis. And as the Governor delivers her State of the State address tomorrow, I urge her to build on the progress the City Council has made by embracing the Housing Access Voucher Program, which would further help move people out of temporary shelters and into permanent homes, regardless of immigration status.”

"I am extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. John Louis Flateau– a cerebral giant, acclaimed educator and dedicated public servant for the city and state of New York. His long tenure as a professor, administrator and dean at Medgar Evers helped shape the lives of countless students, and his work in both the city and state government helped advance justice and equity for communities across New York. As a former commissioner of the NYC Districting Commission, he helped ensure our districts accurately reflect the population and demographic changes of our city. Without his work, I’m not sure I would be where I am today.

"Dr. Flateau was a tremendous leader that uplifted and inspired his community, and his enormous contributions will have a lasting impact for many years to come."