Press Room

Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation today from Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams that codifies and protects the right of civilians to record police officer activity. The enacting of this law, first introduced in 2016, comes after video of a Minneapolis police officer killing George Floyd has spurred a national movement for an end to policing injustice, videos taken at these protests have shown further officer misconduct, and an ongoing push for further reforms on a city, state, and federal level continues.

"We are in a moment when the need to protect public safety and the need to re-define it are more intertwined than ever. The solution lies in each entity, civilian and law enforcement working together to keep our communities safe and combat violence- and in allowing for transparency and accountability when that obligation is not met," said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. "Because of the advocates who pushed this need for years, we are now codifying the right to record into city law, further protecting the ability for the public to provide transparency and demand accountability as we move forward together in a holistic strategy to have safer streets and better policing at the same time. We cannot give into the false and destructive notion that communities must choose between accountability and transparency in policing or safer streets. The people of this city deserve both. Working together, we can provide it."

Int. 721-B or the Right to Record Act codifies into local law a person's right to record New York City police officers or peace officers acting in their official capacity, from a safe distance and while not interfering with police activity. The bill was  co-sponsored by Council Member Helen Rosenthal. The legislation originally came after a number of prominent instances when civilians' right to record was deliberately infringed.

More information on the bill and the incidents which spurred its introduction and ultimate passage is available here.

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams issued the following statement after another spike in gun violence in New York City this weekend, including the killing of a one year old child in Brooklyn.

"The violence and loss that our city has seen in the last several weeks, in the last several hours, is devastating, and can leave us at a loss ourselves for how to respond and advance peace. I pray for the victims of this epidemic of gun violence, and for the families facing unimaginable pain in this moment, but I know that prayers alone are not sufficient without action.

"We cannot grow numb to the headlines on our screens or the violence in our streets. This cannot be considered normal, in our city or anywhere. It must shock us, and shock us into action that stems both the supply of guns into our communities and the many factors that lead to violence. To the people who say law enforcement is the only solution - you are wrong. To the people who say law enforcement has no role - you are wrong. We need to come together with increased commitment to the community-driven strategies we know can work and are essential to ending this senseless violence and heartbreaking loss."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams issued the following statement in response to the increased incidents of gun violence over the holiday weekend and in recent weeks. He held a press conference on the issue with community members earlier today, video of which is available here.

"This past weekend New York City saw a devastating increase in gun violence, lives lost and lives forever changed, and this phenomena repeats across the nation. My heart hurts, and I know that pain is shared around our city. While it's not enough, I offer my prayers for peace and comfort to the victims, to their families, to the communities impacted.

"But now, we hear unhelpful and unconfirmed accusations and reasonings for this violence - whether civilian to officer, civilian to civilian, officer to civilian. To blame budget reallocations, bail reforms, or banning chokeholds is a false narrative excluding the many factors leading to this moment, including a pandemic and economic crisis which have disproportionately affected these same communities.

"We cannot accept any of these as excuses. If we are going to make meaningful change, if we are going to take steps to stop violence and save lives, it needs to come from an honest conversation toward real solutions, with everyone playing their part. What I have seen and heard is not honest or helpful.

"Protecting public safety means redefining it, reimagining what we can do when police are not the entirety of our public safety strategy. It also means acknowledging that all of these issues are inextricably interconnected. What brings violence interrupters into the streets is connected to what leads protesters to occupy City Hall. And what unites all of these calls for change is that only when united, when working together, will we achieve that transformational change."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams issued the following statement in commemoration of Independence Day, the Fourth of July.

"The Fourth of July is and has long been a day of celebration for this country. For many, it is a celebration of our professed values, a reminder of our centuries of working toward a more just society. For my family, it is the day that over five decades ago, my mother arrived in this country from the tri-island state of Grenada, Carriacou & Petit-Martinique.

"This holiday is commemorated as Independence Day. But as Juneteenth reminded us just weeks ago, it was not an independence day for all.  When the Declaration of Independence was first authored, and as our country extolled the virtues of freedom and liberty, the values underpinning that document applied only to a select few. In fact, they were used to justify the legal enslavement of Africans, genocide of Native Americans, and the second-class citizenry offered to women. In 2020, we see the effects of a country still unable to reckon with dichotomy of what the holiday means. Sadly, so many are openly and defiantly determined to move us backward from any gains made. That includes the President of the United States.

"For me, on this day when I think of the pursuit of liberty, justice, equity, and of happiness - I think of the pursuit that brought my mother here fifty years ago and which continues today. While we may not enjoy our usual traditions, we can celebrate that spirit, find happiness with our families, and continue that pursuit.  Independence doesn't come solely from a declaration.  It's a process that still continues, and a renewed commitment to fighting oppression is required if we are ever to achieve the values discussed today."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams issued the following statement in response to Mayor Bill de Blasio's comments dismissing the Charter-mandated role under Ch. 58 Section 1518 of the Public Advocate to sign the property tax warrants allowing the execution of the city budget after its adoption. The Public Advocate has formally notified the Mayor and Speaker of the City Council today that he does not intend to sign the warrants under current budgetary conditions.

"I respect the Mayor's opinion, but he's been wrong before - whether in misinterpreting 50-a to prevent police accountability for the last six years, misinforming the public about instances of police misconduct over the last six weeks, or misallocating hundreds of millions of dollars in the last sixteen hours. If the Mayor would rather have a legal battle with my office than a meaningful fight to redefine public safety at moment when the city needs a real plan, it's just another instance of misplaced priorities for an administration that says we can't afford additional doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, counselors, but can only afford to hire more police."

General Counsel to the Public Advocate Elizabeth Guzman added, "Pursuant to section 1518 of the New York City Charter, property tax warrants need to be 'signed only by the public advocate and counter-signed by the city clerk.' Without his signature, the city's Department of Finance cannot collect billions in property taxes during the city's 2021 fiscal year. The Public Advocate has made clear the most egregious and potentially reconcilable issues within this budget and asks the Mayor to come to the table to meet this moment of need before the next collection cycle is set to begin."

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New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement after the New York City Council voted to adopt the FY2021 budget. He announced that he plans to prevent the execution of the budget during the final tax warrant process, under the New York City Charter  Ch. 58, Section 1518 after the budget did not include an NYPD hiring freeze or a commitment to true school safety reform.

"In a moment when New Yorkers, with the entire nation, are demanding a reimagining of public safety, a reckoning with systemic injustices and inequities, the city falls far short with a budget that misses the moment of need.

"It sends a message to New Yorkers that in a time of economic and public health devastation, the city cannot adequately fund senior services, city hospitals. or youth jobs, cannot afford to hire doctors, nurses, teachers, guidance counselors, social workers - but unquestionably needs to add over 1,000 police officers. It perpetuates the idea that the NYPD is sacrosanct and the solution is always more police, and that we must accept this. This budget reiterates that message in a failure to commit on paper to a just transition for school safety. It is one that I cannot support and will not sign off on.  "These are not my only objections in this budget, but they are the most glaring, the clearest actions that this administration could have corrected, and emblematic of such an unwillingness to commit to real transformational change that I am compelled to act in my charter mandated capacity as Public Advocate.  "This action cannot be taken lightly. But it seems that when New Yorkers raised their voices for change, when my office called for specific, tangible actions, this administration either did not listen, did not care, or did not take us seriously. Nor, it seems, did they read the charter."