Press Room

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement regarding the recent incident captured on viral video in which Amy Cooper, a white woman, called 911 and made false statements about Christian Cooper, a black man, in Central Park.

The Public Advocate further discussed the incident in a press conference today.

"I'm not okay. "It's jarring, it's traumatizing, to see on camera what we know people of more color frequently experience, unseen on video. We know that far too often, looking 'dangerous' or 'threatening' is synonymous with being black, and what we saw on that video was someone taking that coded language and making it plain, comfortable in her own privilege that she could assert over someone with less. This woman's conduct is egregious, and lays bare a longstanding pattern of the criminalization of black men in our so-called progressive City. We can't brush off or minimize this incident as an isolated occurrence when there are 'bigger fish to fry.' When the NYPD is dismissive of both aggressive overpolicing in black and brown communities, and the valid complaints and fears of those same communities, they prop up the privilege that enables these incidents, exacerbating the disparity in enforcement while denying accountability and consequences that should come as a result." "I am glad the Commission on Human Rights is investigating the incident, an investigation which should be carried out to the fullest extent. Like others who have filed false police reports or misused New York City's resources, she should be fined at minimum for her actions, which were plainly racist and potentially dangerous. Before anyone dismisses the risks of calling law enforcement on a black man, they should look to Minneapolis on Monday, to Staten Island six years ago, to the many incidents we've seen on video and the countless that we don't. "I'm not okay, and many systems and powers in place seem to be okay with that- even prefer it that way."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement in observance of Memorial Day, during the 3:00PM National Moment of Remembrance.

"Today, we pause to honor the Americans in uniform who have made immense sacrifices on behalf of our country, and remember those who were killed in that service. We owe them our deep gratitude and respect- not just through our words of thanks, but by upholding the promises made to military members and their families. We must be able to separate out specific military actions, which I and many often oppose, from the people who answered the call to service. Like many Americans, I have family members who have served in the United States military, and I am proud of them for their dedication and resolve.

"This year, we will be unable to show our gratitude or pay tribute to fallen members of our military with grand parades or large ceremonies. It is all the more critical, then, that we each take this time to offer remembrance and respect to those who have dedicated, and lost, their lives in service of this nation."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement in observance of Eid al-Fitr, which begins Saturday evening in the Muslim community.

"I would like to wish my Muslim brothers and sisters Eid Mubarak, as the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end. This year, though the breaking of the fast may look different as we remain in our own homes, the spirit of celebration remains. In this time, it is critical to support one another through hardship, and Eid al-Fitr is a reminder, regardless of  personal creed, to serve and uplift our neighbors. Throughout this pandemic, I have seen community supporting community, New Yorkers helping New Yorkers, and have been proud to stand with the Muslim community in service of those in need throughout our city. We should endeavor to extend the lessons and principles of Ramadan, of charity, self-reformation, community service, beyond the month itself.

I hope Ramadan was a meaningful, spiritual experience for all who practice Islam, and that Eid al-Fitr is a time of joy."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement on the racial disparity in the impact of the COVID-19 public health crisis after new state data showed significantly higher rates of antibodies in lower income communities of more color throughout New York City.

"Today's data once again confirms what we already knew, and what I've stated repeatedly -New York's lower income neighborhoods of more color are epicenters within the epicenter of this crisis. This devastating outcome is the result of delayed and inadequate responses by the city, state, and federal government that put New Yorkers with less privilege at greater risk on the frontlines without a plan for protection, and perpetuate long-standing systemic failures.

"We know more people will continue to contract and lose their lives to this illness at disproportionate rates unless we expand and expedite efforts to combat the virus in these communities. While I'm glad to see the Governor now take additional steps to address these disparities, it does not make up for lost time or lost lives."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement in response to Mayor Bill de Blasio's announcement of a revised approach to social distancing enforcement intended to limit summonses, after data showed deep racial disparities in enforcement and cases of aggressive over-policing surfaced.

"After more than a month of pressure from our office and many others, I'm relieved that the administration is acting to reduce the unequal over policing in social distancing enforcement that we predicted, warned against, and offered alternatives to. More masks and fewer summonses are definitely a positive step. It is also heartening to hear that this effort will begin to push education as the integral tool to compliance. It will mean fewer summonses, fewer arrests, and thankfully for the administration, fewer viral videos. While this new approach may finally be the "lighter touch" that the administration had claimed in recent days, we still need more forward movement. As we have seen with marijuana, lowering the overall number of enforcement actions is not the same as reducing the racial disparities in those actions.  

"Any reset of social distancing enforcement efforts need to be driven not by police, but as our office has consistently called for, by community leaders and credible messengers such as the Crisis Management System (Cure Violence Groups) in the Office of Neighborhood Safety. We also need to see other non-law enforcement agencies engage in a holistic community approach aimed at education and resources- many have the capacity to do so, particularly those with city vehicles. 

"As the weather gets warmer, I hope these are facts and policies the Mayor and Commissioner can acknowledge and support. Our city is depending on us all."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams today announced Esmeralda Simmons, Esq., former executive director of the Medgar Evers College Center for Law and Social Justice, as his appointment to the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), the nation's largest independent police oversight entity. This is the first appointment to the oversight body by a Public Advocate since the board's inception in 1993, following a 2019 City Charter revision which gave the Office of Public Advocate an appointment to the entity.

Under the charter amendment, which was overwhelmingly approved by voters in November 2019, the Public Advocate was authorized to designate an appointee to the fifteen member board. Public Advocate Williams, who has a long history of working for better policing and fighting to improve transparency and accountability, was strongly supportive of the amendment.

"Esmeralda Simmons has decades of experience in working for truth, no matter who tells it, justice, no matter who it is for or against, and I'm proud to name her as the first-ever appointee to the Civilian Complaint Review Board by the Office of Public Advocate," said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. "Like this office, the CCRB is a watchdog, holding people and systems to account, and Esmeralda Simmons knows the systemic injustices in our law enforcement, seen today in the disparity in COVID-19 enforcement and seen for decades in cases that have come before the CCRB. I know she will be a powerful, fair voice for oversight."

"By working to hold members of the New York City Police Department accountable, the Civilian Complaint Review Board plays an incomparable role in the relationship between the police and civilians," said Esmeralda Simmons. "I am honored to have been appointed to serve in this capacity and look forward to drawing on my skills and experiences to advance justice in the City of New York."

Esmeralda Simmons is an accomplished lawyer and public servant who has spent decades fighting for human and civil rights on the municipal, state, and federal levels. Simmons founded, and served as executive director of, the Medgar Evers College Center for Law and Social Justice, a community-based racial justice advocacy center that focuses on legal work and research. Through the Center, she provided community organizations with legal counsel and research assistance.

Before founding and directing the Center for Law and Social Justice, Simmons served as First Deputy Commissioner at the New York State Division of Human Rights, where she developed and led the implementation of policy in support of New Yorkers' human and civil rights, and as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of New York.

Simmons has served as counsel or co-counsel on numerous major federal Voting Rights Act cases and has secured victories before the United States Supreme Court. She is a member of the Metropolitan Black Bar and American Bar associations, Ile Ase, Inc., and the New York Voting Rights Consortium. Simmons is a graduate of Hunter College and Brooklyn Law School.

For more information on today's CCRB appointments, click here.