Community groups, officials rally for ratification of police transparency legislation
They're calling for the City Council to pass the "How Many Stops Act," which will scrutinize how, where, when, why and with whom the NYPD is stopping and interacting with people daily.
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Community groups and elected officials rallied at City Hall on Wednesday to demand the passage of police transparency legislation.
Protesters called for the City Council to pass the "How Many Stops Act," which, if passed, will scrutinize how, where, when, why and with whom the NYPD is stopping and interacting with people daily.
Advocates and community members have been voicing their concerns over the past few months about the interactions between NYPD officers and New Yorkers.
"It is something that thousands of New York have asked for for decades," said Councilmember Alexa Aviles. "They asked for this info, [a] small part of accountability New Yorkers deserve."
The bill would require NYPD officers to document all street stops, investigative encounters, and searches done on and with New Yorkers.
Advocates say this bill, developed in March by the Communities United for Police Reform, could be a massive advancement in community safety by forcing accountability and improving communication.
"Often times, people say, 'Are you legislating on emotion or are you legislating solutions?' Well, we need the data in order to bring about the policy changes that we need, and accountability and transparency are not too much to ask for," said Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa.
A spokesperson from the NYPD provided the following statement, in part:
"Reporting on these encounters would require officers to take time away from responding to other calls or conditions to fill out detailed reports for every interaction with a member of the public."
