The document discusses the history of anti-police protests in New York City and current groups involved in advocating for police reform. It notes that New York has a long history of police injustice dating back to the 1943 Harlem Riots and 1964 Harlem Riot. More recent protests have been led by groups like the National Action Network in the 1990s and in response to George Floyd's killing in 2020. Current groups advocating for issues like defunding the police, allocating funds to community programs instead of policing, and holding police accountable include VOCAL-NY, Correct Crisis Today NYC, Communities United for Police Reform, and Million Hoodies. The document analyzes the tactics and opposition faced by these groups and notes

1. Policing
Joel Perez, Admir Kolenovic, Alexander Brooks, Felicia Tallon,
Wilmarie Cuesta, Irmhara Brizeus

2. History of Anti-Police Protests in New York
New York City has a rich history of violent and gruesome police injustice which has made it the one of the most important places for
activism and movements to spawn. The city also has a deep history of violent crime while also having the largest police budget in the
entire world.
The Harlem Riots of 1943 were animated by a White Police Officer shooting and wounding a World War 2 veteran.
The shooting of 15 year old James Powell by a white police man lead to the 1964 Harlem Riot.
Protests against police killings in the 1990’s led by Reverend Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.
In 2020 the brutal killing of George Floyd caused mass protests and riots all over the country with New York being a lead source for
police misconduct and abuse.

3. Why are the Police such a big
issue?

4. What groups are involved now? Individual groups? Coalitions?
● VOCAL-NY (statewide grassroots membership organization)
VOCAL-NY has organized protests and petitions to try and defund police and invest in communities.
● Correct crisis today nyc (coalition)
Correct crisis today nyc is a coalition who focuses on mental health in nyc, they are strong advocates that police
should not be called to mental health emergencies because they don’t have the proper training to deal with situations
like that.

5. ● Communities United for Police Reform (coalition)
Communities United for Police Reform organizes protests to fights
to end discriminatory policing practices in New York
● Million hoodies (human rights organization)
Million hoodies is an organization who advocates against gun
violence, they are working towards safety and justice for all
communities.

6. Breakdown of sub-issues Have they changed? How?
The main-issues and sub-issues have had incremental
changes throughout the years. Policies and issues that were
being discussed during the Civil Rights Movement by activists
groups like SNCC (The Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee), the Black Panthers and Young Lords are still at
the forefront of conversation, even today, by modern-day
activist groups like the Justice Committee, Brooklyn
Movement Center and Black Lives Matter.
Sadly, things have not really changed that much with issues
like the under funding of public and community programs, in
exchange for the over funding of the NYPD.

7. Prominent sub-issues
● Prominent sub-issues
● Reallocating from the police to Community
programs
● The restructuring of the police department
● More police accountability
● addressing the racial and class inequalities of
policing
● The use of police in schools
● The use of police during Mental Health crisis

8. Prominent sub-issues part 2
● Homeless policing
● Transit policing
● Police brutality
● Criminal justice reform

9. By investing in low income
communities, Vocal NY
helps to fight against issues
and give power to the people.
Traditional Community-
Based organizing
Direct-Action Aids Activism
Black-Led Social Movements
for Racial Justice
What kinds of technics are the
groups using? Who opposes them?
CCIT has been able to advocated for ,
and ensured implementation of, a
comprehensive crisis intervention
training program within the NYPD.
Investment impacted communities
Media utilization
Education campaigns
Services
CORRECT CRISIS
INTERVENTION TODAY
Opposition tactics
Community policing
Police brutality
Unlawful force

10. The NYCLU works toward its
mission by advocating for all
New Yorkers to have equal
access to opportunities and the
equal ability to participate in
government decisions that affect
them.
Educating about rights
Going to court
Legislative bills
Intimidating activist
Violence
Arrests
courts
NEW YORK CIVIL
LIBERTIES UNION
Opposition tactics
The legal aid society works to
provide equity and opportunity for
people who need help.
Reforming law & policy
Providing services
Eduction
Community

11. Does the organizing/advocacy across sub-issues seem
connected or disjointed?
Having more than one
group focus on issues
better help the
communities affected.
There are issues like over
policing and brutality, but
these organizations are
fighting for the people.
Giving access to services
and education on how they
can help themselves.
They give people the
opportunity to find a
group/ organization to
better suit their needs.

12. Does the organizing/advocacy across sub-issues seem
connected or disjointed?
Vocal NY
CCNIT
NYCLU
The Legal Aid Society
On the other hand, these
groups
Vocal NY, CCIT, NYCLU,
and the legal aid society
have different focuses and
strategies.

13. What progress has been made so far?
The truth is that it has been hard to progress in the battle against abusive policing
and just in general against policing. In 2021 there was supposed to be budget cuts
however they were very miniscule and mostly affected civilian jobs. Despite this
there have been strides.
Following the George Floyd protests, there have been many promises from the
NYPD and Mayor Eric Adams to reform and deliver on many bills/laws that will
reform the police.
- 2020 - Now: what promises were made by the NYPD and Mayor?

14. Promises (2020)
(Compiled by: City & State New York)
● Defunding the police
● Disbanding the NYPD Anti-Crime Unit
● Public oversight of surveillance technology act
● Limiting the use of chokeholds by police
● Better officer accountability
Despite not delivering on their promises fully, the fact that the NYPD has
acknowledged that these are things they must implement/work on will make it a lot
easier to hold it to them and even hold them accountable for when they do not deliver
on their promises.

15. One promise that was kept however, was the promise to repeal section 50-a.
- “Last summer, our state repealed 50-a, one of the worst police secrecy laws in the country, and required the NYPD
to release previously hidden personnel records, that included officer misconduct and abuse cases.” (Quart, 2021)
- Prevented judges, lawyers and civilians from seeing and using footage that could possibly hold police officers
accountable
- An example would be when 18 year old Ramarley Graham was shot by NYPD officer Richard Haste, officers claimed
that Graham was armed (turned out he wasn’t) and when his mother requested footage after a grand jury decided
not to indict Haste, she was denied by the police department (her freedom of information law (FOIL) request was
denied specifically) who cited New York’s civil rights law section 50-a.
50-a Repeal