NEW YORK STATE BLACK, PUERTO RICAN, HISPANIC, AND ASIAN LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS LEGISLATIVE OFFICE BUILDING ● ROOM 442-A, ALBANY, NY 12248 (518) 455-5347 ● [email protected] EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright Chairperson Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE First Vice-Chair Senator Luis Sepulveda MEMBERS OF THE BLACK, PUERTO RICAN, HISPANIC & ASIAN Second Vice-Chair LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS CALL FOR POLICING REFORM Assemblyman Victor Pichardo Secretary Senator Brian A. Benjamin NEW YORK, NY (May 28, 2020) – Over the last several days, Black Americans—and Treasurer communities of color throughout New York State and the nation—have been Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou emotionally exhausted by the consistent dehumanization of our people. Parliamentarian Assemblywoman Latrice M. Walker Chaplain In New York City, we witnessed video of a white woman feigning fear of a Black man who simply requested she follow the law. Filing a false police report is a crime. Further, ASSEMBLYMEMBERS Carl Heastie, Speaker weaponizing the use of the police out of racial bias is racist and should be considered a Carmen E. Arroyo hate crime in New York State. We are currently witnessing violence and unrest in Jeffrion L. Aubry Charles Barron Minneapolis after the brutal killing of George Floyd by now-fired police officers. And Rodneyse Bichotte there are countless examples of state-sanctioned violence—namely against Black men— Michael A. Blake perpetuated by officers across the country, with a new horrible story reaching Vivian E. Cook Marcos Crespo mainstream attention seemingly every day. Catalina Cruz Taylor Darling Maritza Davila The Members of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Carmen De La Rosa Legislative Caucus believe that we are long overdue for police reform in this country, Inez E. Dickens Erik Martin Dilan and that New York State should take the lead. The trust between officers and Charles D. Fall communities of color has eroded, and nothing short of reform can begin to rebuild that Nathalia Fernandez Mathylde Frontus trust. David F. Gantt Pamela J. Hunter Alicia L. Hyndman In New York State, we have the opportunity to demand greater accountability from law Kimberly Jean-Pierre enforcement and those who would seek to exploit them with racist intent. The Caucus Latoya Joyner Ron Kim has long-advocated for several measures that would bring equity and accountability to Walter Mosley the way we police our towns and cities. Felix Ortiz Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes N. Nick Perry We demand support for and enactment of (1) legislation that would make it a hate crime J. Gary Pretlow to issue a false 9-1-1 complaint; (2) the repeal of 50-a which allows police officer Philip Ramos Karines Reyes misconduct to be shielded from public view; (3) legislation to codify the Office of the Diana C. Richardson Special Prosecutor to investigate and prosecute all criminal cases against law Jose Rivera Robert J. Rodriguez enforcement; (4) the Police Statistics and Transparency (STAT) Act; and (5) any and all Nily Rozic legislation that would prohibit law enforcement from profiling on the basis of race, Nader J. Sayegh Al Taylor ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Clyde Vanel Jaime Williams We must seek accountability from our government if we are to maintain trust with the SENATORS communities we represent. The lives, well-being, mental, emotional and physical health Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Leader Jamaal Bailey of our people demand nothing less; thus, we call on the Governor and all our partners in Leroy Comrie government to join us in supporting these measures. Robert Jackson Anna Kaplan -- John Liu The New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus is a Monica Martinez Velmanette Montgomery sixty-two-member body of state legislators representing a quarter of residents across the Zellnor Myrie State of New York from Long Island, the metro New York City area, and upstate. Kevin S. Parker Roxanne Persaud Jessica Ramos ### Gustavo Rivera Julia Salazar James Sanders, Jr. Jose M. Serrano Kevin Thomas EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Kyle H. Ishmael, Esq. .