1199ers were among the scores who rallied in lower Manhattan on July 29 demanding that NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) enact long-promised reforms to their stop and frisk policy. The event was organized by Communities United for Police Reform. Eight years ago, in a landmark decision, a federal judge found the NYPD liable for a pattern of unconstitutional racial profiling and stops. Black and Latino New Yorkers constituted the overwhelming majority of NYPD stop-and-frisks. Following the decision, the NYPD, New York City, and community stakeholders began mapping out a series of reforms.

The people of New York City are still waiting—even as statistics show that Black and LatinX neighborhoods are consistently subjected to most police stops and continued over policing. 1199SEIU VP Onika Shepherd was among the events speakers and emphasized that even the pandemic didn’t suppress the racist harassment of stop and frisk. “We are tired of waiting. We are tired of seeing our children and brothers and sisters in Black and LatinX communities harassed. We are tired of the injustice and the inequality,” said Shepherd. “Even during the height of the pandemic—when New Yorkers were staying home to help save lives—we continue to see Black and Brown New Yorkers subjected to a more stops and harsher policing.”

For more information visit www.changethenypd.org.

1199 Magazine | July - August 2021