Elected Officials Speak Out Against Hateful Language By NYPD Officers Exposed On Facebook

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
December 6, 2011

Contact: Aja Worthy-Davis at (212) 788-7081

Elected Officials Speak Out Against Hateful Language By NYPD Officers Exposed On Facebook
Outrage Follows Police Officers Found Making Disparaging Comments Concerning West Indian American Day Parade, Community

New York, NY— Individuals affiliated with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) have been found making offensive and disrespectful comments on the social networking website Facebook regarding the West Indian American Day Parade in Central Brooklyn, an annual multiday event that unfolds over the Labor Day weekend.

In the Facebook group, entitled “No More West Indian Day Detail”, posters were found referring to parade participants as “animals”, “savages”, and “filth”, and the parade overall as a “scheduled riot”. In fact, the language was so inflammatory that some posters sent out the warning that it could be exposed to the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau.

In early November 2011, Council Member Letitia James joined State Senator Eric Adams, Assembly Member Hakeem Jeffries, and Council Member Jumaane Williams to urge Mayor Bloomberg to appoint an independent commission to investigate corruption within the NYPD. This request followed a number of recent well-publicized scandals involving New York City police officers including ticket-fixing, evidence tampering, and drug-planting; as well as overall policies such as unlawful surveillance activity and discriminatory stop and frisk tactics.

“These comments are deeply bigoted, and suggest that these officers view their duty as some kind of war against the communities they have sworn to protect,” said Council Member Letitia James. “This attitude mars the integrity of the department and is reminiscent of a time before community policing was established as NYPD policy. When officers suggest ‘dropping a bomb’ on a community, I have to question not only their commitment to their duties, but the degree to which they value basic human life.”

“Such deeply offensive remarks don’t belong anywhere, anytime in our City,” said Comptroller John C. Liu. “The Officers who were responsible for these comments don’t represent the NYPD, but do reinforce concerns about biased policing. The NYPD needs to get the bottom of this.”

“The comments made by these police officers are disgraceful and need to be investigated immediately,” said Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito. “I know that these views do not represent the entirety of the police force, but unfortunately, this only serves to reinforce distrust of the police among communities of color.”

“I cannot say that today's report surprises me, based on the growing avalanche of these stories coming from every corner of New York City,” said Council Member Jumaane Williams. “Yet, Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Kelly have maintained their deafening silence towards this issue. These comments come out in the wake of other concerning statements from NYPD officers, including a racially motivated arrest on Staten Island in April where an officer said he ‘fried another n-----’, as well as racist language captured in wiretaps during the ticket-fixing investigation in the Bronx.”

The 2011 West Indian American Day Parade saw a total of nine shooting victims, with four of those victims shot along the parade’s route. Those who lost their life include Denise Gay, 56, who was shot while sitting on a stoop with her daughter. Mayor Michael Bloomberg blamed the violence on gun-accessibility.

WHO: Council Member Letitia James
NYC Comptroller John Liu
Public Advocate Bill De Blasio (Representative Kirsten Foy)
Representative Yvette Clarke (Representative Latrice Walker)
Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito
Council Member Jumaane Williams
Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez
Council Member Robert Jackson
Council Member Brad Lander


WHEN: December 7, 2011
1:00 PM

WHERE: steps of City Hall

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PA de Blasio and CM James Join MoveOn.Org Demand Target To Stop Donating To Anti-LGBT Election

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 10, 2010

PUBLIC ADVOCATE DE BLASIO, COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA JAMES, AND MOVEON.ORG DEMAND TARGET STOP SPENDING CORPORATE DOLLARS IN ELECTIONS

Protest comes following retailer’s $150,000 donation to anti-LGBT gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota

NEW YORK – Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, City Council Member Letitia James and MoveOn.org held a rally today in front of Target’s flagship Brooklyn store to protest the retailer’s recent use of corporate funds to influence elections. Target is one of the first American corporations to take advantage of Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, which rolled back long standing restrictions on corporate spending in elections.

The retailer gave $150,000 to an independent organization backing Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer who is a fierce opponent of same-sex marriage, is a supporter of Arizona’s new immigration laws, and has introduced legislation that would result in sex offenders being chemically castrated.

“We have a very simple message for corporations like Target when it comes to our democracy: hands off,” said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. “With 85 days until the November election, we need to build a movement to prevent corporate money from dominating our elections. I commend MoveOn for working here and in Washington to clean up our political system.”

“Today I stand with Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, MoveOn.org and others to call on corporations to refrain from unrestricted spending on elections,” said Council Member Letitia James. “We hold corporations such as Target accountable, and we expect businesses in our community to fight against corruption when making donations to political campaigns. The community’s voice will be heard.”

“MoveOn and other progressive organizations are joining together as the Other 98% to invigorate a large grassroots movement across the country to Fight Washington Corruption and restore our Democracy,” said Shawn Marie Walsh, Council Coordinator of MoveOn Brooklyn.

After weeks of negotiations with the Public Advocate’s office, financial powerhouse Goldman Sachs last week agreed to amend its political contribution policy and not spend money in elections. Building on this success, the Public Advocate has also launched a campaign demanding Google live up to its self-professed policy of transparency and join its technology company peers by fully disclosing its political spending.

More than one hundred protestors gathered outside the retailer to call on Target to refrain from the unrestricted spending on elections made possible by the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling. Organizers from the Public Advocate office staged a phone-a-thon in front of the Brooklyn store, helping shoppers call Target’s corporate headquarters from the street to protest the recent political spending. MoveOn.org gathered support for its Fight Washington Corruption pledge (fightwashingtoncorruption.com), which the Public Advocate endorsed.

Contact: Wiley Norvell, Office of the Public Advocate, (212) 669-4813 Shawn Marie Walsh, MoveOn.org Brooklyn, (917) 783-9431

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Things We May Have Neglected To Mention

State Senator Adams 2010 Census Rally

State Senator Eric Adams is hosting a 2010 Census Rally on Sunday, March 14, 2010, 4PM at Medgar Evers College.


Diversity Lens Encourages Students To Embrace Diversity Through Art

Diversity Lens is a pilot program in partnership with the NYC Department of Education placed in seven high schools around New York City. This program, designed to broaden student's eyes to the diversity within themselves and around them, will allow for them to better express the diversity within their communities and cultures through photography and text. The program will culminate with an exhibit exploring the beautiful diversity of New York City. Diversity Lens is part of a larger campaign, Hate Hurts-NY, which was created to encourage to New York City youth to embrace inclusiveness, and understand the negative impact of seemingly harmless hate speech and other acts of hate. For more information, place contact the Jewish Community Relations Council of NY at (212) 983-4800.

City Point Holds MWBE Info Session

Downtown Brooklyn's City Point, a project of the Albee Development, will bring hundreds of apartments and a large shopping center to the eastern end of the Fulton Mall. The development is in Phase 1A of the overall plan, and will consist of a 50,000 square feet, and four-story retail development along Fulton Avenue (the site of the old Albee Square Mall). The upcoming information session will provide the Minority and Women Owned Business (MWBE) contracting community, local workforce and community leaders a briefing on opportunities related to this project and the qualification process. Those interested in bidding on the City Point project are strongly encouraged to attend. RSVP by registering at www.crescentconsult.com.