Vera Applauds New York City Council Proposal to Cut $1 Billion from NYPD’s FY21 Budget

Friday evening, Speaker Corey Johnson and several members of the New York City Council publicly committed to passing an FY21 budget with $1 billion less for the NYPD. We're proud to see our City Council listen and respond to the demands of tens of thousands of New Yorkers calling for an end to police violence and to hold the NYPD accountable for its failure to protect Black lives.

The NYPD's proposed operating budget of $5.9 billion, with an additional $5.4 billion in fringe, pensions, and payouts from other parts of the City's budget, totals over $11 billion a year. It’s by far the biggest and most bloated police department budget in the country. Cutting the budget by $1 billion while still ensuring public safety is not only possible, it’s necessary to invest in the social services and supports that make our communities truly safe. Over the past five years, crime has declined in New York City by every meaningful measure. Yet majority Black neighborhoods continue to be policed at higher rates, with more summonses, tickets, and arrests made per capita than in majority white areas.

We call upon Mayor de Blasio to join this commitment. The time for ending over-enforcement and ensuring police accountability in New York City is long overdue. We look forward to working with the City Council to pass a budget on July 1 that cuts $1 billion from the NYPD and invests that money where it belongs—in our communities.

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