Iris was THE OG—the matriarch to families whose loved ones were murdered by police, not just in NYC but across the country and around the world. For over 3 decades, she never gave up the fight against police violence and brutality. While this is devastating news, we know she's being welcomed by the ancestors. Iris’s son #AnthonyBaez was killed by NYPD Officer Francis Livot in 1994 with an already-banned chokehold – 20 years before #EricGarner was killed in the same way. Antho

Part of the Meeting the Moment compilation, curated by Building Beyond Policing and Democratizing Justice Initiative. Read the entire issue: As the United States careens toward authoritarianism, the role of law enforcement as an enforcer of a specific political agenda — backed by ever-expanding powers, funding, militarization, and surveillance infrastructure — has never been clearer. But this ominous trend is not limited to federal law enforcement under the Trump regime; it m

By Ben Feuerherd in Gothamist Aug 13, 2026 Elected officials and police reform advocates on Thursday called on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to rein in what they call a continuation of broken windows policing under his administration, after they watched criminal court arraignments across the city over several days this week. City Councilmember Sandy Nurse joined the advocates in front of Manhattan Supreme Court on Centre Street, and said she would keep the pressure on City Hall to ena

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, August 13, 2026 Community Groups Decry Escalating Low-Level Arrests Targeting People of Color Under Mayor Mamdani Advocates call for an end to harmful Broken Windows Policing, which has continued to intensify in 2026 New York – On Thursday, community groups, among them Court Watch NYC, Drug Policy Alliance, Freedom Agenda, Justice Committee, The Legal Aid Society, SURJ NYC, VOCAL-NY and others, released data from a week of observing arraignmen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, June 30, 2026 Defeat of Proposed NYPD Headcount Increase is a Victory for New Yorkers Justice Committee responds to removal of proposed 580 new cops in FY27 budget deal Today, the New York City Council and Mayor Mamdani reached a handshake agreement on the FY27 city budget. In a major movement victory, championed by a large coalition of grassroots, legal, advocacy and civil rights organizations New Yorkers, the agreement does not include any exp

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, June 25, 2026 70 Organizations Deliver Letter to Mayor Mamdani: Reject NYPD Expansion, Invest in Care Days before budget deadline, groups, electeds, and community members urge Mayor to deliver on his campaign promises & public safety vision New York, NY – In a show of widespread, unified opposition to the direction of the Mamdani administration's public safety policy, 70 organizations delivered a letter to the mayor today, urging his him to re

By Liam Quigley and Elizabeth Kim Dozens of community groups sent Mayor Zohran Mamdani a letter on Thursday calling for him to scale back the NYPD’s crackdown on low-level offenses. The groups, largely made up of criminal justice advocates, criticized Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch’s focus on “quality of life” arrests, arguing the approach criminalizes poverty. The letter also called on Mamdani to halt plans to hire 580 new police officers, and said the money should instea

June 2026 Mayor Zohran Mamdani City Hall New York, NY 10007 Cc: First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan, Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Renita Francois, Office of Community Safety Commissioner Ayesha Delany-Brumsey, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch Subject: Opposition to NYPD Headcount Increase and Expansion of Broken Windows Policing Dear Mayor Mamdani, Your election as mayor gave us hope for a genuine break from the failed policing-first approach that has criminalized our communi

My name is Samy Feliz. I am representing the Justice Committee, a grassroots organization committed to ending police violence and systemic racism in New York City. I was born and raised in the Bronx and Washington Heights. To me, public safety is very personal. My brother, Allan Feliz, was killed by NYPD Lt. Jonathan Rivera and Officers Michelle Almanzar and Edward Barrett in 2019. Lt. Rivera has since been promoted, despite a documented record of 40 misconduct allegations an

My name is Christine Henson. I am the mother of Andrew Henson, who is affected by autism and limited speech abilities. When he was 16, Andrew was assaulted by the NYPD. It is disappointing that Mayor Mamdani’s executive budget invests approximately $12B in the NYPD, increases the officer headcount by 580, and increases funding to the failed B-HEARD program while failing to make real investments in services New Yorkers need. In 2018, I requested a speech evaluation at Andrew

New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, ostensibly a police watchdog, cedes much power to police leadership. Experts say the mayor has the power to boost its independence. By Piper French New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, the watchdog agency that oversees the New York Police Department, consistently touts its independence—“independent agency” is the first descriptor on all of the board’s official communications. The board, which investigates instances

Suit calls Commissioner Tisch’s decision to overturn her own deputy commissioner’s guilty verdict an abuse of discretion New York, NY – Today, the family of Allan Feliz asked the New York State Supreme Court to order NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch to fire the police officer who killed him more than six years ago. In an oral argument on the landmark lawsuit filed by the family and Justice Committee in October 2025, their lawyers argued that Tisch abused her discretion when sh

New York, NY –– Today, elected officials joined the family of Allan Feliz, advocates, and community members to call on NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch to fire repeat offender Lt. Jonathan Rivera and Mayor Zohran Mamdani to ensure she does so. The rally was organized in response to a troubling plea deal offered to Rivera by the Civilian Complaint Review Board that would allow him to once again avoid meaningful discipline, despite his documented pattern of abuse, including kill

May 11, 2026 Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch New York Police Department 1 Police Plaza New York, NY 10038 Mayor Zohran Mamdani City Hall New York, NY 10007 cc: Jonathan Darche, Executive Director, Civilian Complaint Review Board Re: Call for the Immediate Firing of Lt. Jonathan Rivera Dear Commissioner Tisch and Mayor Mamdani, We, the 20 undersigned New York City, State and Congressional elected leaders, write to call for the immediate termination of Lt. Jonathan Rivera fro

Published Thursday, May 7, 2026 By Tandy Lau Lt. Jonathan Rivera, who NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch refused to fire for killing Washington Heights man Allan Feliz, pleaded guilty last week to an Abuse of Authority allegation for unlawful summons from a 2023 incident. He will likely lose 20 vacation days, but keep his job after a separate substantiated misconduct complaint for an offense potentially punishable by termination. Previous calls to fire Rivera stem from him fatal

Ahead of Mamdani’s executive budget, coalition demands meaningful authority over NYPD, investments in services, and binding commitments for change NEW YORK — Today, a coalition of almost 50 organizations, including mental health providers, civil rights groups, legal services, religious, community, youth and immigration organizations cosigned a letter to Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Renita Francois, providing a blueprint for the Office of Community

Dear Mayor Mamdani, We, the undersigned, 48 organizations, write to share feedback, concerns and recommendations as you continue to develop the Office of Community Safety (OCS), move towards its expansion into a full Department of Community Safety (DCS), and further shape your administration’s approach to addressing the interconnected issues of homelessness, substance use and unmet mental health needs in ways that increase access to care and improve safety for all. For far to

New York, NY – This morning, NYPD Lt. Jonathan Rivera avoided being fired for harming a New Yorker yet again, despite a record of 40 misconduct allegations and 7 lawsuits. In a shocking reversal, the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), which was on course to prosecute him and seek termination, offered Rivera a plea deal for his latest misconduct - issuing an unlawful summons. The deal means Rivera will avoid a discipline trial and is merely being docked vacation days. Thi

Police Union’s Lawsuit is a Brazen Attack on Transparency Wins Rollbacks to 50-a would endanger communities and make police discipline even more difficult Yesterday, the Police Benevolents Union (PBA) filed an outrageous lawsuit against the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) over the release of police misconduct records. In response, Loyda Colón (they/them), Executive Director of Justice Committee, issued the following statement: "The PBA’s baseless lawsuit against the CC

STATEMENT ON THE PASSAGE OF INTROS 1-B AND 175-B Yesterday, the New York City Council voted to pass Intros 1-B and 175-B, two bills that task the NYPD with establishing anti-protest buffer zones surrounding houses of worship and educational institutions. Both are blatant attacks against pro-Palestine protest and protected dissent at large. Despite the passage of these bills, we celebrate the tireless grassroots mobilization that has severely diminished their draconian reach a