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, 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

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

Yesterday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an Executive Order establishing a new Office of Community Safety , run by Deputy Mayor Renita Francois. In response to his announcement, Loyda Colón (they/them), Justice Committee Executive Director, issued the following statement: For too long, the City’s approach to New Yorkers struggling with mental health challenges has been characterized by criminalization and police intervention, an ineffective, costly and harmful response that f

Gunned down by NYPD while seeking care, Jabez is now being doubly punished with criminal charges while recovering from multiple gunshot wounds New York, NY– Following the video arraignment of 22-year-old Jabez Chakraborty , who was shot by NYPD Officers on January 26, Julie Chakraborty, the mother of Jabez Chakraborty , issued a statement from his family: “This is a nightmare. We didn’t need police, we just needed medical transport. When we called 911 for an ambulance, we ne

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, February 4, 2026 MEDIA CONTACTS: Tess Weiner, tess@justicecommittee.org , 224.213.5495 NYPD Must Fire Officers Who Unnecessarily Shot Jabez Chakraborty, Probed Immigration Status, Seized Phones by Threat Partial NYPD bodycam footage proves cops must be fully removed from mental health response Yesterday, the NYPD released partial bodyworn camera footage of Officer Tyree White shooting Jabez Chakraborty. In spite of the fact that the less than

Justice Committee responds to Jessica Tisch’s Acceptance of Appointment as Police Commissioner After running a historic, people-powered campaign for a more livable New York City, Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani’s appointment of Jessica Tisch as Police Commissioner is a rebuff of his promises to New Yorkers and a disturbing endorsement of NYPD’s ongoing violence and corruption. Within moments of her acceptance of the position, Tisch has already indicated that she will split from Ma

Justice Committee responds to the election of Zohran Mamdani We congratulate Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani and the hundreds of organizations and tens of thousands of New Yorkers who powered his historic campaign to victory and elected the first South Asian and first Muslim mayor of our city. This win demonstrates what New Yorkers can achieve when we organize together, and the overwhelming desire and need for a city in which we can all thrive. Our approach to public safety must b