This work comes out of the Community Safety Project, a study designed to center the knowledge, experiences and desires of those who live in heavily policed neighborhoods. Reaching over 3,300 people across all five boroughs through community-based surveys and town halls, the results of this research communicates the experiences and perspectives of New Yorkers who are often excluded from political decision-making yet are fundamentally necessary to crafting public safety solutions that offer both safety and justice.
In Memory of Carl Stubbs
This report is dedicated to the memory of Carl Stubbs, VOCAL-NY leader and a dedicated member of the Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) coalition for over ten years. Carl’s leadership supported CPR’s work to pass the Community Safety Act, win the Floyd stop-and-frisk litigation, pass the Right to Know Act, and the Safer NY Act. Carl stood side-by-side with families of New Yorkers killed by the NYPD calling for accountability and he was part of our work to reduce the size, scope, and power of the NYPD. In truth, it’s hard to recall a time when Carl wasn’t with CPR. Through it all, Carl showed up with kindness and wisdom, was joyful and made us laugh. He was dedicated to building power, to fight for what is right and not give up. He remained ever hopeful that we can and will win. One of the last CPR projects that Carl participated in was this research project and we dedicate this report to him and his vision for a safe and just future for all.
Acknowledgements
This project came to life because of the brilliance and determination of over one hundred people and organizations. The leadership team designed the project from start to finish and coordinated all aspects of the data collection and analysis and many other CPR members and partners hosted survey sites, town halls, advised on key aspects of the project and helped design and write this amazing report. And a special thanks to Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies for you generous funding of this work. We wanted to thank each and every person who made this project possible.
Leadership Team
Brooklyn Movement Center
Desis Rising Up & Moving
FIERCE
Girls for Gender Equity
Justice Committee
Make the Road New York
Public Science Project
VOCAL-NY
Advisory Board
1199 SEIU, Bronx Defenders, Common Justice, Interrupting Criminalization, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, New York Civil Liberties Union, New York Immigration Coalition, Red Hook Initiative, Street Vendors Project
Town Halls & Survey Sites
Audre Lorde Project, Henry Street Settlement’s Boys and Girls Republic, Bronx Defender, Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for Court Innovation, Central Family Life Center Staten Island, Interrupting Criminalization, Legal Aid, NAACP LDF, New York Anti-Violence Project, NYCLU, Red Hook Initiative, RISE of Staten Island & True 2 Life
Researchers and Survey Coordinators
Hadeel Misha (Arab American Association), Rahwa Haile, Michael Higgins, Grace McMickens, Anthonine Pierre, Maya Williams, Karyn Wyche, Darian X (Brooklyn Movement Center), Will Depoo, Sherry Padilla (Desis Rising Up & Moving), Barbie, Covella, Gaviko, Jah, Milkshake, Safira, Shania M., Mustafa Sullivan, Tatty, Ayo Taveras, Tiffany (FIERCE), Damala Denny, Michelle Grier, Charlotte Pope (Girls for Gender Equity), London Arnold, Georgina Capetillo, Loyda Colón, Helen Guzman, Steve Kohut, Caitlin Toro, Mary Ellen Toro (Justice Committee), Mariana Avelar, Migdalia Colon, Kendra Cornejo, Silvia Escobar, Kesi Foster, Alexis Guerrero, Sarah Landes, Arly Ramos (Make the Road NY), Josh Adler, Mica Baum-Tuccillo, Priscilla Bustamante, Amour Castillo, Nicolette Dakin, Micaela Linder, Britney Moriera, Cristina Onea, Brett Stoudt, Maya Tellman, Michael Williams (Public Science Project), Obi Afriyie, Faith Anderson, Betty Bernhart, Dylana Bourne, Sherri Harden, Catherine McBride, Karla Osorno, Xiao Sun, Knowledge Westbrooks (Red Hook Initiative), Alyssa Aguilera, Nick Encalada-Malinowski Roger Headley, Jon McFarlane, Luis Bolanos Ordonez, Jovada Senhouse, Carl Stubbs, Kareem Watson, Keli Young (VOCAL-NY), Shamira Turner
Designers
Micaela Linder & Josh Adler
Writers
Brett Stoudt, Ileana Mendez-Penate, Micaela Linder, Josh Adler, & Marc Krupanski
Interpretation & Translation
Miluska Martínez Sarson, Yimeng Wang, & Judy Zhu
CPR Staff & Project Coordinators
Ronnette Cox, Rama Issa Ibrahim, Joo-Hyun Kang, Julian Lui, Ileana Mendez-Penate, Adilka Pimental, Brett Stoudt, & Maya Williams