Join JFREJ and Communities United For Police Reform for a day trip to Albany to lobby for important police accountability legislation: the police STAT act and a special prosecutor for police crimes. It's fun and exciting, especially if you haven't seen our State government up close before. Chartered buses will leave from Union Square, take us up to Albany together, and bring us back at the end of the day. Here's what we're fighting for: Police STAT The Police Statistics and Transparency (“Police-­‐STAT”) Act would allow the state to capture and publicly report vital information about policing. Federal law enforcement officials, criminal justice experts and communities across the country have recognized that the lack of collection and reporting of policing data by states is a national problem that jeopardizes accountability, justice and public safety. Yet, there is no state or federal requirement to address this. It leaves a void in the ability to understand the impact of policing on communities, and how policing can be improved to advance justice and safety. Like other states, New York lacks comprehensive data collection and reporting requirements, leaving the state with no public accounting of police activity – from routine activity to even the number of people killed during a law enforcement encounter. Possessing comprehensive data to fully understand policing and its impact is vital to conversations about reform, justice and public safety. It’s time for transparency. Special Prosecutor There has been a historic and systemic failure by the criminal justice system to hold police officers accountable when they unjustly kill – a failure that continues into the present day. Given the challenges in New York and across the nation in prosecuting unjust civilian deaths by law enforcement, and the crisis in public confidence this has brought about, it is imperative to support legislation that aims to ensure fair and thorough investigations, and when warranted, effective prosecutions in these tragic incidents. This legislation is an important step towards remedying such failures, advancing New York toward truly equal justice. This bill is an important step to codify and strengthen the existing executive order, No. 147, which appoints the New York State Attorney General as the special prosecutor in cases where law enforcement officers are involved in the deaths of civilians. This bill provides the Attorney General’s office with jurisdiction in all cases of police killings and deaths in custody, memorializing and strengthening the authority provided by the executive order. If enacted, this bill will aid New York families in securing justice for the deaths of their loved ones at the hands of police or in police custody. Police-community relations cannot be truly addressed without advancing transparency and accountability for police departments. Please RSVP below and join us!