Ten years ago, JFREJ and our partners in the Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) coalition took on the NYPD's unconstitutional stop and frisk regime. Since then, we have won every legislative battle we've fought in the city council on this issue — from the Community Safety Act, to the Right To Know Act, to the How Many Stops Act.

In 2013, we passed the Community Safety Act, co-sponsored by then-council members Brad Lander & Jumaane Williams. Then-Mayor Bloomberg vetoed it, but in a stunning defeat, the Council overrode his veto.

The Right To Know Act, which consisted of bills that had been cut out of the Community Safety Act in negotiations, took longer. Years, actually. We didn’t have a strong enough progressive bloc in the council. To make matters worse, one council member betrayed our coalition and the council’s then-speaker made a backroom deal with the NYPD. But finally, in 2017, after three years of organizing, we passed an incomplete version of The Right To Know Act.

We spent the next few years building power, electoral muscle, and focusing our demands on cutting funding from the bloated NYPD budget and investing it in our communities. We elected a whole slew of socialists, reformers, and progressives to the City Council, including champions on this exact issue.

Last year, we took the pieces of legislation that were cut – first from the Community Safety Act and then from the Right To Know Act – and created the How Many Stops Act. Co-sponsors Alexa Avilés & Crystal Hudson introduced it, and CPR members lobbied the council, made calls, and organized rallies. Last month, we passed the How Many Stops Act!

But then, two weeks ago, in the midst of consistently spreading half-truths, mischaracterizations, and even outright lies about the legislation, Mayor Adams vetoed the How Many Stops Act.

So once again, CPR members got to work: we called, emailed, tweeted at council members, urging them to stand up to the mayor. And yesterday, WE WON: the City Council voted to override the mayor’s veto. The mayor’s misinformation campaign backfired so badly that we picked up votes; more council members voted to override Adams’ veto than voted for the original bill!

The How Many Stops Act will finally ensure full transparency of all NYPD stops and investigative encounters. There is still so much more to do to build the caring and just New York City we envision and deserve, but this win brings us closer to building a safer city for all New Yorkers, where no one is unjustly targeted and endangered by the NYPD. And with this victory, we have finally closed an important chapter that began with the passage of the Community Safety Act over a decade ago