Over the past four years, New York City has experienced decreasing rates of crime. This is due in large part due to the investments and priorities of this Council in community resources and services. Strong, resourced communities are best able to address the root causes of inequity, conflict, and violence. Reliance on policing, surveillance, and incarceration creates a revolving door into the legal system, further destabilizing communities. Investments in education, housing, and employment are critical components to the city’s public safety plan. This Council’s
meaningful investment in local communities has reduced violence and helped create a safer city.

Despite the fact that NYPD continues to applaud its successes in reducing crime rates in New York City, the Council must not ignore NYPD’s unconstitutional policing practices and stopand-
frisk abuses. The NYPD has built a web of special response teams, task forces, and surveillance technology in order to justify a return to the level of unlawful police-citizen encounters endemic to broken windows policing. Many of the people that we represent live in heavily policed and highly surveilled communities.

Read the full testimony here.