“Keeping All Communities Safe”
Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) aims to build a lasting movement that promotes public safety and policing practices based on cooperation and respect – not discriminatory targeting and harassment. The members, supporters and partners in this campaign come from all 5 boroughs, from all walks of like and include many of those most unfairly targeted by the NYPD.
CPR publicly launched in February 2012, bringing together grassroots community organizing groups, policy organizations, legal organizations, research projects, communications experts and others – all united to develop and implement a unified campaign to end discriminatory and abusive NYPD practices. CPR is rooted in an historical understanding and experience that truly addressing abusive NYPD policies and practices requires the long-term coordination of major efforts, across and within sectors throughout NYC.
Guiding Vision
CPR envision a transformed New York City in which community safety does not come at the expense of human rights, impacted communities are able to hold police accountable for harm, and New Yorkers achieve safety with respect for dignity and rights of all. CPR’s organizing campaigns center those most directly impacted by abusive policing.
Policy Results
- In December 2017, CPR organized the Right To Know Act coalition of 200+ local and national organizations, to pass a City Council consent to search bill requiring officers to secure proof of informed and voluntary consent for searches that have no warrant or other legal justification other than a person’s consent.
- Winning a Special Prosecutor Executive Order in 2015: CPR coordinated a campaign that resulted in the establishment of the New York State Attorney General’s office to act as the special prosecutor for cases of police-involved killings in New York State.
- Won commitment from de Blasio administration to add race back to summons forms as a mandatory field for officers to fill out.
- City Council passage of the Community Safety Act in 2013, landmark legislation that created an NYPD Inspector General and an enforceable ban on discriminatory profiling by the NYPD.
Organizing & Leadership Development results
- Trained over 90 New Yorkers directly impacted by abusive policing as media spokespeople
- Trained over 100 New Yorkers directly impacted by abusive policing as trainers to teach New Yorkers about their rights, realities and responsibilities in encounters with police
- Trained over 100 New Yorkers to document and film police misconduct, and supported CPR members Justice Committee & Malcolm X Grassroots Movement in their launch of a citywide CopWatch Alliance
- Trained hundreds of New Yorkers to lobby elected officials for police accountability
- Coordinated citywide campaign, with Ramarley Graham’s family, Justice Committee, Make the Road New York, LDF, MomsRising and other CPR members to seek accountability for Ramarley Graham. In 2017, this resulted in 2 officers responsible for killing Ramarley to resign from the force and a 3rd was given a disciplinary status.
