For immediate release: August 31, 2017
Contact: Imani Henry 646 342 9673
Media Advisory
Police accountability group “Equality For Flatbush” sues NYPD for records showing the numbers and types of officers and resources deployed for 2016 J’ouvert and Caribbean Parade Weekend
Equality for Flatbush plans to Cop Watch to document potential police harassment during J’ouvert
On August 31st, 2017, the police accountability group Equality for Flatbush (E4F) sued the New York City Police Department in New York State Supreme Court over the NYPD’s refusal to disclose records documenting the number and types of officers and resources deployed for J’ouvert and Caribbean Day Parade events before and during the 2016 Labor Day weekend. In denying E4F’s records access requests made under New York’s Freedom of Information Law in their entirety, the NYPD said that releasing records including the basic number and type information E4F had requested would create “public safety” problems. The NYPD said no more about which problems, or how disclosing the records would create them. The lawsuit challenges the NYPD’s blanket invocation of “public safety” as a justification to withhold the basic information sought by E4F from disclosure entirely. The Petition in the suit includes sample documents routinely disclosed in litigation by the NYPD and the City showing the numbers and types of police resources deployed at other, similar, large-scale events policed by the NYPD. The suit argues that the NYPD can, and should, release similar records to E4F without threatening public safety risks.
Founded in 2013 in response to the increase of police murders in the East Flatbush, E4F documented racial profiling and police harassment during J’ouvert in 2016. Concerned about the further increase in police and security measures during J’ouvert this year, E4F plans to patrol again with support the support of other NYC Cop Watch Alliance teams.
“We are suing so we can better hold the NYPD accountable to our communities. The NYPD is the largest and most militarized police department in the US. There have been at least 5 NYPD-related murders or shootings of East Flatbush and Flatbush residents since 2013, 2 of which just happened in the last 9 months by the same exact cop,” says Imani Henry, Executive Director of E4F. “Crown Heights, Flatbush and East Flatbush residents of color already experience incredible racial profiling and police harassment on a daily basis due to gentrification. The increased police occupation and checkpoints during Caribbean Day weekend just escalate the potential for more police violence and harassment within our neighborhoods.”
Other anti-police brutality groups have also endorsed and / or provided statements in support of in the lawsuit, including Black Lives Matter - NYC, Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI),
Coalition to End Broken Windows, Justice Committee, and People’s Power Assembly (PPA) NYC.
“The Trinidadian tradition of J'ouvert was adopted by the predominantly Caribbean communities of Flatbush and Crown Heights. It wasn’t sanctioned by the NYPD, instead, it was an organic, grassroots community expression,” said Albert Saint Jean, NYC Organizer for Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI). “This lawsuit is important because how a community chooses to celebrate and express their cultural roots cannot be dictated by the NYPD or any other local authority, this notion contradicts the concept of a Democracy and is the antithesis of what a Sanctuary City is supposed to represent.”
In a statement, the PPA said, “As an organization fighting police brutality and gentrification, People’s Power Assembly NYC sees the massive NYPD presence at J'ouvert and the Caribbean Day Parade as an armed occupation of New York’s Caribbean community. PPA demands that the Caribbean community be able to celebrate its cultural heritage free from NYPD harassment and occupation.”
The Coalition to End Broken Windows also issued a statement: “The Coalition to End Broken Windows stands with Equality for Flatbush in demanding that the NYPD provide answers to the Brooklyn community about its massive police response to J'Ouvert. Raw police power is not the answer to violence and will instead lead to harassment and surveillance for the most basic of behaviors and ‘offenses’ – right in line with Broken Windows theory policing. Ironically, Electric Zoo, a mostly-White music festival in Manhattan will see none of this police aggression.”
The lawsuit was filed by civil rights attorney Gideon Oliver, who stated: “The NYPD has not shown that “public safety” concerns are implicated by - let alone that they should prevent - release of records documenting the numbers and types of police resources deployed in policing last year’s J'ouvert and Caribbean Day Parade. The Department routinely discloses records including such information without implicating or threatening public safety. I am confident that this lawsuit will either lead the Department to reconsider its complete denial of my clients’ records access requests and make voluntary disclosures, or force the Department to release the records.”
The Petition starting the lawsuit can be found here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hcfzmgy1dfs0ilt/_E4F%20Petition.pdf?dl=0
Supporting records in the lawsuit can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4kttgqep6tatldn/AACw9pJ6TYCtqgHGeiHIPBG-a?dl=0
E4F plans to Cop Watch again this year and document any potential police harassment and violence during Jouvert and The Caribbean Day Parade. Residents are asked to contact Equality for Flatbush: E4F at flatbushequality@gmail.com or call/text (646) 820-6039, if they are stopped, harassed, detained, or brutalized by the NYPD.
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