NYAARPR

The New York Alliance is fighting for community control over the police. We believe that the police shouldn’t answer to their commissioner, the mayor, or some abstract third party. They should be held accountable to the people they serve.

We’re fighting for a world where we don’t have to live in fear of police violence. We’re fighting for the right to tell the police how they should protect us. We’re fighting for CPAC.

ABOUT CPAC

A Civilian Police Accountability Council, or CPAC, is a council made up of civilians who are directly elected by the people, and have strong ties to their communities—not the police. New York’s CPAC will have the power to:

• Create rules and regulations for NYPD officers. Through public meetings, CPAC will allow the people to decide what constitutes reasonable conduct for a member of the NYPD.
• Investigate and fire NYPD officers. When cops break the rules, CPAC will be able to investigate their misdeeds and take disciplinary action, including issuing subpoenas, assembling grand juries, and firing officers. That means CPAC will have the power to institute consequences for everyone from beat officers to the Police Commissioner.
• Review and approve the NYPD’s annual budget. CPAC will have final say in how much of New Yorkers’ tax money goes to the police. No annual budget will be passed without approval from CPAC.
• Appoint the Police Commissioner. Taking into account the professional requirements of the job, CPAC will be able to fairly choose a candidate who will best serve the city — not protect the cops from consequences. CPAC will also have the power to evaluate the Commissioner’s performance, and decide whether they’re still the best person for the job.

New York’s CPAC will be made up of people who:

• Have no ties to law enforcement. This means that they have never served in law enforcement — in New York City or anywhere else — and neither has anyone in their family.
• Are elected by their community. CPAC members will have lived in their district for at least two years, and they will need the approval of their district to get into office.
• Are accustomed to fighting for justice. All CPAC members will have experience fighting for the rights of oppressed communities. This will ensure that the Council is invested in the rights of the people, not in protecting the police.

Unlike the current, ineffective Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) we have in New York, a CPAC would give New Yorkers direct control over the NYPD. This would be an important tool in the fight against racist, discriminatory police violence, over-policing of our communities, and injustice all over our city.

If you’d like to read more about CPAC in New York, you can see the proposed legislation below.

CPAC NATIONWIDE

The fight for CPAC is taking place in cities all over the United States, including Chicago, IL; Milwaukee, WI; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN; Salt Lake City, UT; and Tallahassee, FL. You can learn more by clicking the link below.