Senator Kevin Parker Commends Mayor’s Dismissal of City’s Lawsuit Challenging the Community Safety Act

(Brooklyn, NY) - “Yesterday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced New York City will no longer seek to block or overturn Local Law 71, the Community Safety Act, which strengthens the prohibition against bias-based racial profiling by the New York Police Department (NYPD),” said Senator Kevin Parker.

The decision was a major step for the de Blasio Administration in reforming former Police Commissioner Kelly’s unconstitutional Stop-and-Frisk policy, and a confirmation of the progressive platform upon which the Mayor ran for office. “Ultimately, the City’s decision emphasizes its respect for the constitutional rights of every New Yorker,” continued the Senator. “As I have said previously, no one doubts the NYPD’s ability to continue its unmatched performance in keeping New Yorkers safe, without needing to impinge upon their civil rights and civil liberties.”

Local Law 71, which was passed the City Council in 2013, prohibits law enforcement officers from relying on actual or perceived race, national origin, color, creed, age, alienage or citizenship status, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or housing status as the deciding factor to initiate law enforcement actions against individuals. The law was vetoed by Mayor Bloomberg and the Council overturned the mayoral veto, which led to the Bloomberg Administration challenging the legislation in court.

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About Senator Kevin Parker

Senator Kevin S. Parker is intimately familiar with the needs of his ethnically diverse Brooklyn community that consists of 318,000 constituents in Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Ditmas Park, Kensington, Windsor Terrace, and Park Slope.  He is the Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee and the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Assistant Democratic Leader for Intergovernmental Affairs, Founding Member of the New York Caucus of Environmental Legislators, and Chair of the Democratic Task Force on New Americans.