NYCLU Applauds de Blasio Administration for Dropping its Challenge to Anti-Racial Profiling Law

“A safe New York is a New York where everyone is able to trust and respect the Police Department,” said NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman. “That can’t happen unless all New Yorkers are treated equally – with courtesy, professionalism and respect. The ban on racial profiling is an important step in that direction, and the de Blasio administration should be applauded for recognizing that.”

The End Discriminatory Policing Act requires police officers to base law-enforcement decisions on a person’s actions, not their skin color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation or immigration status and prohibits lawsuits seeking money damages, while allowing suits seeking policy reforms. It comes in response to documented discriminatory policing practices by the NYPD, including a skyrocketing stop-and-frisk regime that targeted innocent black and Latino New Yorkers and a suspicionless surveillance program that monitored New York City’s Muslim community.

The law passed the New York City Council in June and overrode a veto by Mayor Bloomberg in August. In September, Bloomberg and the City filed a lawsuit as a last ditch effort to keep the racial profiling ban off the books.

“Today’s announcement by New York City and the de Blasio administration is another step toward closing the book on the tale of two cities,” Lieberman said. “We look forward to working with the administration on all of the work that needs to be done to make our city a place where everyone feels safe, secure, valued and respected.”