Press Releases

Statement from Reverend Al Sharpton Regarding the Stop & Frisk Proposal Presented by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo

New York, NY (Monday, June 04, 2012)-“I salute the proposal by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to curb the number of people who could be arrested for marijuana possession as a result of police stops, and I feel that it is a step in the right direction. As we at National Action Network join with other groups to prepare a silent march on Father’s Day to bring attention to Stop and Frisk policies, we do feel that the Governor’s position helps move the direction of a discussion towards alleviating the abuses of Stop and Frisk. We are diligent about fighting crime. The National Action Network’s efforts were even commended by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly in an opinion piece he wrote for the New York Daily News last Monday. However, we have been convinced, given the data, that Stop and Frisk does not alleviate crime but instead increases the racial profiling exposure of mostly young Blacks and Hispanics. Though we feel the remedies need to go beyond what Governor Cuomo has outlined today, we think it is a step in the right direction and will lead to a constructive discussion that we and our allies hope to have with Mayor Bloomberg.”

Reverend Al Sharpton, President of National Action Network