Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams issued the following statement after newly reported data showed a deep racial disparity in NYPD enforcement of s̶t̶o̶p̶,̶ ̶q̶u̶e̶s̶t̶i̶o̶n̶,̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶f̶r̶i̶s̶k̶ m̶a̶r̶i̶j̶u̶a̶n̶a̶ ̶o̶f̶f̶e̶n̶s̶e̶s̶ c̶y̶c̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶i̶d̶e̶w̶a̶l̶k̶ s̶o̶c̶i̶a̶l̶ ̶d̶i̶s̶t̶a̶n̶c̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶v̶i̶o̶l̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ alcohol summonses.
"At the same time that the city is rightly prohibiting people from consuming alcohol inside, it is penalizing them for doing so outside - primarily in communities of more color. Even as the total number of enforcement actions have fallen, the disproportionate targeting of people of more color continues. Again and again, from marijuana offenses, to social distancing, to stop, question, and frisk, we see that these disparities have continued to afflict Black and brown New Yorkers through overpolicing.
"The department continues to assert, in the face of overwhelming evidence, that it always enforces laws fairly and equally. In far too many instances, this is not the case, and these disingenuous denials do further damage. If leadership fails to even acknowledge these systemic inequities, how can we collectively confront and change them? This city deserves to see the same standards and methods applied, whether in the West Village or in East New York."