January 28, 2025 - Citizens Union joined several civic groups to urge the Council to pass Intro 1020-2024 (Brewer) to strengthen the NYPD Office of the Inspector General (the OIG) so that it can fulfill its purpose of providing independent and effective oversight of the NYPD.
January 29, 2025 - Citizens Union comments on the Department of Investigation’s Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD and Intro. 1020-2024
December 21, 2024 - Citizens Union issues the following statement from Executive Director Betsy Gotbaum in response to the resignation of NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey
December 6, 2024 - Watchdog groups Reinvent Albany, Citizens Union, and Common Cause NY submitted an amicus brief to the New York State Court of Appeals supporting the New York Post’s lawsuit seeking the public disclosure of police disciplinary records created prior to June 2020, when the state law repealing §50-a of the Civil Rights Law took effect. The groups advocate for open and accountable government in New York, including strengthening the state’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), and supported the repeal of 50-a in 2022.
October 10, 2024 - write-ups of CU's positions on the 2024 ballot proposals. We recommend a YES vote on Proposal 1 and a NO vote on Proposal 2-6
September 12, 2024 - Citizens Union has issued the following statement from Executive Director Betsy Gotbaum in response to the resignation of NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban
July 8, 2024 - There is already ample opportunity for the public to comment on Public Safety bills before the New York City Council, according to a comprehensive analysis released today by Citizens Union. The report found that there were no major differences in time awarded for input on public safety bills compared with other bills; that the current Council does not provide less time for public input on public safety bills compared to previous Councils; and that high-profile public safety bills that drove the conversation took longer to approve than many other contentious bills.
June 28, 2024 - Citizens Union has released the following statement from Executive Director Betsy Gotbaum in response to the ProPublica and The New York Times joint report on NYPD disciplinary practices
June 20, 2024 - Citizens Union has been studying police accountability and performance in New York City for more than a decade, and many of our recommendations have been implemented. We believe the best way to ensure the safe and democratic application of policing is to strengthen and streamline systems of oversight and accountability, both within the NYPD and among the independent entities that monitor police misconduct. Public safety is dependent on New Yorkers having faith in law enforcement.
May 24, 2023 - Citizens Union, along with Common Cause, League of Women Voters of the City of New York, NYPIRG, and Reinvent Albany, sent a letter to Council Speaker Adams and several committee chairs expressing concerns over Mayor Eric Adams' proposed significant budgetary reductions to key oversight agencies
March 29, 2023 - Citizens Union and other groups sent a letter to Council Speaker Adams and several committee chairs expressing concerns over the preliminary budget proposed by Mayor Eric Adams for Fiscal Year 2024, which includes significant budgetary reductions to key oversight agencies of New York City government. The groups believe that reducing agencies' resources and personnel will severely hinder their ability to ensure accountability, ethics, and good governance across the municipal workforce, and prevent waste and corruption.
March 27, 2023 – Citizens Union supports this bill because it would reduce the limitations investigative agencies face in accessing police officers’ body-worn camera footage through codifying the timing, type, and uses of such access. By providing prompt and full access to body-worn camera footage, Intro. 0938-2023 would ensure the CCRB arrives at a clear and fair interpretation of events in a timely manner and prevent the Police Department from unjustifiably denying access to effective investigative resources.
March 20, 2023 - Testimony before the City Council Committee on Public Safety for the FY2024 Preliminary Budget Oversight Hearing – CCRB budget
April 13, 2022 - Group Memorandum in Support of S8428/A9050, an act to amend the public officers law, in relation to the disclosure of law enforcement officer's disciplinary records.
New York, N.Y. (December 23, 2021)— Citizens Union, New York’s preeminent good government group, today released Public Safety and Policing in New York City: Recommendations to the New Mayor, a report outlining recommendations for the incoming Mayoral administration designed to promote public safety and make the NYPD more accountable and responsive. The report builds on Citizens Union’s comprehensive Agenda for Police Reform to make the NYPD more transparent and accountable, which the group released in March. You can read that report here.
November 22, 2021 - CU Memorandum of support for to bills before the City Council, Int. 2440-2021 (Adams), authorizing the Civilian Complaint Review Board to initiate complaints, and Int. 2297-2021 (Moya), in relation to qualification for service with the Police Department
March 23, 2021 - Citizens Union, New York’s preeminent good government group, today issued a report outlining a comprehensive agenda for reform to make the New York City Police Department more transparent and accountable
November 5, 2019 - Citizens Union is pleased that New York City voters have embraced reforms to make our city elections more democratic, and increase oversight of the police department.
October 7, 2019 - Good Government Group Supports Ranked Choice Voting, Increasing Oversight of NYPD, Modifications to the City Budget, and Changes to Land Use Review; Opposes Proposed Changes to Ethics Rule.
March 25, 2019 Summary: A.2513 (O’Donnell)/S.3695 (Bailey) would repeal Section 50-a of the Civil Rights Law. Click here for the…
March 7, 2019 - Good evening Chair Benjamin and distinguished members of the New York City Charter Revision Commission. My name is Rachel Bloom and I am the Director of Public Policy and Programs at Citizens Union. We thank you for holding this meeting on police accountability, and for giving Citizens Union the opportunity to publicly share our recommendations with you.
June 8, 2018 - Group condemns NYPD’s misuse of state law 50-a with frequently changing and new interpretations, urge Mayor de Blasio to support concrete policy reform that repeals state law.
August 2016 - Citizens Union (CU) urges the enactment of laws and adoption of new rules and regulations that will strengthen the accountability of the New York Police Department to the public and consequently improve the relationship between the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the public.
January 21, 2015 - Supports legislative and executive pay commission and urges deliberative review of police accountability reforms.
December 10, 2014 - Changes needed to public oversight of police misconduct and criminal justice system.