FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fire Bratton, End Broken Windows

Parents and Activists Call For Resignation of Bill Bratton, End to 'Broken
Windows' Policing
July 20th, 2014 -- Parents Against Police Brutality, National Action Against Police Brutality, New Yorkers
Against Bratton and other activists called for the resignation of NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, a
federal investigation into the NYPD's culture of brutality and an end to 'Broken Windows' based policing.
The death of Staten Island man Eric Garner has outraged the city--especially since this is not an isolated
incident of excessive and fatal force by the NYPD on an unarmed civilian. The list is long but names
include Nicholas Heyward Jr., Anthony Baez, Anthony Rosario, Malcolm Ferguson, Sean Bell, Amadou
Diallo, Shantel Davis, Kimani Gray, Ramarley Graham and now Eric Garner. The recurrence of these
incidents indicates a pattern and culture of brutality that has not been fundamentally changed by NYPD
top brass. Garner, like Baez, died as a result of a chokehold done in spite of the tactic being banned by the
NYPD's patrol guide since 1992. Bratton--who was commissioner during both Baez and Garner's deaths-famously called the families of Heyward, Rosario and Baez 'a bunch of fools' during a contentious town
hall meeting in 1995. As such he is not only not the right person to heal wounds between the NYPD and
the community, he has shown he is incapable of controlling his police officers.
Additionally, Garner's death is directly related to Broken Windows policing--Bratton's signature policing
theory. The NYPD alleges that Garner was targeted for arrest for the sale of untaxed cigarettes--a 'quality
of life' crime, as Bratton alluded to when he took questions on Garner's death from reporters. The focus on
low-level crimes has been reinvigorated by Bratton--who introduced it on a major scale as NYPD
commissioner in the 90's--this year. Bratton has exponentially increased arrests of panhandlers, homeless
NYers and performers in the subways in the first six months of 2014. In February, Jerome Murdough, a
homeless veteran with a history of mental illness, died in his Rikers cell after his arrest for sleeping in an
East Harlem staircase--a quality of life crime. Broken Windows leads to broken lives for countless New
Yorkers who are thrust into a broken criminal justice system, can end up in overcrowded jails where
corrections officers use alarming amounts of excessive force, and--as the case of Garner shows--can
become subject to tactics that can lead to death.
As most of the city rightfully supports the family of Eric Garner, we call for more substantive changes to
the NYPD, as well. The firing and prosecution of Daniel Pantaleo and other officers responsible for
Garner's death is not enough. The 120th Precinct's Deputy Inspector Joseph Veneziano and Staten Island
Borough Commander Ed Delatorre must also be held responsible but ultimately the commissioner is
responsible for the continued pattern of brutality and the underlying policing priorities that led to the
incident.

- Fire Bratton
- End Broken Windows
- National Action Against Police Brutality