The NYPD regularly interacts with the public and should be accountable to the communities it serves. Therefore, NKD is endorsing the Right to Know Act and is denouncing the ongoing process of non-legislative internal reforms agreed to by the Speaker of the City Council and the NYPD. These reforms, agreed upon behind closed doors, left the people of New York City out of the conversation on police reform. Closed-door agreements are the opposite of transparent government, and should not replace publicly-debated legislation that has earned the support of the voters and their representatives.

We support the Right to Know Act because it will:

1. Require officers to explain the purpose of their interaction with individuals.
2. Educate the public on their right to consent to (or refuse) searches that are not supported by probable cause; this will reduce the number of police searches based on prejudice alone.

NKD works to promote accountability and transparency in elected government and the agencies they oversee, including the NYPD. Good policing is good government, and change within the NYPD requires comprehensive and progressive legislation. We urge all council members and their constituents to support the Right to Know Act along with us.