Crime & Safety

Council Overrides Mayoral Veto on Community Safety Act

Bill includes provisions that seek to prevent racial profiling in stop-and-frisk practices.

The New York City Council voted on Thursday to override Mayor Michael Bloomberg's veto of the Community Safety Act, enshrining the bill into law against his wishes.

Brad Lander, one of the bill's co-sponsors, tweeted the news as it happened, around 5 p.m. Thursday. 

"We have overridden the mayor's vetoes of the Community Safety Act," Lander said on Twitter.  

Bloomberg vetoed the package of bills last month, saying they prevent the police from effectively doing their jobs. He was backed on the decision by New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. 

The Community Safety Act includes two bills, one of which establishes an Inspector General for the NYPD.

The other bill included in the act, which has been a major political issue across the city this summer, makes it illegal for police to stop a person based strictly on their race. Statistics have shown that the vast majority of those stopped in stop-and-frisk incidents are black or Hispanic men. 

The council passed the bills in June, aware in advance that they needed a veto-proof majority of 34 votes for both. The bill establishing an Inspector General had more than enough support, while the ban on racial profiling had exactly the needed 34. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Bayside-Douglaston