The New York Metropolis Council held its first listening to on Wednesday relating to a package deal of laws aimed toward defending homes of worship and faculties and combating antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Christian hate within the metropolis.
The laws is a part of Metropolis Council Speaker Julie Menin’s 5-Level Motion Plan to Fight Antisemitism, which she launched in January in response to an increase in reported antisemitic incidents in New York Metropolis and throughout the nation. It contains payments that will require the NYPD to “develop and publish a response plan for when there are credible concerns of injury, intimidation, or restriction of movement that prevent access” to homes of worship and faculties.
In an interview with New York News, Menin stated the Council “looks forward to reviewing the testimony” and “moving forward with this important package as soon as possible.”
Lots of of civil rights advocates, religion leaders, administration officers, and members of the general public testified at Wednesday’s listening to, with many elevating issues concerning the rise of antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in New York Metropolis since Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on Israel and the onset of Israel’s battle in Gaza.
Metropolis Council Speaker Julie Menin.Photograph by Lloyd Mitchell
NYPD raises issues over scope, authority
On the listening to, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Authorized Issues Michael Gerber raised some issues with the scope of among the laws and potential threats to the NYPD’s authority over protest jurisdiction.
A November protest exterior an Higher East Facet synagogue in opposition to Nefesh B’Nefesh, a corporation that assists Jewish immigration to Israel, set off criticism throughout town, with many elected officers describing the protest as antisemitic. Because the protest, officers ramped up efforts to forestall protests close to homes of worship and faculties.
“These bills are grounded in a simple but urgent principle: every New Yorker should feel safe entering their house of worship or their school,” Menin stated at a Wednesday rally forward of the listening to. “This legislative package strengthens transparency, improves coordination, and ensures safe access while fully safeguarding First Amendment rights.”
Menin is sponsoring the first invoice associated to homes of worship, whereas Council Member Eric Dinowitz (D-Bronx) is sponsoring an almost an identical invoice for faculties. Wednesday’s listening to was held by the Committee to Fight Hate, chaired by Council Member Yusef Salaam (D-Manhattan).
Metropolis Council Speaker Julie Menin.Photograph by John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit
Testimony follows last-minute modifications to core payments
On Feb. 24, the Metropolis Council altered Menin’s invoice and Dinowitz’s invoice, dropping a beforehand deliberate rule that will have established a strict safety perimeter of as much as 100 ft exterior homes of worship and faculties. The laws would have required police tape or barricades to implement.
The brand new variations of the payments take away the 100-foot specification, get rid of the barrier mandate, and not require mounted perimeters at every entrance and exit.
Menin stated that the modifications got here after her conversations with Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
“The Commissioner wanted to ensure some additional flexibility around the size of the perimeter, because, certainly, in some instances, you need very significant perimeters around houses of worship and schools, and sometimes the perimeters are smaller,” Menin instructed New York News. “We provided that additional flexibility in determining the size of the perimeter.”
“This is a distinct shift from the original legislation, which proposed a specific policy that I know our police department as well as a number of legal scholars had expressed concerns about,” Mamdani stated. “So I look forward to seeing the hearing today and to see whatever the final version is of that legislation.”
Mark Treyger, Government Director of Intergovernmental Affairs on the New York Metropolis Division of EducationPhoto by Gerardo Romo/NYC Council Media Unit
Gerber stated that the NYPD helps Menin’s invoice defending homes of worship, Introduction 1-A, and clarified that “the policy will not alter our practices but rather will articulate and describe what we are already doing” relating to the NYPD’s protest response procedures.
The NYPD, Gerber stated, seems to permit protests inside “sight and sound” of the meant protest website whereas defending those that could also be current at that website.
“It goes without saying that this can be gut-wrenching, infuriating, and deeply disturbing, particularly when this is happening outside a community’s spiritual home,” Gerber stated, explaining the NYPD’s enforcement course of. “But the First Amendment protects the rights of protesters even when their speech is hateful, and the NYPD is obligated to ensure the rights of protesters without regard to the content of protected speech.”
Concerning Dinowitz’s invoice associated to colleges, Introduction 175-A, Gerber stated that whereas the NYPD is broadly in help of the invoice, the division has issues concerning the laws’s scope, as the brand new rule “would apply to police activity on both public property and private property.”
“These are distinct points, each legally and operationally, and we look ahead to addressing that
distinction in discussions with the Council,” Gerber stated.
Gerber thanked the Metropolis Council for its modification of the laws.
Menin, Metropolis Council seems to maneuver rapidly as hearings proceed
Menin instructed New York News that the Council will “be having more conversations with the NYPD” because the legislative course of strikes ahead about guaranteeing that enforcement on each private and non-private property is in keeping with First Modification protections.
Metropolis Council Majority Chief Shaun Abreu (D-Manhattan) is sponsoring a invoice, Introduction 22, that will require the New York Metropolis Division of Training to “distribute materials to students about the risks of social media and online hate.”
Dinowitz is sponsoring a second invoice within the package deal, Introduction 165, requiring the NYPD to “report on the status of hate crime cases to improve transparency and accountability.”
Gerber raised issues about Intro. 165, arguing that the NYPD doesn’t have entry to the sort of information that Dinowitz’s invoice suggests. Fairly, Gerber stated, combination information relating to the “prosecutorial outcomes, bail determinations, and ultimate court dispositions in every case in which someone has been arrested or indicted for a hate crime” is maintained by prosecutors and the Workplace of Court docket Administration.
“The Council should not direct the NYPD to report data that it does not have,” Gerber stated, noting that the NYPD already experiences some combination information associated to hate crimes.
Council Member Virginia Maloney (D-Manhattan) is sponsoring a invoice, Introduction 297, that will require emergency planning between the NYPD and the Workplace of Emergency Administration for “religious institutions.”
Council Member Eric DinowitzPhoto by John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit
Concerning Intro. 297, Gerber stated the NYPD “strongly” objects to having one other company, “whether OEM or otherwise,” present steering on the matter. He stated the NYPD is against the invoice in its present type.
“The NYPD has the appropriate expertise and experience in these matters; other city agencies do not,” Gerber stated of Intro. 297. Having a metropolis company supply steering on safety plans that will battle with the steering from the NYPD is a recipe for confusion. It won’t improve safety, and dangers undermining safety.”
One other invoice, Intro. 327, sponsored by Council Member Mercedes Narcisse (D-Brooklyn) would reimburse personal and constitution faculties for the price of video surveillance cameras. Nonetheless one other proposed piece of laws from Council Member Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn), Introduction 388, would set up a hotline and “detailed reporting system” for antisemitism and different hate- and bias-related incidents.
“I commend Speaker Menin and the City Council for working to protect people of every faith in our city,” James stated. “My office will continue to protect the rights and dignity of New Yorkers and take action whenever hate or bias threatens them.”
Scott Richman, Anti-Defamation League regional director for New York and New Jersey, additionally testified at Wednesday’s listening to, figuring out the spike in antisemitic incidents as a “threat to religious freedom and safety … necessitating legislative intervention.”
