Friend,

In light of the fatal police shootings in Harlem, the death of an 11-month-old baby girl, the grueling hunger strikes at Rikers Island, and the continued housing emergency through an especially harsh winter, I want to take a moment to grieve the past week with you all. 

If you are feeling the weight of this week’s events, you are not alone. We must, however, use our pain to take stock of how our public safety systems are failing us, and how we can re-envision them to be more just and more effective. 

History tells us that reactionary, fear-mongering policies have been, at best, ineffective, and, at worst, catalysts for further unjust incarceration of Black and brown people. 

Making New York safer means addressing everything that leads to gun violence – not just the moment the trigger gets pulled. These solutions include many bills my colleagues and I are already fighting for: the New York Health Act for all New Yorkers, Treatment Not Jails, and Good Cause Eviction. You can read more of my thoughts in a recent New York Post article on this issue.

As we begin to fight for a new paradigm of public safety, I need as much community support as possible. Please consider joining me and my neighbors tonight at 6pm as we kick off my re-election campaign. 

It has not been an easy few weeks, and the work will continue to get harder in preparation for a challenging 2022 election. However, being a part of a larger community is equally necessary, especially through these difficult times. I hope to see you, Friend, as my friends and I gather momentum for this powerful grassroots campaign!

Thank you for your support.