100 signatures reached
To: State Senator David Carlucci
David Carlucci: Stand Against Police Violence
We are writing to ask State Senator and NY-17 Congressional candidate David Carlucci to tell voters:
1. Why he has failed to advocate previously for the repeal of Section 50-a,
2. Whether he plans to support future proposals for the repeal of Section 50-a, and
3. Whether he will return campaign contributions from interest groups that oppose the repeal of Section 50-a.
Why is this important?
Dear David Carlucci,
We are NY-17 voters who stand firmly opposed to police violence against Black communities. We are concerned by your long track record of accepting political donations from law enforcement interest groups and your failure to support meaningful reforms in the State Senate.
Over the course of your 10-year political career, you have accepted at least $124,736 in campaign contributions from law enforcement interest groups. These contributions have come from interest groups that fight to keep police misconduct reports secret, actively protect violent police officers from culpability, and oppose efforts to end the war on drugs.
These groups have successfully fought for years to keep in place Section 50-a of the Civil Rights Law, which allows police departments to refuse to release records of police misconduct. Section 50-a prevents the public from identifying instances of police violence, holding police forces accountable, or fighting systemic abuse. The New York State Troopers, who have given you $13,500, have invoked Section 50-a to shield the records of an off-duty trooper who ran over a man on the side of the highway and then fled the scene; the New York Police Department has cited Section 50-a in refusing to release the records of the officer who choked Eric Garner.
An elected official who stands for the interests of these groups cannot stand for the interests of Black communities. Your funders have consistently blocked reforms seeking to make police forces more just, transparent, and accountable; their efforts have enabled the rampant police violence now being perpetrated against protesters and journalists in New York. We need elected officials who will fight for communities impacted by police violence, not protect law enforcement from accountability.
You have represented us in the State Senate for ten years, but you have failed to support meaningful reforms to law enforcement. As of this writing, your Congressional campaign website still does not include a criminal justice policy platform. Last year, you refused to sign onto a proposal, supported by 20 of your Democratic colleagues, to repeal Section 50-a.
We look forward to your response.