A New York City Council member and exoneree of the Central Park Five, Yusef Salaam, was unexpectedly pulled over by a police officer, reigniting the call for transparency and accountability in law enforcement. The incident, which occurred on Friday evening, has highlighted the importance of a pending bill known as the How Many Stops Act.
The proposed legislation aims to increase transparency by requiring police officers to report every stop they make, even for minor reasons. Despite opposition from Mayor Eric Adams, who has vetoed the bill, the city council is set to vote on Tuesday to potentially override the veto.
Salaam, who represents a district in central Harlem as a Democrat, was driving his car when an officer instructed him to lower his rear windows. Possessing a council placard on his dashboard, Salaam inquired if there was a problem. Without offering any explanation, the officer promptly disengaged.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) later claimed that Salaam was stopped due to illegal window tinting. They insisted that the officer behaved professionally and respectfully, ultimately releasing Salaam to attend to his official duties.
In response to the incident, Salaam emphasized the necessity of the How Many Stops Act, stating, This experience only amplified the importance of transparency for all police investigative stops because the lack of transparency allows racial profiling and unconstitutional stops of all types to occur and often go underreported.
Yusef Salaam was one of the five African American or Latino teenagers who were wrongfully convicted of the rape and assault of a white woman in Central Park in 1989. At the age of 15, Salaam was arrested and subsequently spent nearly seven years in prison. Their convictions were overturned in 2002 after DNA evidence confirmed their innocence.
Following his election to the city council in November, Salaam became the first Central Park Five member to hold public office. The city council speaker, Adrienne Adams, supports the How Many Stops Act, citing the need for increased transparency and the resolution of racial disparities and misconduct complaints in police stops.
At a time when Black and Latino New Yorkers continue to be disproportionately subjected to unconstitutional stops that go underreported, and civilian complaints of misconduct are at their highest level in over a decade, the need for basic transparency is clear, Adams stated prior to Salaam’s encounter with the police.
As the vote looms, the incident involving Salaam serves as a grim reminder and reinforces the urgency behind the How Many Stops Act. By demanding transparency and accountability, advocates hope to prevent racial profiling and ensure that unjust stops are brought to light and addressed.
