July 2025 Newsletter
Policing and Social Justice Project
Support
If you want to support our work and hear more frequently about what we’re up to, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscriptions support our interns and community partners and allow us to have some independence from the foundation industrial complex. If you are interested in making a more substantial tax-deductible contribution through the Brooklyn College Foundation, let us know.
Mayoral Primary
In collaboration with the Police Reform Organizing Project, we compiled a summary of the NYC Mayoral Candidates’ positions on policing and public safety for the primary.
You can read the full report here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I4QO3hInKUFPJmcHqp7IXPAh8qjEYXtz/view
One of the more exciting aspects of the campaign was the release of Zohran Mamdani's proposal to create an Office of Community Safety. Prof. Vitale was involved in the drafting of the proposal.
Prof. Vitale also commented on how the media portrayed public safety issues during the race for Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR).
https://fair.org/home/media-did-their-best-to-scare-voters-away-from-zohran-mamdani/
Newark
Just over 10 years ago Newark embarked on a city-wide effort to reduce violence through community centered non-carceral strategies. Organizations like Newark Community Street Team and the HUBB became part of an ecosystem aided by the City’s Department of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery and most recently an influx of funds from the Biden Administration. Unfortunately, cuts to Medicaid and Community Violence Intervention money by the Trump administration has severely hindered these efforts, which had brought violent crime to 60 year lows.
Prof. Vitale co-authored two articles about the impact of these cuts. The first is with Al-Tariq Best, Executive Director of the HUBB Arts and Trauma Center about the impact of Medicaid cuts
The second is with Rey Chavis Executive Director of Newark Community Street Team on the cuts to CVI funding.
https://policingandjustice.org/federal-cuts-to-cvi
Stay tuned for more to come on this.
Deportations
The Trump deportation machine continues to ramp up its operation and the new federal budget will further empower the federal police state. Prof. Vitale teamed up with William D. Lopez at the University of Michigan to point out the role that local police and democratic mayors play in enabling Trump’s deportation agenda.
https://truthout.org/articles/local-police-departments-are-enabling-ices-deportation-machine/
LI event
Prof. Vitale spoke at the Seeds of Change conference on Long Island about the need to develop grassroots campaigns for justice organized around abolitionist principles.
Film Corner
We have begun submitting our documentary “Sex Work: It’s Just a Job” to festivals in the US and internationally and are planning community screenings throughout NYC in the Fall. The next screening will be in San Antonio on August 23rd at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center. You can watch the trailer here. If you are interested in hosting a screening, let us know at: itsjustajobmovie@gmail.com.
Book Corner
Critical Police Studies Bibliography
Be sure to check out our Bibliography of critical police studies.
Staff Notes
We want to welcome Sergio Leon Hidalgo to the team. He is a rising senior at Brooklyn College double majoring in History and Sociology and dedicated to supporting and advocating for the undocumented and immigrant community through academia. He will be working on our community based anti-violence work, including the NYC GANGS Coalition.
