June 2025 Newsletter
Policing and Social Justice Project
Protests and Repression at Brooklyn College
On May 8th, the Brooklyn College and CUNY administration used NYPD officers to violently disperse a peaceful protest. The next week they denied a separate group the right to hold a public meeting, again mobilizing the NYPD. You can read our 2-part report on these events here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ai_r5oBMun59UdvjOdqPXOwhpVFmPzHGftyQXB79CjQ/edit?usp=sharing
May Events
Professor Vitale spoke about the state of civilian oversight at the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) Regional Conference in New York City. He emphasized the need to switch from a “procedural justice” framework to a transformative justice one instead, which emphasizes transparency, community accountability, repairing past harms, and preventing future harms. Current procedural models focus on restoring legitimacy to policing rather than bringing true justice and safety to communities. https://www.nacole.org/2025_regional_meeting_nyc
To commemorate the 5th Anniversary of the police killing of George Floyd, Prof. Vitale appeared with Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley at a national event sponsored by the Center for Popular Democracy. They discuss the state of development of alternatives to policing in Minneapolis and nationally.
News Coverage
The Australian Broadcast services aired an excerpt of Prof. Vitale’s interview with Setha Low and and Mark Maguire about their book. Trapped: Does the Security Industry Make us Less Safe?
Prof Vitale was interviewed by KPFA’s Cat Brooks on the 5th anniversary of the George Floyd uprising.
Upcoming Events
June 21, Redefining Police and Public Safety Conference. Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock.
Film Corner
We were thrilled to show our new documentary Sex Work: It’s Just a Job at Sex Worker Fest - The San Francisco Bay Area Sex Worker Film & Arts Festival. Director Tami Gold appeared with the film, which was well received by the sex worker community in the Bay Area. We are currently putting together a full set of screenings in NYC for the fall as well as planning screenings around the US and internationally. Let us know if you are interested in hosting a screening at: itsjustajobmovie@gmail.com.
Our partners Black Response Cambridge have a new film out called Where Do Black Men Live. It tells the story of how Black men struggle to find stable housing in Cambridge, MA. You can also check out their local organizing against ShotSpotter.
Book Corner
Endorsements
Hudson, Sandy. 2025. Defund: Black Lives, Policing, and Safety for All. New York:
Pantheon.
“Hudson moves us past the failed rhetoric of police reform and provides a powerful analysis that reveals the harsh truth that policing produces neither safety nor justice and must be replaced by a world that meets people’s basic needs.” —Alex S. Vitale, author of The End of Policing
Received
Kurwa, Rahim. 2025. Indefensible Spaces: Policing and the Struggle for Housing. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Muir, Mac and Greg Finch. 2025. Cop Cop: Breaking the Fixed System of American Policing. New York: Zando Books.
Staff Notes
Our former student intern, Ella Deery, was recently admitted into the CUNY Graduate Center’s Quantitative and Social Science master’s program. Congratulations Ella!