Since the rise of COVID-19, Asian Americans have become increasingly vulnerable to acts of assault, harassment, and discrimination. In response, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, and the NYPD have become more aware and responsive to hate and bias reports related to coronavirus. Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Office has made an info sheet detailing some resources available to Asian Americans and others who may be victims of such cases.
Download the fact sheets in the following languages:
On Thursday, April 11, AABANY hosted a screening of “Blowin’ Up,” a feature documentary that explores the complex realities of sex work in New York City and the compassionate approach of a human trafficking court in Queens County. The film features AABANY member Honorable Toko Serita, Queens Supreme Court, as well as other heroines of the Human Trafficking Intervention Court, that work with victims of sexual exploitation who face prostitution-related charges.
After the screening, Beatrice Leong, AABANY Government Service and Public Interest Committee Co-Chair, led a panel discussion featuring speakers from the NYPD/FBI Joint Human Trafficking Task Force and a Queens Assistant District Attorney who prosecutes human traffickers. The panelists talked about how they worked together to prosecute the traffickers and how one can identify and help a suspected trafficking victim. The panel gave important insight into how gangs and traffickers target their victims, and the audience learned that many victims are new immigrants, local high school students or children in the foster care system. “Drugs can only be used once, but a person can be used over and over.”
The NYPD wants your input on an important NYPD policy before it is finalized: their body camera policy.
The NYPD will equip 1,000 officers in 20 precincts with body-worn cameras. In partnership with the Policing Project at NYU School of Law, the Department is seeking input into the policy that will govern the use of the cameras from the people who live, work or go to school in New York City through an online questionnaire.
The questionnaire may be completed in minutes and is mobile-friendly. The questionnaire may be found at www.nypdbodycameras.org. There you will also find the Department’s proposed policy in full and in summary form. The questionnaire is designed to get feedback on the core policy issues the Department must address and it also provides an opportunity for the participant to provide narrative comments.
The site will remain open until July 31, 2016. NYU will collect the responses and comments and provide a report to the NYPD for the Department’s consideration in drafting the final policy.
Please give your input, and please share this blog post with other members of your organization or community.
Thanks to MBBA for sharing this important questionnaire with us.
NAPABA has received inquiries about donating funds to support the family of slain NYPD Detective Wenjian Liu, who has been reported to be the first Chinese-American NYPD officer killed in the line of duty. Detective Liu and his partner, Detective Rafael Ramos, were shot to death on December 20, 2014, while sitting in their squad car in Brooklyn.
After reaching out to APA-serving organizations, NAPABA recommends the following funds to its members:
The NYPD Asian Jade Society has established a fund to support Detective Liu’s family. Detective Liu was a member of this organization for Asian Americans members of the NYPD. Donations can be made by checks payable to “PO Wen Jian Liu Family c/o NYPD Asian Jade Society” and mailed to NYPD Asian Jade Society, P.O. Box 969, Peck Slip Station, New York, NY 10272.
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation has established a fund to pay the mortgages of the Ramos and Liu families’ homes. More information is available here: http://tunnel2towers.org/.
On Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 6:00 P.M., the Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) will host the 4th annual Prosecutors’ Committee celebration at the New York University School of Law. AABANY will honor Sandra Leung, the first female Asian American prosecutor in New York County history and currently the General Counsel for Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Assistant Police Chief Thomas M. Chan, the highest ranking uniformed member of Asian American descent in the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”).
AABANY Director and criminal defense attorney Vinoo Varghese was quoted in a front page article in the December 13 edition of Metro NY on the shooting of NYPD officer Peter Figoski. He spoke about the difficulty of extradition as a reason for alleged shooter Lamont Pride being allowed to walk free after a recent arrest.
