Pandemic of violence in our streets cries out for state action 

More than two years ago, our congregations were forced to close their doors to stop the spread of an unknown and terrifying virus. It has led to a domino effect of crisis after crisis: family members and loved ones sick and dying, jobs and opportunity lost, communities fracturing and breaking.

A pandemic caused by minuscule viral particles has led to a pandemic of violence caused by illegal guns and social unrest. We have spent too many days and nights consoling families and grieving with our congregations. We have buried children in the morning and held the hands of their weeping mothers at night. We have seen communities torn apart as the cycle of violence robs us of our friends and neighbors.

This cannot go on. Our leaders must take action to improve public safety — and they must do so immediately.

They must take action to curb the flow of illegal guns that are flooding our streets and causing death and destruction. They must take action to help individuals with severe mental health issues who cannot get the treatment they need, posing a risk to themselves and others. They must take action to protect survivors of domestic violence, who face obstacles to holding their abusers accountable.

Our communities are crying out for help, and we need strong leadership to answer the call. 

We understand there is a robust and spirited conversation happening in the halls of government on the core issues of justice and public safety.

We are heartened to hear Gov. Kathy Hochul has crafted a plan to protect our loved ones, increase safety in our neighborhoods, and make necessary investments in communities. Her plan cracks down on gun trafficking and gun crimes. It expands options for treating individuals with severe mental illness, getting them off the streets and into compassionate care settings. It protects the rights of survivors of domestic violence in the home and in the courtroom. 

In short, it is a necessary, targeted approach that cracks down on the violence in our streets while preserving the civil rights and dignity of all New Yorkers.

At the same time, it is a plan that treats all New Yorkers with dignity. We know all too well how our criminal justice system has unfairly targeted communities of color and young Black and brown men in particular. Indeed, many individuals unfairly targeted by this system are the sons and brothers of people in our congregations.

We would never support a public safety plan that would lead us backward to the racist and discriminatory ways of the past. The days of mass incarceration and racist sentencing are long gone — and good riddance.

Instead, we must move forward toward public safety reforms that keep us all safe while preserving our civil rights. To us, this isn’t an abstract conversation or Twitter thread. Public safety concerns are real, too many lives have been lost in our communities, and we are calling on our leaders to step up and move us forward. 

During this moment of reckoning, let New York be a beacon of light to show the nation how it’s possible to address legitimate public safety concerns while treating all people with dignity and respect. Let us finally strike the balance between safety and justice. 

Our communities deserve no less.