A new series of Know Your Rights workshops have launched, with the goal is to empower and educate participants on their rights during police encounters and how to avoid entering the NYPD gang database. The workshops are open to the public but will be held primarily for NYCHA residents in Farragut, Ingersoll and Whitman Houses in Brooklyn.
The Legal Aid Society and New York State Senator Jabari Brisport, in cooperation with U.S. Congress Member Nydia Velázquez, New York State Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest, and New York City Council Member Crystal Hudson, announced these workshops on Thursday.
The workshops will focus on interactions with law enforcement, including prevention and de-escalation techniques, and how to protect yourself from illegal police searches and other acts of police misconduct. They will also focus on the NYPD gang database, and participants will learn about social media surveillance techniques and other intelligence gathering, as well as its impact on Black and Brown communities.
“We are thrilled to bring our Know Your Rights series to NYCHA houses in Brooklyn where we can educate residents about their rights and equip them with the knowledge to empower not only themselves, but others in their community,” said Anthony Posada, supervising attorney in the Community Justice Unit at The Legal Aid Society. “These workshops will teach NYCHA residents, and all those who want to attend, how to advocate for themselves in the face of potentially unethical law enforcement tactics that have long been pervasive in communities of color. The result is stronger, healthier communities less susceptible to abuses of power.”
The Know Your Rights workshop will be held on Friday, March 31 at 6:30pm at the Ingersoll Community Center, 177 Myrtle Ave., Brooklyn.
