New York City, N.Y. (June 5, 2024) — In response to Mayor Eric Adams’ recent decision to use $225 million of city resources on a new Public Safety Academy in Queens, the Alliance for Quality Education released the following response:

“Imagine a world where our cities prioritize investments in books and classrooms over police academies and surveillance systems. Mayor Adams’ plan to allocate $225 million for a Public Safety Academy in Queens that would train and consolidate municipal enforcement agencies including the NYPD and DOC is a grave misallocation of resources, diverting crucial funds away from education, housing, health care, child care, amongst other social services, towards police and enforcement. Mayor Adams is also looking to expand policing in schools. With plans to hire 400 new assistant school cop positions and over 1,000 additional school cops, Mayor Adams continues to prioritize racist, carceral practices that disproportionately target Black and brown children. When young people encounter the criminal legal system, the repercussions can be devastating; disrupting their education, derailing futures, and fostering cycles of poverty and incarceration.

“We call on the City Council to reject the Mayor’s plans, instead redirecting resources towards community enrichment rather than militarization. By investing in our schools and nurturing young minds, we can build a more equitable and just future. Education is one of our most powerful tools for liberation, linking struggles against policing, mistreatment of Indigenous peoples, discrimination toward marginalized groups, and the impacts of late stage capitalism and climate change,” said Smitha Milich, Senior Campaign Strategist for New York City at the Alliance for Quality Education.