Senator Bill Perkins Marches With Elected Officials, Community Members And Leaders Against Recent Acts Of Racism

Harlem, NY) – Thursday, July 24 – State Senator Bill Perkins (D-Harlem) and others are continuing calls for action against New York City Police officers who drove through Harlem Tuesday evening with a black infant baby doll head affixed to their car antennae.

Today Perkins joined Senate Colleague, Jose Serrano (D-Manhattan / Bronx), NAACP President, Hazel Dukes, City Council members Inez E. Dickens, Robert Jackson, Miguel Martinez and Melissa Mark-Viverito and District Leaders, Keith Lilly and Cordell Cleare and community members and leaders to march in protest of the recent terror tactics at the hands of New York City Police and called for a formal investigation and public apology.

“We wanted an apology and we were given an excuse. We wanted an investigation and we got ‘It was a prank,’” Perkins said. “Without both an investigation and public apology for this demeaning, disgusting and racist action, the distrust between the Harlem community and police will worsen.”

Since community members approached Senator Perkins about the incident, he has led the charge calling for a public apology, a full investigation and that those responsible be held accountable.

Multiple reports confirmed that on the evening of Tuesday, July 22 between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., an unmarked NYPD car drove through Harlem in the vicinity of 116^th Street and Fifth Avenue with the dolls head atop the car’s antennae. At the time Senator Perkins was attending a ribbon cutting in the neighborhood when he was approached by several outraged witnesses to the act.

Perkins joined community members to denounce this behavior by the NYPD and together they are calling on police to do the same.  Still without an apology or formal investigation, protesters gathered at the foot of Marcus Garvey Park at 120th Street and Fifth Avenue at 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 24th.  Marchers proceeded to 116th Street & Fifth Avenue where the incident was first reported.