NYPD Captains Union and Asian American Police Organization Endorse Andrew Yang

New York, NY – Today, Andrew Yang earned the backing of the NYPD Captains Endowment Association (CEA) and the Asian-American Police Executive Council (AAPEX). The union chose to endorse Yang and his fresh start to public safety as the city faces a steep rise in gun violence. The union endorsed Bill Thompson (D) for mayor in 2009.

Since the beginning of the campaign, Yang has made clear public safety is essential to a successful recovery, as highlighted in a February Daily News op-ed. Andrew’s focus on tackling the root causes of poverty and violent crime, paired with his commitment to modernizing the culture of the NYPD has attracted support from a broad coalition of New Yorkers.

The city is experiencing a 70% increase in shootings in 2021 after a 100% increase in 2020.

“Crime is getting worse in New York and we need a clean break from the politicians and insiders who got us into this situation. Andrew is the only person in the race who has the integrity, the plans, and the independent leadership to make our city safer and bring New York together,” said CEA President Chris Monahan. “We can’t expect better results if we elect a mayor who is cut from the same cloth as the politicians who got us here.”

“Amid the rise in violent crimes and hate crimes against Asians, Jews and Muslims, we believe Andrew Yang is the only mayoral candidate with the bold, independent vision to improve public safety in New York,” stated AAPEX Advisory Board Chairman and former NYPD Deputy Commissioner-Trials, Hugh H. Mo. “Andrew will implement top-down and bottom-up changes of the New York City Police Department, rebuild trust between police officers and New Yorkers, and refocus the Department’s resources on gun violence and hate crimes.”

AAPEX President Capt. Jun Zhen added, “As Asian-American police executives, we are proud to endorse and support Andrew Yang as the next Mayor. We admire Andrew Yang for his courage, tenacity, and audacity in his presidential run and his ambition to be the next Mayor of the City of New York. Andrew Yang epitomizes the essence of Asian-American political empowerment in seeking the highest elected office in the city. He is a son of Chinese immigrants like many of us and we are helping him make history as the 110th Mayor of the City of New York.”

“We can and must do a better job keeping New Yorkers safe. The status quo isn’t working. New York City is fully capable of both changing how we police our neighborhoods while dramatically reducing crime. As mayor, I will expand resources for programs that support mental health responders so that law enforcement can focus on bringing down violent crime,” said Yang. “That also means building a new Anti-Violence and Community Safety Unit that will be staffed with experienced officers to get guns off our streets. I am proud that the CEA and AAPEX are joining our growing coalition to finally deliver on changing how our city approaches public safety.”

The CEA consists of the high ranking officers including Captains, Deputy Inspectors, Inspectors Deputy Chiefs, and Surgeons in the NYPD and represents 2,500 active and retired members. AAPEX is a fraternal organization of Asian-American executive rank members (Captain and above) in the NYPD that offers mentorship to Asian-American officers, cultivating leadership and helping its members to rise through the ranks. There are more than 3,000 officers of Asian descent in the NYPD.

Andrew Yang’s policies on public safety can be accessed here.

Source: Yang for New York