STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York City’s largest police union made its first endorsement in this election cycle, and it’s for a candidate in the North Shore City Council race.
The Police Benevolent Association endorsed Jozette Carter-Williams, who is one of several candidates hoping to unseat Councilmember Kamillah Hanks.
Carter-Williams was the ex-wife of slain NYPD officer, Gerard Carter, who she has referred to as her “best friend” at the time of his death. Police Benevolent Association Patrick Hendry said her experience being the wife of a police officer was part of why they chose to endorse her.
“North Shore Staten Islanders deserve a City Council member who understands what it takes to keep them safe. Police officers deserve a City Council member who understands what cops and our families go through,” Hendry said. “Jozette Carter-Williams doesn’t just understand those things – she has lived them. We know she will be a powerful voice in the City Council, speaking up for public safety and working with police officers, not against us. We are proud to endorse her.”
The murder of her late ex-husband, Police Officer Gerard Carter, in 1998 thrust Carter-Williams and her family into the headlines, and she has since remained a staunch advocate for her late husband’s legacy.
Carter-Williams, who is one of several Democratic candidates hoping to unseat Hanks in the June primary, said the endorsement helped reinforce what her campaign was about.
“Receiving the endorsement of the [city’s] Police Benevolent Association is a tremendous honor and a clear sign that my campaign stands for public safety, community trust, and unwavering support for those who put their lives on the line to protect us,” the candidate said. “This endorsement reflects my commitment to building a safer North Shore—where law enforcement and residents work together with integrity, respect, and accountability. I am proud to have the (Police Benevolent Association’s) trust as we fight to bring real leadership and meaningful change to our community.”
In part, the Police Benevolent Association’s endorsement also rebuked Hanks, who voted in favor of a controversial 2023 police reform bill that requires cops to better track their investigative interactions with the public.
While the Police Benevolent Association came out in opposition to the “How Many Stops Act”, the Sergeants Benevolent Association took specific issue with Hanks, who had chaired the Council’s Public Safety Committee, voting in favor of the bill.
“Councilwoman Hanks sold herself as being pro law enforcement when she was soliciting union endorsements, but it is now obvious that her promises were devoid of truthfulness or transparency,” the head of the 13,000-member union said.
When the Council overturned Mayor Eric Adams’ veto of the legislation, Hanks, a Democrat, explained her vote on the police stops bill citing concerns about law enforcement’s impact on communities of color, but left an opportunity for possible future reforms.
Hanks, who voted to overturn the mayor’s veto, was one of a host of Council members who joined the NYPD on ride-alongs over the weekend as Mayor Eric Adams attempted to lobby against the veto overrides.
The North Shore councilmember said that ride-along offered additional perspective about the complexities of police stops, particularly those considered low-level investigative stops.
“In neighborhoods like mine, the neighborhood I live in and raise my four children in, statistically, we will have more interaction with police whether we are the bad actors or not. This reporting bill is aimed at aiding the hardworking families who endure both the violence in their communities and the enforcement measures applied by NYPD,” she said. “While I endorse the spirit and the intent behind (this bill)for its increased transparency, I do have concerns about the requirement to report on Level One encounters.”
Opponents of the How Many Stops legislation framed the bill, which has taken effect, as requiring officers to track every single interaction they have with members of the public, but the language of the legislation specifies investigative encounters, while excluding everyday casual conversations.
The bill also requires the NYPD’s quarterly report to include detailed information about the nature of each interaction, including the race, gender and age of the person stopped, the reason for the stop, and the officer’s subsequent actions, like whether they issued a summons or used force.