Citywide Ads in Spanish, Mandarin, and English Highlight Public Safety Rooted in Justice and Accountability
NEW YORK — The Vera Institute of Justice today announced the launch of an initial $500,000 citywide ad campaign aimed at reshaping how Latine and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters in New York City think about crime and public safety. The campaign is part of Vera’s broader effort to move public discourse—and policy—toward evidence-based solutions that prevent crime, deliver justice, and keep communities safe.
As part of the six-figure paid media buy, the ads will run in Spanish, Mandarin, and English across cable networks, connected TV, social media, and other digital platforms through the June 24 primary election. The campaign features a series of humorous yet emotionally resonant spots, including the Spanish-language ad “¿Qué Se Puede Hacer?,” that uplift community-driven approaches to safety and encourage voters to demand more than outdated “tough-on-crime” politics.
“Latine and AAPI voters are not only deeply impacted by issues of crime, living in neighborhoods that are under-invested in, and for some, overpoliced—they’re also among the key voting blocs that will determine the outcome of this year’s mayoral election,” said Alana Sivin, director of Vera’s Greater Justice New York initiative. “Candidates who fail to speak directly to these communities—and ignore their demand for real, evidence-based solutions like housing, care, and crisis response—do so at their own peril. New Yorkers want more than tough talk. They want safety rooted in justice and accountability.”
The ad campaign aligns with Vera’s 2025 mayoral platform for a safer, fairer New York City, which lays out five core ideas grounded in data and popular with NYC voters. The platform urges candidates to reject fear-driven messaging and embrace comprehensive strategies that:
invest in the full range of tools in the public safety toolbox to prevent crime, including housing, crisis response, and treatment;
deliver better, more effective, and more accountable policing that lives up to the responsibility of the role;
make the subways safer by comprehensively addressing the daily signs of crisis and neglect;
support working families and prevent organized retail theft; and
close the Rikers Island jail complex and build real alternatives to incarceration.
“New Yorkers are concerned about crime, but by nearly 20 percentage points, they prefer comprehensive approaches to public safety over returning to the punitive policies of the past,” added Sivin. “Through humor and a light touch, this campaign brings those priorities to the forefront and empowers communities to demand real solutions from the next mayor.”
The ads can be viewed here.
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About Greater Justice New York (GJNY)
The Greater Justice New York (GJNY) initiative at the Vera Institute of Justice works to transform New York’s criminal legal system by advancing policies that promote safety, fairness, and community well-being. Through rigorous research, advocacy, and direct engagement with policymakers, GJNY fights for solutions that reduce harm, end mass incarceration, and ensure a more just future for all New Yorkers.
About the Vera Institute of Justice
The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. Vera’s headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York, with offices in Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit vera.org.
About Vera Action:
Vera Action is an independent 501(c)(4) organization and the advocacy partner of the Vera Institute of Justice. At Vera Action, we harness the power of advocacy, lobbying, and political strategy to end mass incarceration, protect immigrants’ rights, restore dignity to people behind bars, and build safe and thriving communities.
The post NEW ADS: VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE LAUNCHES INITIAL $500K CAMPAIGN TO SHIFT PUBLIC SAFETY NARRATIVE AMONG LATINE & AAPI VOTERS AHEAD OF NYC ELECTIONS appeared first on EMPIRE REPORT NEW YORK 2025® NEW YORK’S 24/7 NEWS SITE.
