Blacks in Law Enforcement of America (BLEA)
How many more black boys must die before New York’s political leaders take any action on public safety?
October 30, 2026
New York, NY — Blacks in Law Enforcement of America (BLEA) is condemning the senseless killing of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong, who was shot dead this morning in the Bronx on his way to school. A young boy who should have been in a classroom, getting ready for his future, is now another young life lost to gun violence.
We extend our very deepest sympathies to his father, to his family, and to all of those who are in mourning. That’s not the end of the story, though. We simply can’t stop at offering condolences. We must face the difficult questions that so many political leaders have been quite happy to ignore.
How many more Black boys are going to have to be killed before the elected officials of New York take the threat of violence to our children seriously?
How many more parents are going to have to bury their sons? How many more families are going to have to live with the dread that their children may not come home from school? How many more candlelight vigils are we going to have to go to before the political class finally wake up and realize that the protection of innocent lives is a fundamental responsibility of Government?
The silence of political leadership
We are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the members of the New York State Legislature, the members of the New York City Council and every elected official who represents communities impacted by gun violence to explain what more they will do to protect our children.
We know that several public officials have backed violence prevention initiatives and that the crime stats do show a marked reduction in shootings. The fact that crime is down doesn’t absolve us of the need to look at the failures, especially when a child is killed.
Political leaders can’t just point to the statistics while the grieving families are demanding answers. Every death that could have been prevented deserves to be looked at. Every public safety initiative should be judged on its outcomes.
We also challenge the political culture which too frequently turns public safety into a partisan issue rather than a matter of responsibility for everyone.
Public safety policies must be evaluated by their consequences
New York has made a few significant reforms to its criminal justice system, including with respect to bail, discovery, juvenile justice, and police accountability. These were all reforms adopted in response to genuine concerns about fairness, due process, and unequal treatment.
But no policy should enter the public domain until it has been properly examined.
BLEA is calling for an independent, evidence-based review of whether the current policies are in fact effective in dealing with repeat violent offenders, illegal firearm possession, threats to children and the supervision of those who are clearly a danger to others.
We have to ask whether schools are in fact reporting threats, whether the police have the resources to go in and investigate the violent offenses, whether the prosecutors have the tools to actually prosecute the dangerous offenders, and whether the community violence prevention programs are actually achieving anything at all.
The killing of Javits Frimpong should not be used as a basis for asserting that any law caused his death without any evidence. Instead, it should force government to examine whether every aspect of our public safety system is working as it should.
Accountability cannot be selective
For years, BLEA has championed constitutional policing, professional policing, and accountability when officers breach citizens’ rights.
We will never abandon those principles.
We must also be prepared to hold individuals in our own communities accountable for the violence that destroys families and takes lives.
Where is the same sustained public urgency when a Black child is killed by another member of the community? Where are the coordinated calls for answers, prevention, intervention, and justice?
We know the organizations and community members already doing a great deal to combat neighborhood violence. Our challenge is to the organizations and public figures whose response to these tragedies is either non-existent or wholly inadequate.
Black lives must matter whether the person pulling the trigger wears a police uniform, belongs to a gang, or lives down the street.
A demand for action, not another press conference
BLEA is calling for greater transparency around violent juvenile offenders, better school threat assessment and intervention processes, targeted enforcement on illegal firearms, better witness protection and a real investment in programs that keep young people away from violence.
We also want elected representatives to be upfront about how they assess the effectiveness of public safety legislation and what actions they would take if a piece of legislation failed to achieve its intended outcomes.
This is not a call to abandon our constitutional rights or to go back to the days of blanket policing. It is a call for responsible government, effective policing, meaningful prevention and accountability.
The people of the Bronx deserve more than political promises. Black families all over New York deserve neighborhoods where their kids can walk to school without the constant threat of being shot.
How many more?
As Law Enforcement Professionals, we know government can’t stop every crime. Government has an obligation to continually improve the systems that are in place to protect the public.
The death of Javits Frimpong must be more than just another tragic headline.
We ask New York’s elected officials a simple question:
How many more Black boys must be killed before protecting them becomes a priority that rises above political ideology, partisan loyalty, and public relations?
Our children absolutely deserve to grow up. Their parents deserve to see them through to graduation, go on to build families and be properly integrated into society.
No family should be forced to make the sacrifice of a child prior to the Government realizing the imperative of protecting its citizens.
Public safety isn’t a Republican issue. It’s not a Democratic issue. It’s a human issue. Our children’s lives must come before politics.
Blacks in Law Enforcement of America (BLEA)
Damon K. Jones
New York Representative
Blacks in Law Enforcement of America
Media Contact:
Damon K. Jones
Website: www.bleausa.us
Phone: 914-312-7453
Email: damonkjones@gmail.com
