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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Scarlett Thompson, Senior Prevention Coordinator at New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault
6:38:38
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138 sec
Scarlett Thompson from the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault testified about the importance of sexual violence prevention in New York City nightlife. She requested $300,000 in funding for Outsmart NYC, a program that trains nightlife staff to recognize and intervene in potentially harmful situations.
- Highlighted alarming statistics on sexual violence, including a survey showing 70% of nightlife staff frequently witness sexual violence at work
- Described Outsmart's work in training over 100 venues and providing safety advocacy for large events
- Emphasized the high demand for their services and the need for additional funding to expand their reach
Scarlett Thompson
6:38:38
Good afternoon.
6:38:40
Thank you for the opportunity to speak here today.
6:38:42
My name is Scarlett Thompson.
6:38:43
I use she, her pronouns and I am a senior prevention coordinator at the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault.
6:38:51
I'm here today to speak with you about an often missed point when it comes to conversations about criminal justice, which is preventing harm before it can even happen.
6:39:01
I'm asking you today to commit to investing $300,000 to support Outsmart NYC, a program that focuses specifically on sexual violence prevention within New York City Night Life.
6:39:14
This program is a collaborative effort with the Crime Victims Treatment Center and a collective of people who work in night life, some of whom have joined me on this panel today.
6:39:24
The rates of sexual violence in The US are staggering.
6:39:28
One in two trans or gender nonconforming people, one in four women, and one in six men will experience sexual violence in their lifetimes.
6:39:37
Last year, we conducted a survey of New York City Nightlife Workers in which seventy percent of the nightlife staff who responded said that they frequently witnessed sexual violence at work and sixty percent had experienced sexual violence at work.
6:39:53
Outsmart works to prevent sexual violence by training staff to recognize and intervene in harm.
6:40:00
We work with managers and owners on policies and environmental changes that increase safety and providing support resources to the nightlife community.
6:40:09
We have trained over 100 venues that range from small wine bars on the Lower East Side to clubs that host thousands of people a night in Bushwick.
6:40:18
We also provide safety advocacy for massive events like Red Bull's Culture Clash event last year and Pride events throughout June.
6:40:26
Our team here at Outsmart has been working tirelessly to support patrons and staff for over ten years now, and we know how much further our reach could go if the city council allotted the $300,000 we are requesting.
6:40:39
Even without the staffing we need to conduct outreach, the demand for our programming far outstrips our current staff capacity to meet it.
6:40:48
I implore you to invest in community based safety efforts led by and for the people who make up the heart of New York City nightlife.