Police chief turns to Lexipol
California company will help train local department
Acting Police Chief Frances Wall is turning to a California company that trains law enforcement officers to help her department prepare for a comprehensive review of its policies with an eye toward the eventual earning of state accreditation.
“She recognizes how important it is to have policies and procedures in place and Lexipol will aid in that initiative," Niskayuna town Supervisor Yasmine Syed said during a recent conversation about some of the changes Wall has made since becoming leader of the police department in July.
Syed said the decision to join Lexipol, which will cost Niskayuna $8,863 a year, is one of many moves Wall has made. She was appointed acting chief when then-police Chief Dan Mcmanus was placed on paid leave while the town investigated allegations that he and another police administrator may have violated town policies.
At the time, Syed said the alleged improprieties had nothing to do with police brutality. The findings of that probe by the town's outside council have not been made
public.
Mcmanus retired in early September.
Lexipol LLC is a Californiabased company that provides policy manuals, training bulletins, and consulting services to law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and other public safety departments. The Schenectady Police Department also uses Lexipol.
Wall, who did not return calls seeking comment for this story, has also changed the job title of patrolman to police officer.
“I think is a great first step to making law enforcement, particularly in Niskayuna and our police department, more open and inclusive,” Syed said.
The department plans to order new uniforms and badges to reflect the name change.
Besides Wall, there are three other women on the now 29member Niskayuna police force.
“In addition to having the four female officers, we have a wide range of ethnic and racial backgrounds too, so we’re blessed and lucky in that sense,” added Syed.
Wall, who has 36 years on the force and is the first woman to lead the department, has also instituted a wellness program. She also plans to ramp up community outreach efforts in a bid to forge a stronger bond with residents.
Syed said that the community is in the process of hammering out possible police reforms to comply with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's executive order that requires cities, towns and villages to reinvent their police departments by addressing use of force by officers, crowd management, implicit bias awareness training, and more. Municipalities face the loss of state aid if reforms are not made.
Niskayuna has formed a task force to examine racial equity and justice. It will carry out a comprehensive review of the town’s programs, policies, and services to identify disparities and then devise a plan to address them.
Wall’s rise to the top post has not been without some controversy.
In 2009, Wall, a police sergeant at the time, sued thenPolice Chief Lewis Moskowitz alleging gender bias in federal court. Wall accused Moskowitz of passing her over several times on promotions to lieutenant while less qualified male colleagues were elevated. Ultimately, a federal jury rejected her claims.
Wall graduated from Niskayuna High School in 1979 and was honorably discharged as a sergeant from the Marine Corps in 1985.