Noble says he’ll sign legislation regarding police commission

KINGSTON, N.Y. » Mayor Steve Noble says he is willing to sign legislation being considered by the Common Council that would make changes to the way the city police commission is appointed, trained and handles complaints.

“As protests have unfolded across the country, including here in Kingston, demanding justice for George Floyd and the thousands of other people of color who have been killed or injured by members of law enforcement, I have personally been confronted with a hard truth,” Noble wrote in a statement released Saturday evening. “My privilege has allowed me to believe that COVID-19 is

a public health emergency, but racism and police brutality [are] not. Every day, people of color are afraid for their lives — afraid for their children’s lives — because the system that was designed to protect them has also caused devastating harm. This is an emergency, and I am committed to start treating it that way.”

It was the second statement Noble issued in the past week in reference to Floyd’s death and the protests that have resulted. His first was a Facebook post that called on the members of the Common Council to adopt police accountability legislation that he would then sign, but he did not provide specifics about what legislation he would support.

That post came about

an hour after the start of the June 3 “Walk 4 Black Lives” rally and march in Kingston that drew more than 1,500 people protesting racism and calling for police accountability. The event, and a smaller march in the city on May 30, were prompted by the May 25 death of Floyd in Minneapolis. A black man, Floyd died after a white police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes as Floyd was lying on the ground, handcuffed.

Following the mayor’s Facebook post, the three members of the Common Council’s special committee on policing said in a press release that they were glad Noble “finally” pledged his commitment. They said they had been working for nearly two years on police accountability legislation based on a proposal brought forward by the grassroots organization Rise Up Kingston. The lawmakers said they had been ready to move forward but were told by the city’s corporation counsel to wait until after contract negotiations had been finalized with the union representing members of the Kingston Police Department.

That contract is in arbitration.

In his statement Saturday, Noble said the goals of Rise Up Kingston’s proposal include making transparent the guidelines for the appointment process and the composition of the city’s five-member police commission, as well as creating training requirements for the commissioners, and improving the commission’s complaint process. He thanked members of the group and the New York Civil Liberties Union for providing assistance to make sure the legislation fits the city’s needs and does not conflict with its charter.

“The Common Council has made it clear that they are eager to act on this proposal, and I thank them for their diligent work to review this legislation,” Noble said. “I look forward to signing this into law as soon

as the council adopts it and working with our partners in the community to make these important changes.”

Alderwoman Rita Worthington, D-Ward 4, said that when the special committee on policing was told by the corporation counsel that elements of Rise Up Kingston’s proposal would be subject to collective bargaining with the police union, city lawmakers worked toward implementing what they could.

“However, we are also keenly aware that the mayor does have power to change the makeup of the police commission by urging the board to change the bylaws which would create a more open process for transparency for complaints of police misconduct,” Worthington, the chairwoman of the committee, said in an email Monday. “In addition, we favor the mayor’s recommendation to create an advisory board that would provide

oversight to the current police commission.”

Worthington noted the mayor has indicated he wants the legislation “on his desk,” and she said the council will put it there.

Noble, in his statement, said the city has made “significant incremental changes” to its policies and procedures, including equipping every police officer with a body-worn camera, adopting a “Right to Know Act,” and codifying its previously unwritten commitment to not approach anyone based on their immigration status. The city also made its police commission meetings and process more accessible, he said.

“This has been important work, but in order to make real, long-lasting change, we need to dig deeper and look at how the current system supports, conceals or perpetuates institutional oppression,” Noble said.

“This has been important work, but in order to make real, long-lasting change, we need to dig deeper and look at how the current system supports, conceals or perpetuates institutional oppression.”

— Mayor Steve Noble