Police reform panel to hold first meeting
The town’s Police Reform Committee is to hold its initial meeting Thursday evening and review the state mandate regarding policy changes needed to address any racial bias or disproportionate policing of communities of color.
The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Town Hall.
The committee, established by the Town Board, comprises 13 members: Dr. Walter Woodley, King’s Fire Church Pastors Joshua Ortman and Daniel Ray, Jess Davis, Wayne Spanier, Marlene Andresen-Butler, Edward Steedle, Stephanie Pleschette, Stewart Dean, Henry Yost, Donald Gottleib, Eileen Murphy and Jon Brown.
“During the months of September and October, we’ll be ... listening and learning,” Town Board member Clayton VanKleeck said. “In November, we look to be doing draft initial proposals. In January, we have to open it up for public comment, and then revise and ratify in March.”
In an executive order mandating a review of police policies across New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo threatened to withhold aid from any county or municipality with a police agency that does not submit recommendations for local changes by April 1, 2021.
“The director of the [state] Division of the Budget shall be authorized to condition receipt of future appropriated state or federal funds upon filing of such certification for which such local government would otherwise be eligible,” Cuomo’s order stated.
The New York guidelines for evaluating police practices state that committees “must perform a comprehensive review of current police force deployments, strategies, policies, procedures and practices, and develop a plan ... to foster trust, fairness and legitimacy, and to address any racial bias and disproportionate policing of communities of color.”
Cuomo’s order and the specific guidelines were issued after the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd, who was Black, died after a white police office ground a knee into Floyd’s neck for early nine minutes while Floyd was on the ground. Floyd’s death, and those of other Blacks at the hands of police, have resulted in months of protests, some violent, in numerous American cities.
Ulster Police Chief Kyle Berardi said members of the town committee are being encouraged to discuss matters publicly and accept community input.
“Obviously ... the town of Ulster is made up of many more residents and people that have concerns or interests in this matter,” Berardi said. “They can bring that dialogue to our meetings, and hopefully they can share that information back to their friends and neighbors and hopefully engage in more conversation.”