The City of Saratoga Springs has begun setting up its long-awaited Civilian Review Board.
Earlier this year, the all-Democrat Saratoga Springs City Council approved an ordinance to establish a Civilian Review Board to foster communication between the city police department and the public.
The creation of a CRB has long been a goal of police reform advocates. An attempt to form a board as recommended by the city’s former Police Reform Task Force under the previous city council fizzled last year.
The five-member CRB will be appointed by the city council.
On September 6th, Mayor Ron Kim named Reverend Michael Bell the board’s first chair.
Kim spoke with WAMC.
“I think Reverend Bell represents a perfect first chair of our civilian review board,” said Kim.
A longtime advocate for police reform, Bell is pastor at Dyer Phelps Memorial AME Zion Church in Saratoga Springs.
Bell worked in congregations across New York before coming to Saratoga Springs. His recent involvement in reform efforts include serving on the Executive Committee of the Monroe County Alliance for the Transformation of Community & Police, formed in 2020 in the wake of the death of Daniel Prude in Rochester and George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis.
“One of the most important things is the community of Saratoga is now ready to begin to move forward and to challenge some old perceptions of the community privilege, and that the community privilege really points to a safe place for a multi-ethnic community, not for a particular community,” said Bell.
Bell points to the community concern over the arrests of protesters last year. The City of Saratoga Springs is currently complying with an investigation by the New York State Attorney General over its arrest and detention of Black Lives Matter protesters in 2021 and other potential misuses of police authority.
Bell told WAMC it’s important to recognize that those arrested were not considered “enemies of the state.”
“And having the idea of a type of warpower acts against citizens of this union without regard to its constitutional priority is just not tolerable today. And I truly believe that what the people are saying is as this mentality has carried on in so many ways – pretextual stops that have been exploitive and abusive and so many things – it is important to pull that back in and redefine it so that we have an opportunity to be proud of the men and women in blue,” says Bell. “And for the most part we are, but there are still things we need to clean up,” said Bell.
After Mayor Kim selected Bell, it will now be up to the other four members of the city council to each choose an individual to serve on the CRB.
Designees serve two-year terms. One appointee must be between the ages of 18 and 29.
During last week’s regular council meeting, councilors drew lots to determine the order in which they will pick their appointments. City Attorney Tony Izzo spoke to the council…
“We have a hat, this hat has actually done volunteer work for the City of Saratoga Springs many times,” said Izzo. “Its last assignment, it was covering up the camera lens during executive sessions when we were over at the rec center. So if anyone would like to come up and examine the hat and the four cards…
With the selection process underway, Mayor Kim believes the CRB is on track to come together quickly.
“We have requested money in the 2023 budget that supports their efforts so I think they’re going to be ready to go. And I it will be a matter of setting up some organizational meetings, I believe, and getting guidance from the city attorney,” said Kim.
The next regular city council meeting is September 20th.
