As the New York State Attorney General investigates Saratoga Springs’ interactions with Black Lives Matter protesters and potential misuses of police authority, the city has released documents detailing former officials’ attempts to monitor BLM organizers.
Under a Freedom of Information request by WAMC, the City of Saratoga Springs on Wednesday released email and text messages between former city officials, including former Police Chief Shane Crooks, former Mayor Meg Kelly, former Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton, and former Assistant Police Chief John Catone.
The exchanges detail communications ahead of and on the evenings of protests and rallies, including where arrests were made, as well updates on organizer Lexis Figuereo’s whereabouts and plans. The officials often shared screenshots of social media posts and flyers for upcoming events and rallies.
The texts also illustrate disdain for BLM protestors from some officials. In one exchange on the night of a protest, apparently referencing Figuereo, Kelly asks Crooks “Can you call CPS to make sure his kids are being cared for correctly” followed by “I hate these people good job tonight.”
For years now, Figuereo and others have claimed that BLM organizers are unfairly targeted, something he contends the text messages confirm.
“I mean, this is clear as day. It’s the same thing for Albany. Any of the paperwork that we’ve ever seen from any of these things, it’s always ‘Lexis, Lexis, Lexis,’ to try to figure out where I’m at. We continue to be gaslit from people throughout the city that we’re making these things up,” said Figuereo.
Figuereo filed a federal lawsuit against former officials alleging “excessive and unreasonable force” in response to a July 2020 demonstration on Broadway. He says he will continue to pursue additional legal action.
“These are the reasons why we were showing up at meetings angry, these are the reasons why we were protesting, these are part of the reasons why we are doing a lot of the things we are doing, is because of the targeting of activists,” said Figuereo.
Kelly, Dalton, and Crooks did not respond to messages from WAMC Thursday.
In January 2022, responding to allegations of targeting from activists in relation to a July 2021 protest where several were arrested weeks later, Chief Crooks wrote to WAMC in part:
"The arrests were made based off the facts surrounding the incident, not how vocal someone was. The Saratoga Springs Police Department recognizes and respects the right to peacefully and lawfully protest.”
Saratoga Springs Mayor Ron Kim, who oversees the City Attorney’s office, which released the selection of partially redacted documents, says the sharing will not impact the Attorney General investigation. The Democrat, who is seeking a second term this fall, said the city wants to be as “transparent as possible.”
“Light is the best disinfectant. I’ll let people review these texts, emails, et cetera and make up their own minds, as the Attorney General’s office will, but we wanted to just make sure that the information was before the public, and also we’ve already made sure it was before the Attorney General’s office,” said Kim.
The city has been funding the legal expenses for former officials as part of the probe. Again, Kim.
“We have spent over $100,000 in legal fees to defend the various former officials, and I’ve been very transparent about that. I literally announce that at every city council meeting when bills come in, because I want people to understand how much this is costing the city in legal fees for us to defend former city officials,” said Kim.
