The Albany Community Police Review Board continues to grapple with many of the same problems it has faced since plotting a new direction more than two years ago.
CPRB Investigative Chair John Levendosky says the board continues to work with the Albany Police Department on its discipline matrix, described as "a table outlining types of misconduct that warrant discipline, the default action to be taken for that misconduct, with noted adjustments based on the officer’s previous disciplinary incidents." APD’s response to policy recommendations issued by the board regarding the matrix are due back by June 11th.
Levendosky notes there currently are four active independent CPRD investigations involving the use of force and failure to investigate.
He tells WAMC that there's also a staffing issue at hand: a seat on the board opened after Reverend Dr. Victor Collier, a mayoral appointee appointed in 2016, completed his current term.
“One of the things is making sure Reverend Collier’s appointee is appointed in a timely manner," said Levendosky. "Also making sure that the Common Council and mayor's office and department may have to start their meetings with regards to incorporating the CPRB in the city, considering next year we won't be working at the law center so we need something, you know, to get rolling with regards to that.”
Levendosky says the CPRB is still looking to become part of Albany government, hoping to move into city hall when its agreement with the Government Law Center at Albany Law School ends in December. A local law to amend city code to bring CPRB under the government's wing is on the agenda to be introduced at tonight's Common Council meeting.
The board is also setting some boundaries for itself. At last week's meeting panelist Antoinette Santos gave an update on the organization's bylaws committee findings.
“The bylaws committee is discussing creating a boards conflict of interest policy in our in our bylaws, engaging our external counsel, intern, consultants and program manager in these discussions. a focal point of our deliberations involves potential conflicts of interest and exploring the necessity the necessity for board members or the board itself to recuse themselves based on the involvement in cases brought before the CPRB or APD. Central to our mission of holding the APD accountable to the public, is ensuring that our evaluations and reviews uphold principles of impartiality, objectivity, fairness, and equitable treatment for all stakeholders, the public, complainants officers and the department,” said Santos.
After voters granted the nine-member panel new powers more than two years ago, including the ability to conduct its own independent investigations into complaints filed against police officers, the board is still working on its relationship with APD including transparency issues, aiming to ensure that mediation and all police community interactions serve their intended purposes.
All in all, Levendosky says the board is moving toward achieving its goals. “I'd rather something be slow and sustainable, rather than fast and, you know, then and fragile or fast and not consistent. So we are making regular progress, there are going to be obstacles with this process, it's new, and it's we're all kind of learning how best to operate with regards to what we're doing and what's with the city. And once we hit the obstacles, we look for and solve problems and wait for the outcomes and adjust from there. So, you know, we're hopefully optimistic with where it's going and what we're doing. And, you know, we are, there are road bumps along the way, but overall, you know, we're happy that we have the support of the community with Local Law J and we're happy that, you know, being incorporated in the city would be a more sustainable path to keep this entity going and progressing as we are,” Levendosky said.
