The Schenectady Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative will meet for the first time tonight.
After George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis Police custody in May, Governor Andrew Cuomo directed localities to review police policies and present a report by April 2021, with state funding at risk.
The Schenectady Police Department has faced intense calls for reform from local activists in recent months, after a city officer was filmed appearing to place his knee on a man’s neck and head during an arrest in July.
Speaking with WAMC News last month, Police Chief Eric Clifford said he welcomes community dialogue.
“I’ll be talking to the mayor about holding town halls frequently so that we can get members of the community the opportunity to come speak to us. Because I believe there’s more than just one group of people that have concerns about policing in this community. And we want to give every group the opportunity to speak about what’s important to them,” said Clifford.
Schenectady’s virtual meetings will be streamed online and on TV. The city announced nine meetings running through November 12 featuring community groups, public safety officials, faith groups, neighborhood associations, businesses, and youth and education groups.
