A month after presenting its Policing Reform and Reinvention Plan to the state, Albany is looking to convene a new series of community meetings at a tense time in the city. Mayor Kathy Sheehan, a Democrat running for a third term, tells WAMC the city will release an RFP next week for an outside group to facilitate the conversations.
It comes after city police cleared protestors from their encampment outside a police station in the South End last week in a dramatic scene that has drawn sharp criticism from activists and some city officials.
Civil rights leaders said Tuesday that the clash — where some police officers were seen covering their badge numbers after giving protestors 15 minutes to vacate — eroded trust.
The mayor also discussed forthcoming changes to the city police force’s general orders and dispatch program, as well as the ongoing battle against dirtbikes and ATVs on city streets.
Sheehan spoke with WAMC’s Ian Pickus Wednesday.