Rochester City Council announced the members of the first nine-member Police Accountability Board on Wednesday.
Voters in November approved a referendum that created the controversial board that would have the power to investigate and punish police officers they deem guilty of misconduct.
Whether the board will ultimately get to exercise that power is still up in the air. Lawyers for the city and the Rochester Police Locust Club are in a fight over the legality of the measure.
The board consists of four people chosen by the Police Accountability Board Alliance -- a citizens group that has advocated for the board-- one person selected by Council members from each of the city's four quadrants and one person selected by the mayor.
The Police Accountability Board members are:
- PABA representatives: Jonathan Dollhopf, Miquel Powell, Shani Wilson, and Dr. Celia McIntosh.
- Council representatives: Dr. Robert Harrison III (East), Ida Perez (Northeast), Rabbi Drorah Setel (Northwest), and the Rev. Matthew Nickoloff (South).
- Mayoral representative: The Rev. Dr. Rickey B. Harvey.
In a statement, Council President Loretta Scott said that having people with varying backgrounds and expertise on the board is key, as is board leadership experience.
“The members selected come from neighborhoods across the city; they have different backgrounds and experiences, and are representative of the different ethnicities, races, genders, ages and religious affiliations of our residents,” said Scott. “They represent advocates for the LGBTQ+ communities and the deaf and hard-of-hearing community; they include a veteran of the United States Armed Forces; clergy leaders and medical experts.”
The terms will conclude on June 30. Members will then be appointed on staggered terms.
PAB Legislation - COW Int. 30 by WXXI News on Scribd
