police reform

The United Christian Leadership Ministry has announced its proposals related to changes to policing in Monroe County. The proposals come in response to Governor Cuomo’s executive order on police reform. UCLM’s recommendations include a citizen review panel, additional training for officers, and racial justice education.

We discuss the proposals with our guests:

• Reverend Lewis Stewart, president of United Christian Leadership Ministry
• Reverend Wanda Wilson, team leader for the UCLM police reform proposals on body warn cameras
• Frank Staropoli, team coordinator for the UCLM police reform proposals
  

The City of Rochester unveiled a survey on police reform Monday, but some residents argue that the way that questions are worded is problematic.

City councilmember Mary Lupien said around 20 people have reached out to her with concerns over the wording of the survey within the first 24 hours of it’s release. 

The death of Daniel Prude has led to questions about how police are trained to handle a variety of situations. Marvin Stepherson retired as a police sergeant with 25 years of service in local law enforcement. He now teaches at Roberts Wesleyan, and comments regularly on police-community relations.

Stepherson talks about how he sees the Prude case and what kind of change is possible within police structures. Our guest:

• Marvin Stepherson, professor of criminal justice at Roberts Wesleyan College, and retired police sergeant 

Since a video of the arrest of Daniel Prude was released two weeks ago, calls for police reform have grown louder and more insistent.

Prude died a week after he suffocated when pinned to the pavement by Rochester police officers, who had been called to check on his mental health.

Citizens, activists, and elected leaders are pointing to a program in Oregon as an example of how a community should respond to these kinds of calls.

We continue our conversation issues surrounding Daniel Prude, who died , We welcome members of the Rochester Police Accountability Board to discuss policing in Rochester and possible reforms. We're also joined by Rochester CITY Newspaper reporter Gino Fanelli, who discusses his recent piece examining 50 years of police reform in Rochester.

Our guests:

• Shani Wilson, chair of the Rochester Police Accountability Board
• Danielle Tucker, member of the Rochester Police Accountability Board
• Drorah Setel, member of the Rochester Police Accountability Board
• Gino Fanelli, reporter for Rochester CITY Newspaper
  

The death of Daniel Prude in Rochester police custody has sparked local demonstrations and outreach across the country. Connections is devoting both hours to this story. In our first hour, we hear from community leaders who have been calling for various reforms. They respond to the mayor's claims that she had to keep this case quiet, along with her claims that Rochester does not have the problems that other cities have when it comes to policing. We also discuss other possible reforms.

Our guests:

• Rev. Lewis Stewart, president of United Christian Leadership Ministry
• Danielle Ponder, diversity and inclusion office for the Monroe County Public Defender's Office
• Adrian Hale, strategic initiatives manager at the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, and community leader

The New York Sheriffs' Association wants to beef up penalties for people who commit crimes against law enforcement.

Executive Director Peter Kehoe said crimes against officers, like stalking and assault, have been on the rise in recent years. 

He also said doxxing, or revealing personal information about officers, is also increasing. 

Most police officers do not live in the cities they serve. That's not necessarily the case in smaller towns, but it's true in cities like Rochester and most larger cities. Is there a harm in allowing police officers to live outside the city they serve?

Now, with the national focus on improving policing, there is growing momentum for new requirements on where police live. What are the benefits to this change? Is it fair? Our guests discuss it:

• Simeon Banister, vice president of community programs at the Rochester Area Community Foundation
• Danielle Ponder, diversity and inclusion officer for the Monroe County Public Defender's Office
• Kellie McNair, co-lead of the Pathstone Foundation's antiracism curriculum project
• Shane Wiegand, co-lead of the Pathstone Foundation's antiracism curriculum project

We’re joined by members of the United Christian Leadership Ministry to discuss police reform in America. The ministry was founded in 2010; since then, members have advocated for police accountability and policies regarding body worn cameras. Our guests share their perspectives on Rochester City Council’s recent budget vote as it relates to defunding police, and their priorities and recommendations for police reform both locally and nationally. Our guests:

• Reverend Lewis Stewart, president of United Christian Leadership Ministry
• Alex White, co-chair of the United Christian Leadership Ministry Community Justice Advisory Board
• Kerry Coleman, chair of community police relations of United Christian Leadership Ministry