The Rochester Coalition for Police Reform is proposing an overhaul of Rochester’s civilian police review board, replacing it with a “Police Accountability Board” that would independently investigate complaints of police abuse.
The report written by Barbara Lacker-Ware and Ted Forsyth calls for the Rochester City Council to enact what it calls a “robust civilian oversight system.”
Currently police internal affairs investigates complaints and submits its findings to the Chief of Police and the Civilian Review Board for review. But the board has no power to investigate on its own. The report’s backers say this lacks transparency and accountability. Speakers at a news conference today say it perpetuates a “system of officer misconduct resulting in ongoing mistreatment of some civilians in Rochester.”