In the debate and protest swirling around the death of Daniel Prude, Rochester’s Police Accountability Board has been largely ignored.
As members of the community call for accountability, the board today said that’s what it was set up to achieve. In a letter sent to City Hall and to County Executive Adam Bello, board members say there’s now more need than ever for police oversight. The board says it should be part of any county-wide advisory panel on police reform, and part of any conversations between the mayor and police chief on any update of RPD policies.
The PAB was overwhelmingly approved by city voters a year ago, but in May, a court struck down its power to conduct disciplinary hearings of officers accused of using excessive force.