Justice for Tyre Nichols

LWVSC stands with our community partner, MLK Saratoga, in condemning the murder of Tyre Nichols and calling for accountability. Justice calls for change in the racist systems perpetuating the unconscionable number of deaths of Black people committed under the veil of public safety.

MLK Saratoga statement:

MLK Saratoga demands justice for Tyre Nichols and the countless Black people who are disproportionally violated and murdered by police. Justice that includes both accountability for the officers who beat and killed Tyre, and also calls for accountability for the systems which consistently perpetuate this violence.

Justice will not bring back the lives of Tyre Nichols or any others who have been murdered by law enforcement. But we can honor these precious lives by fighting for a democracy that values each and every person. When our systems continue to enact violence on Black bodies, our democracy is fractured and our humanity is compromised.

All over the United States, people are demonstrating and protesting in the streets to demand justice and to visibly and collectively mourn. This is what a healthy democracy looks like. We stand with these activists as they exercise their right to assemble and voice their grief and outage.

We mourn with the family of Tyre Nichols. We hold them and the families of other victims of police violence in our hearts. May our collective mourning and outrage bring us closer together. We must employ Dr. King’s Beloved Community Mindset to bring meaningful change to these unjust systems, and healing to our wounded nation.

Ann Marie Pendergast 2/2/2023

Saratoga Springs Police / Public Safety Comments

Statement regarding Saratoga Springs Police and Public Safety June 28th Press Conference

The League of Women Voters of Saratoga County absolutely supports individual rights including the right to protest. The right to assess government actions and indeed criticize the government is a cornerstone of democracy. Unfortunately, statements made at the Public Safety Department’s press conference on June 28th linking protests and criticism of the police to increases in criminal activity appear to be aimed to intimidate those who exercise that right.

We acknowledge the efforts of the police and city leaders to listen to citizen concerns during the publicly held discussions this past year as part of the Governor’s executive order on police reform. We encourage public officials and leaders to continue the dialogue, to build public trust and positive community relationships by supporting community participation in policy and decision-making, increasing transparency through the timely dissemination of information to the public, and unequivocally supporting the right to protest.

Like many organizations, the League has recently recommitted to working toward equity and inclusion, not only within the League itself but also in the communities it serves. We acknowledge systemic racism and look within our own organization and every level of government to eradicate it. The League recognizes that the individual liberties of Persons of Color are not being equally protected. We believe that racial and economic factors influence the treatment of citizens in the law enforcement system. Improving equity involves increasing justice and fairness for all members of our community within the procedures and processes of all systems.

—-

See article in the Times Union on July 8, 2021: “League of Women Voters joins condemnation of Saratoga officials” https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/League-of-Women-Voters-joins-condemnation-of-16301735.php

Reviewing Community Policing

Reviewing Community Policing in the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department

On June 12 of this year, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an Executive Order (# 203) requiring all Police Departments within NYS, in response to the public outcry over the deaths of people of color at the hands of the police (think Eric Garner, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, etc.) to examine their practices, policies, and deployment strategies, and present a plan to assure that their policing was not biased. The plan was to be reviewed and approved by stakeholders, and submitted to NYS by April 1, 2021. Failure to submit a plan would mean they were not eligible for state or federal funding. Here’s a link to the Executive Order and its requirements.

It took Preston Allen, chair of the Board of Supervisors, until October to appoint a committee, which had its organizational meeting on October 27. The makeup of the committee has been criticized because it contains only County officials and not community stakeholders. The minutes of the committee are available on the county’s website through a link on the home page. But it isn’t easy to find unless you happen to know that “Éxecutive Order 203 Compliance Group” is in actuality the Police Review committee that was required in response to the Black Live Matter demonstrations and the executive order.

The committee says that it wants public input, and has developed a survey that it asks community members to complete. Supervisor Gaston and Round Lake Mayor Putman both commented that the reading level of the survey is at the college level, and that the survey is long and detailed. I did take the survey today – it takes about a half an hour, and is focused on policies. In my answers I pointed out that policies that seem unbiased are fine, but have to be monitored for compliance. I urge you to complete the survey, and also encourage members of groups who feel that they have been targeted by the police to complete the survey. Here’s the survey link.
Barbara Thomas