2021 POLICE REFORM AND REINVENTION COLLABORATIVE PLAN

Background:

On June 12, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued an Executive Order called the NEW YORK STATE POLICE REFORM AND REINVENTION COLLABORATIVE (EO 203: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/no-203-new-york-state-police-reform-and-reinvention-collaborative). This mandate calls for the formation of a local committee to work with their police agencies to update policing policies and practices with stakeholder input. In July 2020, Dr. Jill O’Malley was appointed by the Town as Facilitator of this project and the main committee called the Tonawanda Reform and Reinvention Collaborative was formed over the month of August. Because of COVID, meetings are limited at this time to committee members, however, all Committee materials (including meeting minutes, PowerPoints, project summary and supporting documents) are available for the public and can be found here: https://bit.ly/TonawandaRRC.

Mission:

The mission of the Tonawanda Reform and Reinvention Collaborative is to proactively evaluate, modify and modernize Town of Tonawanda policing strategies, policies, procedures and practices to better address the needs of the Town of Tonawanda with a focus on communities of color to promote public safety, improve community engagement, and foster trust. (EO No. 203 ¶11)

Vision:

Tonawanda Reform and Reinvention Collaborative will work together to create and recommend a plan which address the needs of the community of the Town of Tonawanda served by police and use this plan to promote community engagement to foster trust, fairness, and legitimacy, and to address any racial bias and disproportionate policing of communities of color. (EO No. 203 ¶16). The plan will be constructed upon the pillars of Procedural Justice from U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:

• fairness in the processes
• opportunities for voice
• transparency in actions
• impartiality in decision making

Goals:

• Perform a comprehensive review of current police force deployments, strategies, policies, procedures and practices. (EO No. 203 ¶16)

• Develop a plan to improve such deployments, strategies, policies, procedures, and practices. (EO No. 203 ¶16)

Committee Composition: (EO No. 203 ¶18)

• Police Leadership
• Members of the community (EO indicates with emphasis in areas with high numbers of police and community interactions)
• Non-Profit representative
• Faith-Based representative
• District Attorney rep
• Local Public Defender Rep
• Local Elected Officials

Proposed Timeline:

• September – October 2020: “Listening and Learning”
  • Listening sessions: organized through Park Talks and subcommittees
  • Engage experts: background information on Town, Police Training and Policy already in place
  • Request comments and information: public comment can be submitted to the Supervisors office. Also public and internal police surveys will be conducted.
• November – December 2020: Draft Plan
  • Identify Areas of Focus
  • Identify Measurable Goals
  • Draft a reform and reinvention plan
  • Keep public engaged
• January – March 2021: Public comment and ratification
  • Presentation of plan to the public with opportunity for public input (EO No. 203 ¶19)
  • Educate the public
  • Revise the plan to incorporate public comment
  • Committee makes final plan revisions and submits to Town Board for Review
• March 2021: Certification that plan has been developed in accordance with EO 203 is sent to the Director of the Division of Budget

Important Contacts

Collaborative Supervisor
Town of Tonawanda Chief of Police James Stauffiger
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Municipal Administrator
Town of Tonawanda Supervisor Joseph Emminger
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Comments or Questions:
Dr. Jill O'Malley, Facilitator
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Important Info

• Public access to TRRC Committee materials can be found here: https://bit.ly/TonawandaRRC

• For questions/comments/input: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (716) 877-8804

• Police Reform Guidelines: https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/Police_Reform_Workbook81720.pdf

• Procedural Justice Information: https://cops.usdoj.gov/prodceduraljustice

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MINUTES FROM EACH MEETING