Is Hydrofracking in New York State really a foregone conclusion?
“Fracking is going to happen!†says Pittsburgh Authority at Rochester Medical School Talk.
Dr. Bernard Goldstein, an environmental health researcher and professor of public health at the University of Pittsburgh, spoke in Rochester about the potential health implications of Marcellus Shale gas development. The talk, sponsored by the University of Rochester Medical Center, took place on July 20th and was well attended by students, faculty and community members. “This fracking issue is the most contentious public health concern that I have seen in my long career, says Goldstein. I don’t take a position on it but I will say I think they are going too fast and are doing things that are not backed up by research. We don’t know the effects of much of what will occur.â€
Dredging Up the Past on Police Union President Mike Mazzeo
Police union president Mike Mazzeo is no stranger to police corruption, the violation of citizens' civil rights, or media attention. Back in the late 80s and early 90s Mazzeo was a vice squad officer with the Highway Interdiction Team—a squad that used to rough up and bust up alleged low-level drug dealers. For all of his trouble, he and five other officers—including the police chief—were federally indicted on 19 counts alleging police brutality, conspiracy to violate the civil rights of suspects, embezzlement, falsification of government documents, falsification of employee time cards and other corruption. While he and his four colleagues were acquitted, officer after officer—in both high and low places in the RPD—admitted to the same abuse of power that Mazzeo was charged with. In today's world, when one sees our bold police union president rattling off his rendition of events and forcefully grasping his podium at the Locust Club, it just makes good sense to hear everything he says "with a grain of salt."
Additional Information: Rochester Police Arrest Citizen for Taping Traffic Stop | Police Union Responds to Good Case with Inaccuracies; Bars Indymedia Access | Breaking: Public Safety Chair says "The City of Rochester has lost control of its police force."
Other Investigations into Police Misconduct and Conspiracy: Historic conviction of cop torturer only partial justice, say activists | "Kicking The Pigeon"—a 17-part series on police corruption and brutality in Chicago | Q&A: Feds Investigating Portland Police Department | New Orleans police face trial in post-Katrina killings | Feds launch investigation of Newark police dept. | San Francisco District Attorney’s Office turns police investigation over to feds | Feds launch civil rights investigation of Seattle Police
The Pink Ruler Boys, The Parking Violations Bureau, and a Tale of Corruption...
I took in my somewhat crumpled ticket. It's taken me awhile to decide how to handle my anger over this petty bullying. Finally, with some good advice from Rochester Police Accountability Coalition friends, I pleaded not guilty and asked for the supportive deposition in the case so I could see how the cops had written their complaint. A hearing time was set for this afternoon and I was surprised to be called up in a matter of minutes. As you can see on the paper they handed me, the case was dismissed. "Good news!" the clerk exclaimed. Not because it was unjust. Not for illegal selective reinforcement. Not because the chief understood that his men were scoundrels, intimidating citizens doing nothing more than questioning injustice.
But because they wanted to hide the truth.
Video: Davy V. Exposes Rochester Police Intimidation Tactics in front of 285 Clarissa St.
Additional Information: Rochester Police Arrest Citizen for Taping Traffic Stop | Police Harass Community Members Attending Meeting in Support of Emily Good | Breaking: Public Safety Chair says "The City of Rochester has lost control of its police force."
Good, Lightfoot, Frazier Confront City Newspaper's Lack of Coverage and Misinformation
On Friday, July 8, at 11:00AM, Emily Good, Willie Joe Lightfoot, and Donald Frazier met with City Newspaper editor Christine Carrie Fien and journalist Jeremy Moule to discuss City Newspaper's lack of coverage around the issues of racial profiling, police accountability, and citizens' rights.
Good also wanted to question Fien about her unresearched and libelous editorial—"Emily Good and a Series of Unfortunate Events"—that was published on July 6, 2011. To date, there has been no retraction or correction of Fien's editorial and City Newspaper has failed to produce any article about the concerns raised in the meeting.
This Indymedia Uncut video runs about an hour and ten minutes.
Additional Information: Rochester Police Arrest Citizen for Taping Traffic Stop | Monroe County Legislator Willie Joe Lightfoot Talks About His Arrest on May 4, 2011 | Breaking: Public Safety Chair says "The City of Rochester has lost control of its police force." | It's Criminal to Profile
Monroe County Legislator Willie Joe Lightfoot Talks About His Arrest on May 4, 2011
Monroe County Legislator Willie Joe Lightfoot was arrested on May 4th, 2011 because he held Rochester Police Department officers accountable when they threatened to punch a suspect in the face—after he was in custody—outside of Lightfoot's barber shop on Jefferson Avenue. For doing the right thing, Lightfoot was arrested and charged with DWI, Obstruction of Governmental Administration, Disorderly Conduct, and Failure to Take a Breathalyzer. In court, three of his charges were dropped because he took a plea deal for DWI—even though he was neither driving at the time of his arrest nor drunk. He is a Rochester firefighter, Monroe County legislator, and community activist. Lightfoot is also an honorably discharged veteran.
In the interview, Lightfoot narrates events that unfolded on May 4th with the help of the security camera footage from his shop. He talks about what happened after his arrest, his thoughts on how the media framed his case, the need for citizens to document police abuse, and his current passion—P.A.T.C.H—a support group for people abused by police—among other things. The video runs around a half hour.
Video:
Security Camera Footage: Footage on Youtube.com
Additional Information: YNN: RPD Thrust into National Spotlight | D&C: On CNN, Lightfoot calls for external inquiry into RPD | CNN: Video: Lawmaker claims police retaliation | Breaking: Public Safety Chair says "The City of Rochester has lost control of its police force." | It's Criminal to Profile
Breaking: Public Safety Chair says "The City of Rochester has lost control of its police force."
On June 29, 2011, City Council member Adam McFadden wrote a memo to Mayor Thomas S. Richards, Police Chief James Sheppard, and City Council President Lovely A. Warren warning them that the "City of Rochester has lost control of its police force."
"From my first day in office almost eight years ago and long before I became Chair of City Council's Public Safety Committee, an overwhelming number of calls to my office were the complaints of private citizens about their treatment by the Rochester Police Department. The overwhelming majority of these complaints were made by people of color; and overwhelmingly, these complaints were ignored by various administrations and police chiefs," wrote McFadden.
Further down the memo, McFadden goes on to say that, "Our policing system is broken," and that "We are on the verge of a public safety disaster."
He called it "shameful" that the RPD has done little to "improve minority hiring practices."
The memo: Adam McFadden's memo to Mayor Richards, Chief Sheppard, and City Council President Warren
It's Criminal to Profile
On June 27th, 2011, Rochester police chief James Sheppard held a press conference to answer questions about the unlawful arrest of local Rochester resident Emily Good while she was filming a traffic stop in front of her home in the 19th Ward in May of this year. During the conference, the chief maintained that his officer was not using racial profiling, but was instead using "criminal profiling" to determine if the black man in the traffic stop should be detained. Sheppard asserted that there was nothing wrong with criminal profiling and that the RPD would continue the practice with his support.
Rochester Indymedia Coverage of Emily Good's Case: Racial Profiling and the Emily Good Case: We Need Discussion Not Defensiveness | Rochester Police Arrest Citizen for Taping Traffic Stop | Police Harass Community Members Attending Meeting in Support of Emily Good | Good's Home Broken Into on Same Day as Community Member Intimidation by RPD | VIDEO: Rally In Rochester, NY for Police Accountability on 6/27/11 | DA Drops Charge Against Good! | VIDEO: Emily Good Walks Out of Court to Applause By Community | VIDEO: Chief Sheppard Press Conference, June 27, 2011 | Police Union Responds to Good Case with Inaccuracies; Bars Indymedia Access | VIDEO: Emily Good Press Conference July 5, 2011
Additional Information: ACLU's page on racial profiling | Racial Profiling Data Collection Resource Center | Injustice Everywhere: The National Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting Project | Critical Resistance
Police Union Responds to Good Case with Inaccuracies; Bars Indymedia Access
On June 30, 2011, Rochester Indymedia was turned away from a police union press conference at the Locust club. The press conference was called to publicize the police narrative of what happened between Emily Good and members of the RPD on May 12 2011. Members of local media were invited to cover the event. Mike Mazzeo, Police Locust Club Union President, delivered the statement just 3 days after Emily Good's Obstruction Charges were dropped by the District Attorney. His statement is riddled with inaccuracies and attempts to muddle the facts of what is clear in the original arrest video.
Police Harass Community Members Attending Meeting in Support of Emily Good
During a public meetig to discuss support for Emily Good and issues on police accountability, the Rochester Police Department appeared at the Flying Squirrel Community Space to harass and intimidate attendees. Watch the video by clicking the image. You can also check out (by clicking) Davy V. Exposes Rochester Police Intimidation Tactics in front of 285 Clarissa St. and see the unedited, rough cut.
Channel 8 requested a response to alleged death threats that some Rochester police have allegedly received. Here is Rochester Indymedia journalist Dawn Zuppelli's response.
Other cases of Harassment and Abuse by the RPD: 7 Arrested in Eviction Defense at 9 Ravenwood Ave. | Demonstrators Speak Out Against War and Police Brutality on Anniversary | RPD Surveillance of Picket Raises Concerns | Rochester's New Police Accountability Coalition | RCSD Parent Speaks Out Against Teacher/Police Misconduct | Rochester Calls for New Independent Civilian Review Board After October 7th Police Riot | Police Brutally Attack Funk the War | Police Attack on Funk the War Still Raising Issues | Indy TV #27: Davy V on Police Brutality and Fighting back with Video Documentary | Personal account of police brutality here in Rochester | Mapping the Police State: Police Cameras, Maps, and You! | The Continuing Abuse of Zero Tolerance policy | Six queer-bashed. Police response? Brutality.
Rochester's Puerto Rican Festival--Unwelcoming to Other Latinos!
Last month, Ida Perez, who writes for La Voz newspaper, decided to take some shots at me in her column. She called me out on my May debut column, in which I confronted White America's Racism and Prejudice against Latinos. As a filmmaker, who has exposed Police Brutality and Misconduct, here in my hometown of Rochester, I am used to controversy. I'm also known to confront and speak out on issues when most people are afraid to do so. So while I respect this writer's opinion, I think it was a little "out of class", to call me out, another fellow writer and contributor to La Voz.
In her article, titled "Racism Among Our Own" the writer points out how Latinos are very divided within our own cultures. The writer even uses the word "segregation" to describe the division among different Latino cultures. I think it's a little hypocritical of this writer to say these things, especially since the writer sits on the board of the Puerto Rican Festival. A festival who has been around for 42 years! And a festival who clearly, by its name, practices it's own form of divisiveness, and exclusion of all Latino cultures, except Puerto Ricans.
Also from Davy V.: Davy V. Confronts White America's Racism and prejudice against Latinos | Indy TV #27: Davy V on Police Brutality and Fighting back with Video Documentary | Davy V. Exposes Rochester Police Intimidation Tactics in front of 285 Clarissa St.