Local News

On April 10, 2015, the Rochester Coalition for Police Reform (CPR) invited Professional Standards Section (PSS) (the Rochester Police Department's internal affairs unit) to present on what they do and how they operate. Listen to the audio with notes above.

The presenters were Lieutenant Michael Callari, PSS Commanding Officer and Sergeant Robert Snow, PSS Investigating Sergeant.

Listening to the Lieutenant and the Sergeant, I was struck by the obvious deployment of public relations jujitsu and propaganda, where the PSS mission "...is to preserve the integrity and professionalism of the RPD." I did not hear "hold officers accountable," nor did I see any sign of meaningful transparency or justice. Ask either of these guys to talk to you about their "unbiased" investigations or about the integrity of their investigative process, and I'm sure they could have gone on for days. I did hear about certain New York State laws that make police disciplinary records inaccessible to the public because of confidentiality concerns and that if we wanted to change the system, it needed to be done legislatively, by us, not these same officers supposedly interested in justice, transparency, and truth.

At 3:23 in this video interview [above] of Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch’s infamous pre-Superbowl press conference he has a “shout-out to Westbrook.” Russell Westbrook is the other mega sports star who began sabotaging the press with non-interviews. In the January 17th, post-game interview [below] Westbrook answers every question posed to him with “we did a good job of executing.” After a half dozen of those, Berry Tramel - a sports columnist for an Oklahoma newspaper finally asks, “Are you upset with somethin’?” Westbrook pauses a second, stares right at Tramel and says, “I just don’t like you.”

The more telling shout-out from Lynch comes at 3:42 of the video where he says “shout out to my real Africans out there.” On two different occasions during that interview he acknowledged the black members of the press with “what’s up my African.” Just in case that exchange didn’t spell it out for the ruling sport reporting caste, Lynch and Westbrook have a problem with you.

That problem is the “1.3 percent doctrine” a term coined by Scoop Jackson - a sports writer for ESPN who just so happens to be black. He references a 2006 study conducted by the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) and the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports at the University of Central Florida. The study found the number of black sports editors at APSE newspapers in America to be four out of 305, which equates to 1.3 percent.

On April 1, 2015, George Douglass was forcibly evicted from his home by the Rochester Police Department under the orders of Wells Fargo bank.

An eviction of this magnitude & force, utilizing 10+ police cars and 20 or so officers plus marshal Sande Macaluso and a subcontractor diving a truck with plates from Michigan, hasn't been seen since the eviction of Virginia Henry and before her
Catherine Lennon in 2011.

"I feel violated, I really do. I feel terrible, but I'm going to hold on" said Mr. Douglass.

Community members and Take Back The Land Rochester arrived on the scene to bear witness and support George.

"I just want to thank every one for coming out here, and everything," said Mr. Douglass.

George Douglass evicted! Shame on Wells Fargo!

George Douglass EVICTED! an interview

Former political prisoner and United Freedom Front member Kazi Toure was imprisoned for his role in twenty bombings combating Apartheid in South Africa & US Imperialism in Central America.

The United Freedom Front has been considered "undoubtedly the most successful of the leftist [guerrilla groups] of the 1970s & 80s," & struck powerful blows to South African Airways, Mobile, IBM, Union Carbide, & various courthouses & US military targets.

He spoke at the Flying Squirrel Community Space on Thursday, March 26, 2015.

Below is a scanned image of an article addressing the fate of the first complaint brought to the Police Advisory Board that was ruled outside of its jurisdiction and dismissed on July 17, 1963. The clipping can be found at the Local History Department of the Monroe County Public Library Downtown Branch. "Police Unit In 1st Ruling," was published in the  Times-Union on July 18, 1963.

While the Police Advisory Board became law in March of 1963, the Locust Club police union did everything in its power to thwart it from actually accomplishing anything. Eventually, the PAB was defunded in 1968 and abolished in 1970 by a Republican Party-lead Rochester city government. 

Ricardo Adams has been active in building a more just and peaceful community in Rochester, NY.  This video was created by Rochester Indymedia to honor our comrade and friend on his 60th birthday.

Break-in at Emily Good's home an oddity

Author: Craig, Gary

http://search.proquest.com/docview/873863491?accountid=47680

Abstract: After court and the dismissal of the criminal charge against her Monday, Good revealed that her home was broken into during an hour-long period while she visited the library.

CRB 1992.pdf

CRB 1992.pdf

Legislation for the Civilian Review Board from October 1992 submitted by then-City Councilmember Wade Norwood. This is the legislation that started the Civilian Review Board we have today. There were some small changes made in 1995 (also included in the .pdf above) that were passed unanimously.