Against the Police Advisory Board, editorial & letter, Times-Union, May 1965
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The year 1965 had by far the most column space with regards to the Police Advisory Board in both the Democrat & Chronicle and the Times-Union newspapers. For 1965, articles critical of the PAB from the Times-Union have been combined into single Rochester Indymedia articles divided by month. This is May 1965. The clippings can be found at the Local History Department of the Monroe County Library Downtown Branch.
While the Police Advisory Board became law on March 26, 1963 to address complaints against officers who used "excessive and unnecessary force" against civilians, the Locust Club police union did everything in its power to thwart it from actually accomplishing anything. Two injunctions were slapped on it by the court preventing it from conducting independent investigations and forwarding recommendations to the chief of police--it's primary functions. By the mid-1960s, new appointments to the board were needed to meet quorum in order for it to do its work. But neither Democrats nor Republicans appointed anyone to the board after it was found constitutional by the courts in 1969. It was then defunded and abolished in 1970 by the new Republican Party-lead Rochester city government.
The letter to the editor below, "'Disband Police Board As Soon as Possible'," written by William F. Koerner from Greece, NY, was published in the Times-Union on May 18, 1965. Mr. Koerner felt that the board "stymied" police in doing their job and ought to be abolished. After all, with J. Edgar Hoover's 40 years of experience, Mr. Koerner will "go along with his conclusions."
"Police Board--No Confidence," is a Times-Union editorial published on May 27, 1965. "Public confidence in fair and effective police work should be created by the officials with direct responsibility. They cannot do so as long as the review board exists as an expression of community suspicion."
