Lashedica Mason Campaign Press Conference

 

Lashedica Mason Campaign Press Conference

Contact:

Apostle Joy Powell

(585) 317-2117 (cell)

A coalition of community groups met with Acting Chief of Police Cedric Alexander and Mayor Bill Johnson on August 1st. The Lashedica Mason Coalition comprised of Equality & Justice For All, the Nation of Islam, God's Holy Outreach Ministries, Monarch Baptist Church, Friends Helping Friends, Poor People United and the International Socialist Organization will be holding a press conference this Friday, August 5^th at noon at

 God's Holy Outreach Ministries at 603 W. Main Street. The Lashedica Mason Coalition will be presenting the critical update from Monday's meeting.

The Lashedica Mason Coalition applauds Mayor Bill Johnson and the Acting Chief of Police Cedric Alexander for reversing their position of refusing to meet prior to the completion of the investigation and actually meeting with community leaders. The Lashedica Mason Coalition is calling for Mayor Bill Johnson and the Rochester Police Department to formally endorse and re-institute a “clergy ride along” program where local community and faith leaders would accompany the Rochester Police Department on calls relating to emotionally disturbed and/or mentally ill people. As of Wed. 8/3, 7pm, Apostle Powell has begun riding with the Rochester Police Department and has initiatied a privately funded clergy ride along program that will work to ensure sensitivity to the concerns of special needs people while allowing community leaders to monitor police conduct. In addition to allowing citizens to review Rochester Police Deparment methodology, funded with foundation grants, a primarily volunteer civilian support team would provide much needed support to an underfunded and overwhelmed police force.

In addition, the Lashedica Mason Coalition acknowledges that poverty and violence go hand-in-hand. The LMC demands that the City of Rochester reform the City's Economic Development Dept. and the Rochester Economic Development Corporation to hold dishonest business owners accountable for their contractual agreeements when receiving taxpayer subsidized loans or grants. Specifically, the LMC urges the City of Rochester to call the taxpayer subsidized loan that is in violation of its contractual agreements and foreclose on 367 Lyell Avenue to sell the building to FHF. Owner of 367 Lyell Avenue and Gates resident, Bruno Coccia of Microera Printers is in the process of evicting Friends Helping Friends, a local food cupboard. Thousands of residents in the inner-city rely on FHF to survive every month. The LMC believes that the fallout resulting from the eviction of Friends Helping Friends' Community Food Distribution Program will increase tension, as well as the number of mental health incidents from losing a crucial service.

“We've contacted the State and Federal government to provide assistance. The City of Rochester needs to get on board or get out of our way. We'll get justice for the Mason family and FHF whether the City wants to help us or not. We'll get Equality & Justice for All” said the Apostle Joy Powell

See news coverage of the situation: www.wroctv.com/news/story.asp?id=19216

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