Woman Arrested in Her Front Lawn for "Trespassing"

On Friday September 2 at 993 Norton St., Daphne Meney and supporters will spoke out against the Rochester police, the arrest of Ms. Meney, and the police's continued interference into the civil matters surrounding housing. On Friday August 26, 2011 15 police cars stormed 993 Norton St, Rochester, NY and arrested Daphne Meney and Donald Frazier for "trespass" when they were in front of the house. The only problem is that Daphne Meney has owned the house for the last 13 years. This fact is corroborated by City of Rochester records and Monroe County Clerk's office. At the scene of the arrest, a shocking 15 police cars filled Norton St. for a civil dispute. According to those present, the East Division Commander Tim List was on the scene and orchestrated both the arrests and the call for an interrogation of the two arrested. When Ms. Meney and Mr. Frazier were taken in for interrogation, they were questioned about their relationship to Take Back the Land Rochester, indicating the likely political nature of the arrests. According to Mr. Frazier, the interrogators acknowledged that orders for their arrest came from the top. Daphne Meney and Donald Frazier are both considering suing the Rochester Police Department for the egregious incursion onto Ms. Meney's own property. This police action is on the extreme end of a consistent pattern and practice of Rochester police interventions into civil matters involving housing, including the use of 20 police cars, traffic vehicles, and RTS buses used to execute a civil eviction (March 28 on Ravenwood Ave.) and 8 police cars used to surround and arrest 4 housing advocates on the sidewalk for trespassing (August 7 on Appleton St.). Take Back the Land Rochester is calling on the City of Rochester to completely divorce the police from civil matters surrounding housing and to stop the police repression against housing advocates. In addition, we are calling on the DA to drop the charges against Daphne Meney and Donald Frazier.