Media

Below is a scanned image of a letter to the editor from the Times-Union. The letter, "Would Abandon Police Board" written by Margaret B. Hoesli from Pittsford, talks about how great the editorials for newspaper are--"so unbiased and to the point"! She hopes the Times-Union will use all it's power to help in abolishing the Police Advisory Board. She also expresses an uncritical love of police. The clipping can be found at the Local History Department of the Monroe County Library Downtown Branch.

Graphs depicting data on police demographic information from August 2013. Two questions were asked of the data 1) What is the racial composition of the Rochester Police Department?, 2) What is the gender composition of the Rochester Police Department?, and 3) How much of the police force works in the communities that it lives? Data was given to Rochester Indymedia after a Freedom of Information Act request was filed with the City of Rochester. The number before the percent represents that number of officers on the force for that category.

POLICE OFFICERS.pdf

POLICE OFFICERS.pdf

The RPD uniformed officers list in .pdf format containing the names, ranks, ages, genders, races and residencies of the RPD officers from July 2013. The Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) was used to gather this data from the City of Rochester.

Below is a scanned image of a newspaper clipping with photographs of the new Police Advisory Board. The clipping can be found at the Local History Department of the Monroe County Library Downtown Branch. The photos in "Meet New Police Advisory Board," were taken by Times-Union photographer Peter B. Hickey. The article was published in the Times-Union newspaper on May 24, 1963.

Below is a scanned image of an editorial from the Times-Union. The editorial, "Does Police Board Need Executive Staff?" questions the need for paid staff on the Police Advisory Board when "...there is no business..." for the board. The editorial argues that the board confuses cops on how to implement law "...fairly, yet firmly." Smugness and paternalism drip from the editorial. The clipping can be found at the Local History Department of the Monroe County Library Downtown Branch.

The Conservative Party of Monroe County spoke out against the Police Advisory Board in a letter to Rochester City Council dated March 26, 1963. See the scanned letter to council below in .pdf form. This document was sent to us by the City of Rochester after it received our Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request.

Below is a scanned image of a newspaper clipping regarding the insertion of the findings from the Police Advisory Board and the chief of police into the personnel fils of three unnamed officers. Specifically, the case was that of a black, 19-year-old who stated that after he was arrested for pubic intoxication, he was taken downtown and beat while in custody. The clipping can be found at the Local History Department of the Monroe County Library Downtown Branch. "Complaint Put Into Cops' Files," has no by-line.

Below is a scanned image of a Times-Union newspaper clipping stating that the Locust Club--Rochester's police union--gathered some 40,000 signatures against the creation of the Police Advisory Board. The clipping can be found at the Local History Department of the Monroe County Public Library, Downtown Branch. "Police Petitions Against Board Get 40,000 Names" was written by Vince Spezzano and published in the Times-Union on March 12, 1963.

Below is a scanned image of the very first set of appointments to the Police Advisory Board in May of 1963. The clipping can be found at the Local History Department of the Monroe County Library Downtown Branch. "9-Man Police Advisory Board Named," was written by Times-Union reporter Vince Spezzano and published on May 20, 1963. The board was comprised of three men of color and six white men, which included an accountant, a treasurer, three members of the clergy, a lawyer, the Labor Council president, a pediatrician, and a history professor.

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.