In just a few days, Rochester residents will have the opportunity to vote on a momentous piece of legislation that will finally bring police accountability to Rochester. On November 5th, people will vote on a referendum to enact the Rochester Police Accountability Board.
Enough Is Enough encourages people to vote yes!
Rochester police should be accountable to the people they serve.
Between 2001 and 2015, civilians filed 923 allegations of excessive against Rochester police officers. Fewer than 2% were upheld by the Chief of Police, who currently has the final say. The current system does not work.
When police officers engage in misconduct — when they break the trust of our community — the Police Accountability Board (PAB) will hold them accountable. The PAB is a board made up of civilians just like yourself, appointed by a coalition of community organizations, City Council, and the Mayor. The PAB will be an independent agency of city government separate from the Rochester Police Department. It will investigate civilian complaints of misconduct. It will have the final say over whether misconduct has occurred. And the Chief of Police will be obligated to apply discipline according to a fair set of guidelines.
Please vote for the Police Accountability Board on November 5th. The vote will be on the back of the ballot. You can also vote for the PAB during early voting, which will begin October 26th.