City Council
Regular MeetingTroy, NY · March 25, 2021
Minutes
Minutes of the
TROY CITY COUNCIL
FINANCE MEETING
March 25, 2021
6:00 P.M.
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, this meeting was held remotely via videoconference.
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Council President Mantello.
Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call: The roll being called, the following answered to their names: Council Member Ashe-
McPherson, Council Member Steele, Council Member Cummings, Council Member Zalewski,
Council Member McDermott, Council President Mantello, Chair. Council Member Gulli arrived
at 6:53 p.m.
In attendance were Mayor Patrick Madden, Corporation Counsel Richard T. Morrissey, and
Police Chief Brian Owens.
Public Forum: The following individuals spoke regarding Resolution 27
Abby Kinchy
Angela Beallor
Carolyn MacAvoy
Carolyn Bardos
Chel Miller
Debra Garrett
Irene Sorriento
Jamie Crouse
Jerry Ford
Luz Márquez Benbow
Rafael Varela
Rhea Drysdale
Steven Figueroa
Sam Chiappone
Sylva Menard
Tasheca Medina
The following group/individuals submitted written comments regarding Resolution 27, which are
appended to these minutes:
Justice Center of Rensselaer County
Jaimie Drozdal
Julia Cadieux
1
27. Resolution Adopting Report Of The City Of Troy Police Reform And Reinvention
Collaborative (Council President Mantello)
Resolution passed 7 ayes, 0 nos, 0 abstentions.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 8:42 p.m.
A video recording of this meeting is on file at the City Clerk's office.
2
Statement by the Justice Center of Rensselaer County
In Response to the Final Report to be Submitted by the City of Troy Responding to
Executive Order 203
March 25, 2021
Last June when the governor issued Executive Order 203 we were heartened and somewhat
optimistic that real change would finally come to the Troy Police Department. Now that the
compliance process is coming to an end, we feel much less optimistic.
A large number of Troy citizens appeared before the Police Reform Collaborative, (or submitted
in writing) heart–felt testimony, expressing their concerns about law enforcement. Many spoke
about their personal experiences with the TPD. Yet we see very few of those concerns addressed
in the Final Report’s recommendations. Conspicuously missing, in our opinion, is a dedication to
really address systemic racism, even though that was the common theme of most speakers. But
we are not surprised, because our own Chief of Police has repeatedly denied that racism even
exists in the TPD. We believe that meaningful change can’t happen, if one fails to recognize that
a problem exists.
The Justice Center of Rensselaer County made 13 recommendations:
Among other things, we recommended that a Racial Bias Audit be conducted within the TPD,
and that was mostly ignored. We feel that THE most important issue is that the TPD is
dominated by a culture of racism, and there is ample evidence that our belief is warranted. That
evidence includes the numerous lawsuits settled and pending for racist behavior, including the
death of an unarmed Black person and the current suit by a Black member of the police force.
We recommended that the newly formed Police Objective Review Board be given subpoena
power, and that apparently fell on deaf ears.
We recommended that the influence of the police union be significantly minimized in TPD
decisions, but that too was not deemed worthy of mentioning in the report.
Our position is not that the report is totally bad, because some of the recommendations have
merit. Yet, the lack of specificity and depth around certain recommendations are troubling and
cast doubt on the veracity of the process and ultimately the Report. And, they fall far short of
fully addressing the issue of racism in the police department.
Let me be quick to say that the Justice Center holds the Kaleel Jamison Consulting firm in very
high regard, so we are pleased that the firm will be involved in helping to make future change.
I’ll close by saying that we support (actually we demand!) meaningful change in the Troy Police
Department, and while the Report has some merit, we feel that it falls far short of committing the
police department to the kinds of change that we have promised people of color for decades and
have so consistently failed in that promise.
3
Statement from Jaimie Drozdal
I am not in support of the Resolution Adopting Report Of The City Of Troy Police Reform And
Reinvention Collaborative (Council President Mantello) as it is currently written. The lack of
mentioning Black communities is appalling.
On page 18 in the response to Issue/Recommendation #4 it is written: "When officers misbehave,
the public has a right to the records of their infractions.” This committee doesn’t even trust Troy
PD officers to behave based on its own language. The way this is written assumes officers will
misbehave; there is no “if officers misbehave” written. It is written as a fact that officers
misbehave; and yet you’re asking for the full trust of the community.
Regarding recommendation #5: it seems shallow to say that 50% have completed a 40-hour
training course and your idea of contributing to police reform and reinvention is to make the
other 50% and all new officers take the course. One time course, for a life-time career dealing
with persons who are emotionally distressed. This seems like a bandaid to the issue. I find it
naive to think that officers can retain all of the information in a 40-hour training and use it
effectively throughout their careers without any later review of the material. Not to mention all
of the new research constantly coming out on mental health and what it means to mean
emotionally distressed. There has to be standard, required training and re-training for police
officers. Otherwise, in 5 years this same committee is going to come out with some “new" police
reinvention proposal calling for re-training on this same issue. Be proactive in training instead of
reactive; enforce required re-training for officers. Also, can there be a reason provided why 2
years is required for new officers to complete the training? Why must it take so long? In most
jobs you can’t start work until your training is complete. Why are police departments any
different?
Regarding recommendation #7: Where are the numbers here? You’re so proud of the arrest
records of Troy PD, but there’s no numbers given on diversity in the workforce as you’re
discussing issues in the numbers. What is the current diversity and what is the goal? Are you
aiming for 50/50, are you aiming for it to represent the makeup of Troy (18% Black or African
American)? Saying you hope to hire more people of diversity through recruitment is plain and
simple, wrong. You don’t recruit people of color, you create a place and environment that people
of color want to work for. Have you thought to yourself, why don’t people of color or Black
individuals want to work with or for us? This attempt of creating a diversity and inclusion
committee seems like an easy way to blame your lack of diversity in the future on the
community.
How does this entire report fail to mention anything about Black people in Troy. I don’t
understand how you can talk about police reform and not mention anything about Black
communities. Rather you say - bias and racism are just a difference in understanding between
people with good intentions. You had 10,000+ people show up for Troy Rally for Black Lives
calling for police reform; and yet this report glosses over it all.
I’d also like to add, with all due respect, everyone on this committee is probably over the age of
40 years old. You talk about bias and don’t think that age bias is one of them? I would love to
see people of youth on the committee to represent a different generation of Troy citizens, not just
the YMCA director.
4
Finally, if you’re going to report on 2019 actions of the Department and also talk about Trust and
the Department, you cannot avoid the murder of Edson Thevenin by Troy PD. This is a HUGE
break in the relationship, and to my understanding there is a still a report that has not been
released to the public? There has even been conflict between the Madden administration and the
Troy City Council on this exact matter. When our own leaders are fighting, how can we trust
anyone involved?
Work is on the way? Work should have been done. Police have been around since the 1800s like
you mention in the report; and they’re still getting it wrong! As someone who is in their mid-20s,
learning that the same Police issues we face now were around 30+ years ago in almost identical
fashion is baffling. Stop making committees and make some action. The police athletic league is
ridiculous and almost insulting. The community doesn’t want police. If you want to be seen as
good guys ….. be good guys.
Thank you,
Jaimie Drozdal
Troy, NY 12180
Statement from Julia Cadieux
Good evening, my name is Julia Cadieux. I am a new resident and home owner in South Troy. I
chose to move from Delmar to Troy to be in a city that offered diversity, an exciting downtown,
and where grass roots initiatives for change are being supported by a strong group of community
leaders and activists. I am also the mother of two children and I want them to see that
communities can thrive when the people take care of each other.
It was incredible to march with 11,000 people in Troy last summer for Black Lives Matter and
demand racial justice for our communities. However, the response from city leaders in the wake
of that mass demonstration has been shameful. Since moving here I have become aware of just
how much systemic racism is embedded in the Troy Police Department and City Government. I
have been educating myself on the cases of Edson Thevenin and Thaddeus Fiasion whose lives
were taken by Troy PD and Dahmeek McDonald, who was injured brutally by Troy PD. These
families and our communities are still waiting for justice in these cases.
So I was not expecting much from the Police Reform & Reinvention Collaborative (PRRC) Final
Report. From the very beginning, Mayor Patrick Madden, Police Chief Brian Owens, and other
city officials showed little genuine interest in responding thoughtfully and courageously to
Executive Order 203, issued by Gov. Cuomo in June 2020. For 8 months, no committee was
created. For 8 months no meetings were held. 8 months that could have been used talking to the
residents of Troy about their experiences with police. 8 months they could have been listening to
BIPOC and community groups like Troy 4 Black Lives, who have been making demands for
racial justice for years.
Finally, in February 2021 the first meeting to address Ex.Order 203 was held. In total only 9
meetings took place. Troy residents and community groups were effectively shut out of these
meetings as opportunities to make comments were limited and cumbersome. It was only through
the efforts of community groups that I as a resident heard about these meetings and was told how
5
to make a statement. I believe the committee was hoping to do their work quickly and quietly to
fulfill the requirements of the order without having to actually do the work of making
meaningful change in Troy’s policing.
The final document is a slap in the face to everyone who marched for Black Lives Matter in the
Spring and Summer of 2020. Let’s remember that Governor Cuomo issued this Executive Order
in direct response to the murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minnesota. EO 203 states
“Black Lives Matter”. The order uses terms like “Racially-biased law enforcement” and “racial
inequalities in policing”. I am calling attention to this language because WORDS MATTER.
Calling it like it is, matters.
Meanwhile, the Mayor's task force released its final report addressing EO 203 and somehow did
so without mentioning the words "Black," "African-American," "racial" or the names of those
killed anywhere! How in the world can Troy PD expect us to trust them when they can’t even
name the problem?
This whole process and the resulting report is a sham and a disgrace. The people of Troy deserve
and demand better from leadership. First and foremost, Troy PD must publicly acknowledge
racism in their own department. That acknowledgement would be a small first step in building
trust with the community. I and many others will be watching closely to see what Mayor Madden
and Police Chief Owens do next to take responsibility for this failure and what steps they will
take now to actually reimagine and reform Troy PD.
Julia Cadieux
6
Agenda
TROY CITY COUNCIL
FINANCE MEETING AGENDA
March 25, 2021
6:00 P.M.
Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call
Approval of Minutes
Presentation of Agenda
Public Forum (*see end of agenda for instructions)
LOCAL LAWS
ORDINANCES
RESOLUTIONS
27. Resolution Adopting Report Of The City Of Troy Police Reform And Reinvention
Collaborative (Council President Mantello)
*PUBLIC FORUM
Due to the current COVID-19 crisis and pursuant to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive
Order No. 202.1, this meeting shall be held remotely via videoconference and live-streamed on
the City Council’s YouTube channel. Troy residents who wish to comment during the public
forum at the beginning of the meeting must have the ability to join the Zoom meeting via
computer or phone and will be required to pre-register for the meeting. The link to register for
the meeting will be posted at least 24 hours before the meeting on the Council Agenda and
Minutes page. You must register for the meeting by 3 pm on the day of the meeting.
Per the City Council, written comments will not be read aloud at this meeting but will be added
to the meeting minutes. Written comments to be added to the meeting minutes should be sent to
mara.drogan@troyny.gov and must be received by 3 pm on the day of the meeting. You must
include your full name and residential address, as required by Council rules. Written comments
received after 3 pm shall be treated as correspondence and forwarded to the Council for their
review.
1
RES27
RESOLUTION ADOPTING REPORT OF THE CITY OF TROY POLICE REFORM AND
REINVENTION COLLABORATIVE
WHEREAS, on June 12, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued Executive Order 203, requiring local
governments across New York State to review the particular needs of their communities and the services
required of their local police departments, as well as to evaluate the local police department’s current
policies and practices and to adopt a policing reform plan by April 1, 2021; and
WHEREAS, the City of Troy established the Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative
(PRRC) to develop and articulate a community consensus on policing strategies and practices that
promote public safety, improve community engagement, and foster trust and communication between
police officers and all members of the Troy community; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor appointed fifteen individuals to serve on the PRRC, consisting of
representatives from throughout the community, including Troy Police Department leadership, City and
County officials, faith and neighborhood leaders, leaders of non-profit service agencies, and local
residents; and
WHEREAS, the PRRC held nine public listening sessions during February and March of 2021, and
consulted with residents, community members, and interested parties who provided public comment and
recommendations for the consideration of the PRRC; and
WHEREAS, as a result of these listening sessions and consultations, the PRRC has developed a plan of
actions and reforms including fifteen specific recommendations to strengthen public safety in the Collar
City, and to build trust between the entire Troy community and the Troy Police Department that serves
it; and
WHEREAS, the PRRC has issued its report and recommendations, most of which will entail further
investigations and future actions to achieve, and will require the continuing commitment of the City to
implement genuine reforms that strengthen the relationship between the Troy Police Department and the
residents of Troy; and
WHEREAS, the process begun under the PRRC initiative is not intended to be the last step in this
process, but the first of many future initiatives that must be undertaken to reach the goals of
transparency, meaningful oversight, and increased communication, as well as to promote basic respect
and fundamental fairness in the policing process for all participants.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, as its first step toward achieving those goals, the City
Council of the City of Troy hereby adopts the Report of the City Of Troy Police Reform and
Reinvention Collaborative, a copy of which is attached hereto; and
RES27
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council extends its gratitude to the members of the
PRRC and the consulting public for their participation and contributions to this valuable process, and
looks forward to many productive collaborations in the future.
Approved as to form, _______________________, 2021
_____________________________________________
Richard T. Morrissey, Corporation Counsel
RES27
MEMO IN SUPPORT
This Report was developed by the PRRC in consultation with residents and stakeholders for the reform
of policing in the City of Troy. It is forward looking and aspirational, but its goals and recommendations
are concrete and reachable. What is required most of all is a continuing commitment on everyone’s part
to refine and implement these genuine reforms.
POLICE REFORM &
REINVENTION
COLLABORATIVE
CITY OF TROY, N.Y.
FINAL REPORT
MARCH 2021
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………. 3
Members ……………………………………………………………………………………. 7
Police Department Overview ……………………………………………………… 9
Organizational Chart ………………………………………………………………….. 13
Recommendations …………………………………………………………………….. 15
Closing Statement ……………………………………………………………………… 27
City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 1
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City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 2
Executive Summary
On June 12, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued Executive Order 203
which required local governments across New York State to undertake a review of
community needs provided by their local police department, evaluate the
department’s current policies and practices, and adopt a policing reform plan by
April 1st, 2021.
In response, the City of Troy established a Troy Police Reform &
Reinvention Collaborative (PRRC) to assist in the process outlined in the
Governor’s Executive Order. 15 individuals were appointed to serve on the PRRC.
Membership consisted of representatives from throughout the community,
including Troy police department leadership, city & county officials, faith leaders,
representatives from non-profit service agencies, and local residents.
The collaborative Steering Committee held a series of listening sessions and
public presentations during the months of February and March to gather
suggestions & recommendations from the public. Committee members also
engaged in discussions with police leadership on a comprehensive review of
police strategies, policies, procedures, and practices.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, PRRC meetings were conducted remotely
using Zoom and live-streamed on the City’s YouTube channel. All PRRC meetings
were archived online for public review at www.troyny.gov/policeRRC.
City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 3
Public comment guided steering committee discussions and served as a
basis for the recommendations outlined in this report.
Three themes were reflected repeatedly in the comments and were raised in the
ensuing discussions:
1. Trust,
2. The scope of policing; and
3. Investments in the community.
Trust has long been viewed as the bedrock upon which effective policing is
based. In fact, in the early 1800’s, the founder of modern policing, Sir Robert Peel,
enumerated nine principles of policing the second of which is, “To recognize
always that the power of police to fulfill their functions and duties is
dependent on public approval of their existence, actions and behavior and on
their ability to secure and maintain public respect.”
The government holds the power to exercise force in achieving its ends.
That is an awesome power and with it comes awesome responsibility: to only do
so in a way that protects the rights of community members and upholds the rule
of law. Proper policing practices require that law enforcement build positive
relationships with their community, respect civil liberties, and avoid tactics that
encourage the use of excess force against citizens.
Trust in policing is based on transparency, accountability, and fairness. A
number of the recommendations address these three items.
Scope of policing: Over the past several decades policy decisions on the
state and federal levels have had consequences which by design or oversight
were not adequately accounted for and have fallen to police departments across
the country to deal with.
It has been said that to be a police officer today requires the combined
skills of an athlete, a psychologist, a UN diplomat, a social worker, a criminologist,
a Big Brother or Big Sister, a legal expert, a linguist and a field medic. We expect
great deftness from our officers. One moment showing tenderness and
understanding to a traumatized child and the next deploying force to protect
City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 4
innocents from injury and bring lawbreakers to justice. We demand that they
make instantaneous decisions when people are at their most threatening and
their most vulnerable moments.
Are these expectations realistic? Are there tasks that can come off their
plate? Communities across the country are looking at these questions and our
conversations reflect this community’s similar concerns.
Great passion was expressed around the need for greater investments in
the community, particularly as it relates to youth services. While not directly tied
to reinventing policing it is commonly understood that social investments are
critical to providing a greater range of opportunity and a decreasing likelihood of
interactions with the criminal justice system.
Social investments run the gamut from youth services to diversion and
reentry programs, safe affordable housing, mental health services, child care, job
training, affordable health care, and so on. Investments of this sort often require
support from state and federal resources which is sorely lacking. The
recommendations touch on a number of these initiatives.
The work of the Committee and this report is neither the beginning nor the end of
our work to reform and reinvent policing. Prior to convening this Committee the
PD and the administration undertook several first steps:
● Use of force policies were rewritten and are now consistent with the “8
Can’t Wait” principles.
● Reworked discipline policies to link more seamlessly with the newly
reconstituted Police Objective Review Board (PORB).
● Re-accreditation of the Department was completed through the State of
New York Accreditation Process. TPD has been accredited for 20 years and
completed re-accreditation last summer.
● Reinstituted the Emotionally Distressed Persons Response Training (EDPRT),
an intense training to provide the tools officers need to compassionately
and effectively assist those in mental distress.
● Updated policies and procedures for the PORB to ensure that it will be a
citizen led initiative. New members were recruited to serve on the Board.
City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 5
● Acquisition of body-worn cameras (BWC), vehicle dash cameras, and police
in-car rear seat cameras. The department is in the process of completing
configuration and training for implementation of BWCs.
● With the services of Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group the Police
Department began a process of self-examination with the ultimate goal of
improving outcomes for the community.
Several of the recommendations herein build on this work while others are
the preliminary steps of initiatives that the Committee feels would be beneficial
to the community. There is much work that lies ahead.
In addition, an Oversight Committee will be formed to monitor and report
on the progress of these recommendations as well as make additional
recommendations to further the spirit and intent of this work. Like any important
human endeavor it is important to periodically take stock and assess whether our
efforts are consistent with our goals given changing circumstances, technologies
and new approaches.
City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 6
Members
Police Reform & Reinvention Collaborative (PRRC)
City of Troy, New York
Patrick Madden, Mayor
Monica Kurzejeski, Deputy Mayor
Brian Owens, Chief of Police
Daniel DeWolf, Deputy Chief of Police
Mary Pat Donnelly, Rensselaer County District Attorney
Carmella Mantello, City Council President
Ken Zalewski, City Council Pro Tempore
Kathy Alonge-Coons, Commissioner, Rensselaer County Department of
Mental Health
Laura Bauer, Director, Rensselaer County Department of Probation
Chris Burke, Executive Director, Unity House
Stacey Howard, Police Objective Review Board
Kevin O’Connor, Executive Director, Joseph’s House and Shelter
Renee Powell, President, Troy Branch of NAACP
Pastor Justin Relf, Rhema Revealed Ministries
Starletta Smith, Executive Director, YWCA of the Greater Capital Region
John Turi, Rensselaer County Public Defender
City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 7
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City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 8
Police Department Overview
The Troy Police Department is located within Rensselaer County, New York and
serves the City of Troy.
The mission of the Troy Police Department is to provide excellent service through
community partnerships that build trust, reduce crime, create a safe
environment, and enhance quality of life for the residents and visitors of the City
of Troy.
Municipal Statistics
Troy is located along the banks of the Hudson River in upstate New York. It is
approximately eight (8) miles northeast of the state capital, covers a total of
eleven (11) square miles and has an estimated population of approximately
50,000. It ranks twelfth amongst city populations in New York State. Troy also falls
within the Capital Region – a metropolitan area with a population of 1,170,483.
Personnel
TPD authorized staffing currently stands at 131 sworn officers, 10 full-time civilian
employees and 20 part-time civilian employees. An organizational chart for the
department is included below.
The sworn personnel comprises a Chief of Police, Deputy Chief of Police, Assistant
Chief of Police, 8 Captains, 12 Patrol Sergeants, 11 Detective Sergeants, 1 Records
Sergeant, 1 Community Police Sergeant, 1 Technologies Sergeant, 1 Training and
Administration Sergeant and 93 Patrol Officers.
There are several specialized units within the Troy Police Department that assist
in effectively supporting and policing our community. These units include:
City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 9
● Patrol Bureau
● Detective Bureau
● Special Victims/Juvenile Unit
● Specialized Operations Section (Drug Enforcement)
● Crisis Negotiations Team
● Honor Guard
● FBI, ATF, DEA and U.S. Marshals Task Force Officers
● Evidence Technician Unit
● Community Services Bureau
● School Resource Officers
● Emergency Response Team (Tactical Team)
● K9 Unit
● Technology Unit
● Training Unit
● Police Cadet Program
The Troy Police Department first became an accredited agency in 2000 and has
remained accredited in the 20 years since. The department remains committed to
maintaining its NYS Accreditation status.
Training
Members of the Troy Police Department are required to complete their law
enforcement training at the Zone 5 Training Center in Schenectady, NY. The
Academy is a full service training academy that provides training to both new and
veteran officers in Albany, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga,
Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington Counties.
Zone 5 provides approximately 1,040 hours of training for TPD recruits. For
comparison, New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services requires 715
hours of training.
Of that total, 160 hours is field training with the Troy Police Department. Officers
are also required to complete a minimum of 40 hours per year of in service
training.
City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 10
Calls for service in 2019 exceeded 52,000. In 2020, calls for service dropped to
31,251. Despite the overall drop in call volume, several individual categories
remained steady, including:
Mental Health Response:
2020 – 912
2019 – 949
Domestic Incident Reports
2020 – 2,099
2019 – 2,082
While it is unclear what caused the overall drop in total call volume in 2019, the
Covid-19 pandemic is a likely factor.
Detective Bureau
In 2020, the TPD Detective Bureau investigated over 900 cases. The Bureau is
allocated 17 detective spots – two assigned to FBI Safe Streets; two in Domestic
Violence Unit; two in the Juvenile Unit & Sex Offender Management; and 11 for
all other cases.
During the same period, the Bureau investigated 13 homicides. Seven arrests
were made in those cases. One case was deemed justified (officer-involved
shooting involving a domestic stabbing incident), with another case closed by
investigation. Four remain open & under investigation.
Special Operations Section (SOS)
The Troy Police Department’s Special Operations Section (SOS) is tasked with
investigating drug & gun-related cases. In 2020, SOS conducted 54 arrests, during
which 12 illegal guns were recovered. During the same period, significant
quantities of various illegal drugs were confiscated during SOS-related operations.
In 2019, SOS conducted 144 arrests, during which 22 illegal firearms were
recovered. During this period, significant quantities of various illegal drugs were
confiscated during SOS-related operations.
City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 11
Through the combined effort of Patrol, Detectives and SOS, a total of 65 illegal
guns were recovered in 2020; 46 illegal firearms were confiscated in 2019.
Use of Force
An analysis of TPD data found that Use of Force was applied in less than ½ a
percent (0.4%) of all calls responded in 2019. During that same period, the total
number of incidents where Use of Force was utilized was 217.
Every use of force is documented and reviewed for appropriateness and
compliance with general orders, training, policy and existing case law.
In 2020, the total number of incidents where Use of Force was utilized was 142.
This equates to less than ½ a percent (.4%) of all calls responded to during that
time period.
City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 12
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City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 14
Recommendations
During the City’s listening sessions, a number of comments offered by the public
and Steering Committee members identified issues relating to transparency,
fairness and accountability. These three factors are critical to maintain public
trust in any police force. We see this as an opportunity to address these topics in
the recommendations and provide the transparency necessary in a number of
respects.
The recommendations are as follows:
Recommendation 1:
Continue to engage with Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group (KJCG) to
identify and remove barriers to better outcomes for policing in all
of our communities.
Issue: A number of commenters raised concerns about bias in the Police
Department: personal bias, institutional bias and/or systemic bias. Discussions of
bias and racism are fraught with emotion even among people of good intention.
This is often the result of people understanding terms differently. What few
would dispute though is that we all have our own biases and most institutions are
imbued with biases that are often camouflaged and difficult to discern. The
City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 15
greatest challenge for each of us is to understand those biases and make the
conscious effort to prevent them from guiding our actions and reactions.
Response: Our work with KJCG is a multi-phased two year effort, beginning with
an assessment and review of all aspects of the Troy Police Department. The
approach will include reviewing the alignment between our stated values and
desired community interactions, and our practices on both individual and
organizational levels. KJCG working with the police will propose and implement
changes and training to create a tighter alignment and better outcomes using
conscious actions to counteract bias and to enhance community centered
policing.
KJCG is an internationally recognized firm that over the past five decades has
worked with organizations on long-term, strategic culture change, assisting
organizations in creating inclusive, collaborative workplaces. The KJCG-Troy PD
work began in January 2021.
Recommendation 2:
Develop a web-based complaint form with ‘plain language’
instructions and a description of the process so that the public
understands how the process works and what to expect.
Issue: A number of comments were made to the effect that the current
complaint process is cumbersome, not easy to navigate and too difficult to
undertake. Public feedback also noted that the process for filing a formal
complaint is unclear. This can leave an individual who submits a complaint to the
department with an unclear understanding of how complaints were addressed.
This can undermine both the transparency and accountability within the
Department.
Response: the City will make an online version of our complaint form available on
the Troy Police Department website (www.troypd.org). The web-form complaint
form will include simple instructions as well as an explanation of the process to
improve public understanding. Versions will be provided in both English and
City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 16
Spanish. Hard copies will also be available at the Police Station and at City Hall for
those might not have internet access or prefer not to use the computer.
Recommendation 3:
Reconstitute the Police Objective Review Board.
Issue: Several public comments correctly pointed out that the Police Objective
Review Board (PORB, or the Board) has been inactive for some time. One
commentator, a previous PORB appointee, stated a concern about a power
imbalance on the Board that resulted in board members losing interest in serving.
The absence of a well-structured review board undermines both the transparency
and accountability of the Department.
Response: The operating procedures for the review board have been rewritten in
a manner that assures the Board’s independence from both the Department and
the Administration. In addition, clear roles and responsibilities are laid out in the
operating procedures in an effort to restore a proper balance and clarify that City
employees who serve on the Board do so only in an advisory capacity, not as
voting members.
A semi-annual report requirement has been written into the procedures to track
the efficacy of the Board as well as Board members’ experiences. This feedback
will inform future changes to the Board’s structure, authority and operations to
ensure its efficacy and independence.
An open call for those interested in serving on the Board was made and a Board
was constituted from those responses with input from the Troy Branch of the
NAACP and a community advocate (and previous council member). Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, training was delayed last fall/winter. The training will be
completed this spring whereupon the Board will begin operations.
Recommendation 4:
Design a policy and process to make disciplinary records more
easily accessible to the public.
City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 17
Issue: Several comments were made to the effect that the disciplinary records of
members of the department ought to be available to the public. Various
suggestions were offered on how that ought to be accomplished.
Response: We agree that transparency and accountability are served by the
release of disciplinary records. When officers misbehave, the public has a right to
the records of their infractions. Simultaneously, as well conducted officers have a
substantial interest in their reputations; we respect the officer’s right to due
process. Recent changes to section 50-a of the NYS Civil Rights Law leave some
ambiguities. Until clarifications are rendered via case law or statutory
amendment we are following the guidance of the NYS Committee on Open
Government. We are currently developing a policy and a process to effect this
change.
Recommendation 5:
Provide all police officers with Emotionally Distressed Persons
Response Team training (EDPRT).
Issue: Across New York State and the nation there have been calls for alternatives
to police response to individuals experiencing mental health crises. While law
enforcement officers receive the highest level of training to prepare for a variety
of interactions and emergency situations, there are unique challenges created
during incidents involving individuals experiencing a mental health episode.
Far too many examples have surfaced across the country in recent years in which
individuals suffering a mental health episode are met with public safety officials
seemingly lacking in the training necessary for successful outcomes.
Response: Over the past several years the City has offered EDPRT in service
training on a voluntary basis. The latest training was held in December 2020. This
intense 40 hour training, offered by Retired Sgt. Eric Weaver, formerly of the
Rochester Police Department, destigmatizes mental illness and provides an array
of appropriate responses to individuals needing help in the community. To date
roughly 50% of the department has completed the course.
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This training will become mandatory and over the next two years all remaining
officers will complete the course. All new officers joining the force will be
required to complete the training within two years of joining the force.
Recommendation 6:
Establish a task force to research possibilities to create a crisis
intervention team for mental health calls in the City of Troy.
Issue: There currently exists a mobile response team that can be called upon by a
responding officer in times of need. The limitations to this model are three-fold:
1. The officer is still the first responding individual potentially setting up a
dynamic of confrontation or fear;
2. This does not reduce the ‘footprint’ of policing in the community; and
3. This particular model serves a five county area making its availability
unreliable and its response times slow.
Presently the TPD responds to 900 to 1,000 mental health calls each year.
Response: Establish a team of mental health professionals in the County/City to
explore the possibility and viability of establishing a crisis intervention team for
mental health calls. The team should at a minimum quantify the need in the city,
review various successful models across the country and develop some
preliminary cost estimates for a preferred model.
Recommendation 7:
Establish a Diversity and Inclusion Committee to assist in the
recruitment, successful hiring and retention of individuals to make
the City’s workforce more representative of the demographic
make-up of the City.
Issue: Minorities are woefully underrepresented among the ranks of the City
workforce, including on the Police Force. The reality is that most, if not all, of the
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City’s departments lack critical diversity. For purposes of the Police Department it
is widely accepted that diversity reflective of the community served is an essential
characteristic to building trust within the community.
Response: Establishment of a Diversity and Inclusion Committee to assist in
recruitment, successful hiring and retention of individuals to make the City’s
workforce more representative of the demographic make-up of the City.
The Committee shall include, among others, the City’s Personnel Director, a
representative from the Mayor’s Office, a representative from the NAACP, and
representatives from the City’s two school districts as well as Hudson Valley
Community College (HVCC).
The Committee’s first order of business is to advise the Mayor as to whether the
committee is sufficient to carry out this charge or if the City needs to create a
position of Diversity and Inclusion Officer in order to effectively advance the goals
of the committee. Ideally this determination would be made in time to be
accommodated in the 2022 budget process, if necessary.
Recommendation 8:
Revamp the Troy Police Department website to provide more
transparency to the public regarding use of force, training, various
policies, crime statistics as well as resources and opportunities
available in the community.
Issue: Public comments collected during listening sessions indicated a lack of
knowledge about many aspects of policing in the City. Numerous suggestions
were made that are current practice or policy, and in some cases have been in
place for years. This is a clear illustration that the City has not been as
transparent as we could have been.
Response: Creation of a new municipal webpage with expanded content taking
into account the various misperceptions we heard as well as the requests for
additional information made known to us.
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Recommendation 9:
Provide all police officers with business cards, including name and
contact information, for distribution during interactions with the
public.
Issue: Concerns were raised about individuals being unable to identify officers
with whom they come into contact. Suggestions were made to provide officers
with business cards with their name and contact information.
Response: Under the Department’s Code of Conduct it is already a requirement
that uniformed officers provide their name and badge number, and other
requested information in a respectful manner. To further facilitate this, going
forward all officers will be issued business cards with their name, rank and
contact information. Officers will be directed to provide these cards as soon as
practical in interactions with the public.
Recommendation 10:
Develop a Citizen Police Academy as a means to provide greater
transparency and education regarding policing operations in the
Troy Police Department.
Issue: A number of comments both during and preceding the PRRC process
indicate a lack of familiarity with many aspects of the Police Department. As
noted previously this strongly suggests a need for increased communication and
transparency in police operations to bolster public trust.
Response: The Citizen Police Academy is an ideal way to expose civilians to the
inner workings of the police department. It is a program conducted over 12
weeks during which civilian participants are exposed to many aspects of policing
in the City, including: statutory and case law that guide policing, training
requirements, use of force strictures, interplay between policing and prosecution,
domestic violence and mental health issues at play in the community, among
other topics. Citizens participate in ride-alongs to observe officers on patrol.
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The entire program is designed to provide participants a real life view of how
officers and the community interact providing much requested transparency of
police operations.
Recommendation 11:
Create a committee to research the feasibility of creating a Police
Athletic League (or a similar styled entity).
Issue: Trust is built on relationships. Several comments were offered that Police
Officers need to have more positive interactions with members of the
community, particularly youth. Workload demands make this difficult to achieve
on a consistent basis during the workday. The Police Athletic League (PAL)
programs in other communities were pointed to as a potential model for Troy.
These Leagues generally operate as a stand-alone non-profit entity.
Response: The Troy Police Department is very open to the idea of a similar
program in Troy, perhaps not limited to solely athletic programs – more of a
Police Activity League. Some research is necessary to better understand the legal
structure and cost of such a program and whether it makes sense to have a stand-
alone entity as opposed to partnering with existing programs. Sources of funding
will also need to be researched and secured.
Recommendation 12:
Create a trauma response team activated for the community.
Organizations gather at a traumatic event to help distribute
information but also to help on site as needed.
Issue: Trauma refers to experiences that can cause intense physical and
psychological stress reactions. It can refer to a single event, multiple events, or a
set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically and
emotionally harmful or threatening and that may have lasting adverse effects on
the individual’s physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being. Experiencing
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deeply disturbing events or situations can affect the way a person learns, plans,
and interacts with others. Violence in our communities creates trauma not just for
victims but the community as a whole. It degrades our interpersonal relationships
and undermines the sense of interconnectedness that is essential in healthy
communities.
In the event of a tragic incident at a school or the death of a student, school
districts regularly provide grief counselors to assist students in managing the grief
and trauma. No such coordinated effort exists in communities following incidents
of violence. The trauma builds in the community, layer upon layer with each
successive event.
Resources do exist in the community though they are not focused on these sorts
of situations and are not known by community members who need them.
Response: Preliminary research reveals a number of well-established programs
across the country. A committee will be formed to:
● Connect the services that do exist with the individuals and neighborhoods
in need;
● Assess the level of unmet need; and
● Aided by further research of various possible approaches, make a
recommendation to address unmet needs.
The committee should involve, among others, St. Peter’s Health Partners, County
Mental Health and the Troy and Lansingburgh School Districts.
Recommendation 13:
Convene a work group to explore options to divert youthful
offenders out of the formal criminal justice system.
Issue: Research has shown that many youth in the juvenile justice system are
there for relatively minor offenses, have significant mental health issues, and end
up in out-of-home placement or on probation by default.
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Diversion programs are alternatives to initial or continued formal processing of
youth in the juvenile delinquency system. Their purpose is to redirect youthful
offenders from the justice system through programming, supervision, and
supports. The benefits of diversion programs have been well documented, and
include:
● Diverting youth who have committed minor offenses away from the system
and towards community-based treatment and support options is a more
appropriate response than confinement, and a more productive way of
addressing and preventing future delinquency.
● Formally processing youth through the juvenile justice system does more
harm than good by perpetuating delinquency through ”labeling” and
exposing youth to circumstances within juvenile and adult correctional
institutions that may actually increase delinquency.
● Reduction of premature involvement in the “deep end” of the juvenile
delinquency system;
● Reduction in out-of-home placements, especially for younger children;
● maintaining youth connectedness and engagement in the community by
keeping the youth in his/her environment; and
● Reduction in cost compared to court processing and/or secure placement.
● Diversion can be an integral part of a graduated continuum of options for
youth already involved or at risk of becoming involved with the juvenile
justice system.
Response: A work group will be formed to explore the interest in and feasibility
of creating a formal program to divert youth out of the traditional criminal justice
system. Participants will need to include the District Attorney’s Office, the Court
system, County Probation as well as community advocates.
(Note: This activity goes beyond mere policing but was included based on the
passion of the comments. While the PD will play a role in this activity it is critically
dependent on support of other governmental entities.)
Recommendation 14:
Convene a work group to explore options to expand re-entry
services.
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Issue: Re-entry services are a critical and necessary service in the transition from
incarceration to a productive life in the community. Comments made to and by
members of the steering committee highlight the scarcity of resources currently
available in Rensselaer County. By all accounts existing programs are well-
regarded, but existing resources (budgetary or staffing) are extremely tight and
are not always available in the County. Additionally, indications are that state
funding may be reduced for re-entry programs.
Response: A work group will be formed to explore the existing gaps in re-entry
services in the City of Troy. Participants will need to include the District
Attorney’s Office, the Court system, County Probation as well as community
advocates.
(Note: This activity also goes beyond mere policing yet is included based on the
passion of the comments. While the PD will play a role in this activity it is critically
dependent on support of other governmental entities.)
Recommendation 15:
Establish an Oversight Committee to Track Implementation of PRRC
Recommendations
Issue: The forgoing recommendations all occur over varying time frames in the
months ahead. Progress should be monitored to ensure that it stays on track and
ensure that it achieves the desired results (and modified if it does not).
Response: An oversight committee will be formed with the express purpose of
monitoring the progress and efficacy of the foregoing recommendations. The
Committee should meet no less than quarterly and will produce an annual report
to the Mayor and City Council. The annual report will make note of progress
made to create greater transparency, accountability and trust in our police
operations.
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City of Troy Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative: Final Report | Page 26
Mayor’s Closing Statement
The Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative was an important and
useful undertaking to begin discussions among citizens, police leadership, service
providers and others in the criminal justice sector. The dialogue raised important
concerns and concepts that will influence policy and practices in the months and
years ahead.
This work alone, however, is not sufficient. It overly addresses symptoms
to the exclusion of causes. A number of comments captured this point. Policing is
but one aspect of a complex and interrelated social system in which your standing
depends greatly on luck. The luck of where you were born and who you were
born to.
It is widely understood that criminal justice exposure is fundamentally
linked to underlying inequalities in distributions of power and wealth. It burdens
the same neighborhoods that have been weighed down by disinvestment,
inadequate and unsafe housing, underfunded schools, food insecurity, public
health deficits, lack of jobs and other factors, often for generations.
While building a stronger partnership between the police and the
community is a critically important endeavor, the overall health of our
communities needs also to be brought to the forefront of our thinking. The topics
of youth programming, job training, mental health assistance, diversion, re-entry,
and efforts to increase resources for these and other programs were frequent
topics of discussion during the listening sessions. Better resourcing in these
arenas could give everyone a fairer chance and prevent people from becoming
entangled in the criminal justice system in the first place.
The recommendations outlined in this report are first steps in an ongoing
effort. Real change will require a commitment to open dialogue and engagement
between the City, the Police Department, and our residents. It also requires a
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greater level of investment from our state and federal governments in our cities
and their people.
I thank the community and committee members for their involvement and
contributions to this valuable process, and acknowledge the contributions and
proactive response from the Troy Police Department to increase trust and
strengthen their relationship with the residents and families they serve. Despite
differences that may exist I am confident in the belief that we all pursue the same
goal: a safer, more welcoming community for all.
Patrick Madden
Mayor, City of Troy
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