Image taken from Spectrum News.
Earlier this month, the city council published its first resolution to adopt the Saratoga Springs Police Reform Task Force’s recommendations for police reform into city policy. Shortly after, they published another. Residents and activists were dissatisfied with the language used in the resolution, which prompted the council to reissue their response last week.
The Saratoga Springs Police Reform task force was the council’s own initiative. On August 4th, 2020, they launched an aggregate of community members, professionals, and intellectuals that is majority Black-led to evaluate and provide revisions for the city’s police department--per Executive Order 203. The task force’s 13 members (11 community members , the chief of police, and the city attorney) spent the following seven-month-long process of research, interviews, meetings (both in-person and virtually), and deliberation to produce their 50 points of recommendation for police reform. The city council would announce their own commitment informed by the task force under the designation of a “resolution” that would be voted on at a later date.
In the wake of a summer of nationwide protests against police violence and the city’s own dark shadow of police-related controversy with the death of Darryl Mount, many Saratogians welcomed the work of the task force and felt invested in possible future changes. However, despite the city council’s reissue, many were still upset with the resolution’s language. The wording most in dispute was the usage of “accepts for consideration” in response to the task force’s plans. Many believed that this expression was intentionally chosen so that the city government might distance itself from responsibility. To some, “accepts for consideration” is not strong enough. It misses any guarantees of the city’s commitment to the process of police reform. It seems too dispassionate and too cautious for a decision that supporters of the 50 points feel that they should already be on board with.
Language is not the only subject of contention. The second resolution also rejects three of the fifty recommendations. Point 32 requests a ban on all no-knock warrants. The council chose to keep the power of that decision to the police chief, who has chosen not to remove that power from the SSPD until it is nationally ordered. Point 39 requests that the Saratoga Police stop their use and acceptance of military-grade weapons. Finally, point 50 requests that the city formally institute a “Civil Review Board” that reviews the conduct of the police department.
At the most recent city council meeting this past Tuesday, March 23rd, those concerned made their concern known. The meeting held an audience of over a hundred Saratogians that were interested in the possibility of police reform in their city. There were so many attendees that council members encouraged those without statements or those that had already made theirs to leave the Zoom call and watch the meeting’s live stream on the Saratoga Springs website to make room.
In the meeting, Saratogians, both old and new, overwhelmingly expressed their approval of the task force’s points of recommendation. In fact, opposite to the city council’s wariness, many voiced their favor of all 50. In particular, many agreed with the introduction of a “Civilian Review Board.” Some went as far as to call it “common sense.” They understood the task force’s suggestions as a path to “change.” They also understood the council’s resolution as indicative of non-existent effort which is unfair to the work of the task force. They went on to call on the leadership capacity of the council and call out their duty to previously established political expectations; some called on their power as taxpayers, some on their trust as voters, and some even reiterated the requirements of the executive order which would be unfulfilled if the council did not commit to substantial changes.
Thus, a number of the discontented body provided alternative wording. They suggested words and phrases like “ratify” or “adopts for implementation” that communicate a stronger pledge to reform. They also urged the council to include dates and deadlines for implementation to hold themselves accountable.
In response, Vince Deleonaides, who wrote the document, stated that the language was never intended to cause controversy nor to dismiss. They specifically chose that language to prepare for the legal complications around the implementation of the points in focus. The Review Board would require amendments of the city charter that would involve transferring power from the public safety commissioner, putting it on ballots, and increased funding from taxes. While not spoken upon as deeply as point 50, point 32 and 39 seem to also require the same legal rigamarole.
Nevertheless, the council seemed unprepared for the frustration that the minutiae of language might inspire. Clearly, this process has a deeper meaning to its strongest supporters-- named by many of them to be the roadway to trust, progress, and justice. Yet, there is a constituency that does not share this point of view. Some view the select points by the task force as foreign. They seem extreme for a police force that has been acknowledged by the task force themselves as lacking “intense scrutiny or bad publicity”. According to Commissioner Dalton, hundreds have sent letters in support of the police force and view the task force’s criticisms as disapproval or hatred of the police. To them, the SSPD does a good enough job and some changes are unnecessary.
However, the task force maintains its stance and believes that all 50 points are not currently present in the SSPD. Also, adversely, the task force members who spoke at the meeting viewed their proposal as “moderate.” The task force deeply believes that their work is inclusive of the most marginalized and those they believe to interact with police the most to ensure public safety for everyone and to ensure that the SSPD can do the best job that they possibly can.
The meeting ended with the council acknowledging consensus on the task force’s recommendations. They plan to release another revised resolution next week. They leaned toward agreeing to all 50 points. Notably, Commissioner of Accounts John Franck considers voting on the amendments as soon as possible, regardless of any legal complexities. Deleonaides states that the work will come. A moment of deliberation now only affects whether they start that complex work sooner rather than later.
Still, some in attendance felt uncertain where the council might fall. Yet, the growth in accord on the need and details of police reform have others confident that the needle has moved. The council votes on Wednesday, March 31st.
Interested Skidmore students and faculty can register for Wednesday’s meeting at this link: https://www.saratoga-springs.org/2566/Police-Reform-Task-Force