POUGHKEEPSIE – At a council meeting last week, the council introduced legislation calling for a civilian review board to have oversight of the police department and complaints regarding officers. On Monday night, members of the public called for Chairperson Sarah Salem’s recusal due to pending criminal charges.
During Monday night’s meeting, several members of the public called in and expressed their support for the creation of the board. Amelia Miller of S. White Street called for the new board to not only handle police issues but handle complaints of the elected officials as well. “We can’t have everyone else being held accountable when the ones that make the laws aren’t held accountable,” said Ms. Miller.
Andrew Schaefer, a 15-year veteran of the city’s police department echoed Miller’s comments, saying that the board should cover all departments and elected. Schaefer argued that singling out one department is an example of bias, which is not appropriate.
Community organizer Robert Pemberton, of Stop the Violence, called in. Pemberton is the man that put together the July rally in which an estimated 2,000 people protested in Poughkeepsie without violence. Pemberton credited the city’s police force for doing an excellent job of keeping that event safe. Not long after the rally, Council Chair Sarah Salem was critical of the event because the chair wasn’t one of the people allowed to march on the Mid-Hudson Bridge. Pemberton addressed Salem in a letter to the editor. In light of Salem’s February DWI arrest, Pemberton said on Monday, “Elected officials need to be held to a higher standard,” adding that the review board needs to cover office-holders as well.
City of Poughkeepsie Police Detective Karen Zirbel said that the proposed board is designed to bring about “Transparency, accountability, and oversight – all three things which are lacking from this council.” Acknowledging that there are a growing number of people calling for Salem to recuse herself from participating in the creation of the review board, Zirbel chastised the council for not taking action. “I heard a councilperson recuse themselves on another matter last week – for professional reasons. Can someone explain how that is not happening here when we are talking about a person on the council that was arrested and has an open criminal case?” Zirbel said the board’s silence on the matter means they consent with Salem. “Not one council member, with the exception of Matt McNamara has publicly stated that this (Salem’s participation) is a problem.
A public hearing on the proposed legislation is scheduled for September 21 at 6:00 pm.
NEWS STORY PROVIDED BY: Mid Hudson News -www.midhudsonnews.com