“It is time that we change our practices so that the government reflects the people that it serves and offers opportunity to everyone regardless of your zip code or the color of your skin,” said Bello.
However, some say Bello’s speech left more questions than answers while others say they believe the situation was unfair.
“He came on the spot. He came on the spot he should have been ready for answers,” said Gwen Dillard from Rochester.
“The institutions have a lot of work to do and to be able to answer that unprepared is not only not fair, but I don’t want a canned answer. I want something that really matters,” said Dr. Linda Clark, the president of Black Physicians Network. “What we want Adam Bello to do is when he goes back to his administration, he can produce a comprehensive plan that we can all see and that is very transparent. From what I understand, he is willing to do that.”
“All of these leaders are passing budgets and they are spending a significant amount of money on the police. It’s completely unnecessary and when we know that Rochester is one of the poorest cities in the nation and we have all these issues that we are facing,” Adrian Blim, a local activist.
During his daily briefing, Governor Cuomo says change is already in the works.
“Society says you’re right. The police need systemic reform. That was accomplishment one. Now go to step two,” said Cuomo.
Friday, the Governor signed an executive order mandating police reform giving municipalities until April 1 to submit their changes or risk losing state funding.
Earlier this week, the state legislature massed reforms on the state level including a ban on chokeholds and requiring state police be equipped with body cams.
The Ogden Police Department says change is already underway as his police station is starting to come up with new training strategies for it’s officers with input from the community.
“I’m sure there will be a lot of training. Implicit bias training is a hot topic right now and I feel like everyone can benefit from training on implicit bias,” said Ogden Police Chief Chris Mears. “I think it’s important that we maintain that tight relationships with the community. Bringing people into the police department to re-imagine police work is something I’m in favor of.”
Local activists in Rochester say they still want more local action, from dropping all looting charges from May 30, to removing RPD officers from the Rochester City School District and defunding the police department and using 50% of the funds to help poorer communities.
“It’s a waist of our resources when that many can go to specifically the people in our neighborhoods, the folks in out neighborhood who need it the most,” said Blim.
The activist group Free the People ROC says it is also using the protests to help encourage others to vote. The group says it is offering free rides to polling places during early voting.
“If you want a ride, we can come give you a ride to the polls no matter what,” said Ashley Gantt from Free the People ROC.
—13WHAM
