Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Passport
  • Support WSKG
Donate
  • Donate
  • logo
  • logo
  • Donate
  • Home
  • News
  • TV
  • Your Radio
  • Schedules
  • Arts
  • Education
  • History
  • Science
  • Donate
  • More
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Passport
    • Support WSKG

WSKG - Local news and arts, broadcasting NPR radio and PBS TV.

WSKG thanks our sponsors...
  • Donate your vehicle to support WSKG

WSKG (https://wskg.org/misconceptions-strong-rhetoric-in-ithaca-police-reform-public-hearing/)

  • Donate
  • Home
  • News
  • TV
  • Your Radio
  • Schedules
  • Arts
  • Education
  • History
  • Science
Listen Live WSKG
Listen Live WSKG Classical

Watch Live WSKG TV
Watch Live PBS Kids
Coronavirus Updates
Coronavirus Updates

Misconceptions, strong opinions abound in public discussion of Ithaca’s police reform proposals

By Megan Zerez | April 7, 2022
More
  • More on Abolish Police
  • Subscribe to Abolish Police

Ithaca's Common Council heard resident input on its plans to reform public safety. (Megan Zerez/WSKG)

https://wskg.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/council-police-drama-web.mp3

ITHACA, NY (WSKG) — Ithaca residents spoke out on the city’s proposed police reforms during Wednesday night’s contentious Common Council meeting. There was some confusion about what exactly the proposals entailed.

Last month, the Reimagining Public Safety working group recommended adding five unarmed police officers and hiring a civilian to oversee both armed and unarmed divisions. It also called for additional training for all officers. There would be no change to the existing armed police force or its budget.

But both supporters and opponents of the police reform plan said that they’ve seen fewer police on the streets in recent months. Some expressed fear the city’s police reform effort was to blame for the changes. The reforms have not been enacted yet.

Dean Servos owns Simeon’s Bistro, a restaurant on the Ithaca Commons. Servos said he was having trouble hiring workers for his restaurant and said it was the lack of police that was driving potential hires away.

“In 2020, we started to see less police presence and more rhetoric from the mayor’s office about how to get rid of the police,” Servos said.

There has been a decline in the number of police officers on duty, but it’s not because of the proposed police reforms. Over 20% of the Ithaca Police Department are away on a voluntary leave of absence — some are on parental leave, some on medical leave, others are on military deployment.

Another common misconception during the meeting was the idea that the reforms would abolish the police force altogether.

“It’s a slippery slope to consider removing or shrinking the police force,” said Nick Domster, of Bangs Ambulance. “My only comparison to that is that would be like removing the locks and doors from your house. You may be comfortable with that, but I’m certainly not.”

The Reimaging Public Safety plan does not call for any changes to the city’s existing armed police force. On the contrary, Ithaca Mayor Laura Lewis said the city is actively recruiting additional armed police officers and had separately increased the police budget this year.

Alderperson and Reimagining Public Safety working group member Ducson Nguyen said many of the misconceptions voiced during the meeting were also repeated in emailed comments.

“A number of comments and emails that we received recently made me feel like I was living in some alternate universe,” Nguyen said.

Other commenters, like Ithaca Democratic Socialist leader Teresa Alt, said it wasn’t enough to hire five unarmed responders. She said compared to the number of armed police, five unarmed responders were insufficient to deal with the volume of non-emergency calls.

“When five [unarmed] responders, all rookies by definition, can’t handle what 30 police officers and a dog do, then the public will declare them a failure,” Alt said.

The report said the five unarmed responders would be expected to provide services for which police aren’t currently responsible. 

Some residents, like Tompkins County Latino Civic Association President, Patricia Fernandez De Castro, praised the proposals.

“Our people have historically experienced marginalization and discrimination, especially from those who are called to provide us with safety and peace,” Fernandez de Castro said.

Fernandez de Castro said the reforms were a step in the right direction and called on the council to adopt the recommendations.

Ithaca’s Common Council will hear public comment and discuss the Reimagining Public Safety report again in May.

You can read the Reimaging Public Safety report here.

Recent Posts

  • Proposed health insurance rate hikes average in the double digits

    WXXI - While NY state regulators have not yet signed off on what kinds of increases health insurance companies will be allowed to charge next year, many of those those insurers are asking for double-digit rate hikes. According to the New York State Department of Financial Services, insurance companies who offer products in the small group market are proposing an average 16.5% increase, and those who offer individual policies are looking for an 18.7% increase.

  • Summer travel and security increase at Syracuse Airport

    WRVO - Syracuse’s Hancock International Airport is prepared for the crowds headed out of town as the summer traveling season hits high gear. There are ways to make things go smoother.

  • Pennsylvania lawmakers have plenty of abortion proposals to offer the next governor

    WSKG - Pennsylvania’s current abortion law appears to be staying in place for now. Gov. Tom Wolf has repeatedly said he’ll veto any new restrictions on the procedure.

  • Abortion ruling may affect where high school students choose to attend college

    Some high school students said the Supreme Court’s ruling on abortion is playing a role in their own big decision — where they'll go to college. Ella Reese and her friend Samantha Kager live near Ithaca, where they're both going into the 11th grade.

  • Ithaca could become a “sanctuary city” for people prosecuted for abortion

    Ithaca could soon become a sanctuary city for those under investigation for seeking or aiding in an abortion. The city's Common Council plans to vote next week on an ordinance that would make it more difficult for other states to investigate abortions in Ithaca.

WSKG thanks our sponsors...

About WSKG

WSKG connects you to local and global news and the arts online, on the radio, and on TV. NPR and PBS affiliate.

CONTACT US
email: WSKGcomment@wskg.org

phone: 607.729.0100

address: 601 Gates Road Suite 4, Vestal, NY 13850-2288

DONATE

Pay an underwriting invoice


  • WSKG
  • Arts
  • Education
  • Science
  • News
  • Your Radio
  • Schedule
  • TV
  • About
  • WSKG Staff
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
  • Public Reports & Policies
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
  • Protect My Public Media
FCC PUBLIC FILES
WSKG-FM
WSQX-FM
WSQG-FM
WSQE
WSQA
WSQC-FM
WSQN
WSKG-TV
WSKA
Disabled and need assistance with the online FCC public file?
Contact Gary Talkiewicz
WSKG
601 Gates Road
Vestal, New York 13850
607-729-0100
gtalkiewicz@wskg.org

Full Frequency Information Listed Here

WSKG

89.3fm   Binghamton
91.1fm   Corning, Elmira
88.7fm   Hornell
90.9fm   Ithaca
89.9fm   Odessa
91.7fm    Oneonta
90.5fm   Watkins Glen

WSKG Classical

91.5    Binghamton
105.9  Cooperstown
90.7    Corning
88.1    Greene, Norwich
92.1     Ithaca

WSKG HD TV

Binghamton
46.1 Broadcast TV
7 Time Warner Cable
1221 Time Warner Digital Cable

Elmira
30.1 Broadcast TV
8 Time Warner Cable
1221 Time Warner Digital Cable

Oneonta, Cooperstown
8 Time Warner Cable
1221 Time Warner Digital Cable

Hornell
1221 Time Warner Digital Cable

© Copyright 2022, WSKG

Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News.

Back to top ↑