Troy will hire 6 officers for community policing unit
Residents, activists backed spending the money on other needs in the city
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Troy s City Council on Thursday agreed to hire six new police officers, increasing the size of the department over the objection of activists and residents who wanted the money spent on other needs in the city. (Lori Van Buren/Times Union)Lori Van Buren/Albany Times UnionShow MoreShow Less
2of6Buy PhotoKen Zalewski answers questions from Troy residents during a council race debate sponsored by Troy Neighborhoods Action Council (TNAC) at Troy Prep Elementary on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019 in Troy, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren/Times Union)Lori Van Buren/Albany Times UnionShow MoreShow Less
3:48 Police reform advocates rallied outside of Troy police headquarters against a proposal before the city council that would transfer funding to hire six new officers.
In April, the Troy City Council’s Finance Committee in a 5 to 2 vote advanced a budget transfer for the hiring of six new police officers. The transfer now before the city council is intended to get new hires through the police academy and onto the beat six months earlier than if the spending waited until 2022.
But advocates, many of whom criticized the city’s state-mandated police reform process, say throwing more officers at the problem will not improve the lives of Black and brown residents or build trust between the police department and the people of Troy.
Troy residents: Don t hire 6 more police officers
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Jessica Ashley of the Justice Center of Rensselaer County holds a news conference outside Troy Police headquarters with fellow community leaders and activists to express their opposition to the city s Police Reform & Reinvention Collaborative s final report on Thursday, May 6, 2021, in Troy, N.Y. Organizers say the report fails to address systemic racism in city government and demand that the Troy City Council vote no to hiring six new police officers. They would like to see a greater investment in community services. (Will Waldron/Times Union)Will Waldron/Albany Times UnionShow MoreShow Less
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Community organizations active in Troy held a town hall Sunday evening to share their vision for policing in the Collar City.
In their eyes, Troy’s Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative has fallen short. All across New York state, municipalities had until April 1st to come up with a written plan aimed at eliminating structural racism and bias in policing, via public input, or risk losing state funding. D. Colin is a poet, actor, and visual artist living in Troy. The PRRC report issued by the mayor fails to recognize that here in Troy last June 11,000 people showed up in solidarity to demand that change, that change action and accountability. The governor s executive orders says whereas there is a long and painful history in New York state of discrimination and mistreatment of Black and African American citizens dating back to the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in America. The PRC report issued by the mayor makes no such acknowledgement.
Troy organizers to discuss policing alternatives Sunday
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A police officer is seen closing the back of a police car parked outside the Troy Police Station on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020 in Troy, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren/Times Union)Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union
TROY Dissatisfied with the results of the city s Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative, numerous community organizations are holding a town hall Sunday evening to discuss their own vision for Troy s policing.
The town hall, which will take place via Zoom from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., comes on the heels of the City Council Finance Committee s approval of hiring six new police officers to the Troy Police Department, which the City Council is slated to vote on Thursday.