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This week marked a year since a white Minneapolis police officer put a knee on George Floyd s neck for nine-and-a-half minutes and killed him on a public street.
Advocates have asked the city and Monroe County to transform policing tactics and create a more equitable community that holistically serves all residents and respects Black lives.
In the year since the social justice movements spurred by Floyd s death began renewed calls for racial equality, what lessons have been learned? What has to change? The
Democrat and Chronicle posed those questions to local leaders.
All responses except two Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter and city council candidate Stanley Martin, a community organizer were collected via email questionnaire. (Baxter and Martin spoke with reporters in person .) The responses have been edited for clarity and length.
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Under Mayor Lovely Warren s 2021-22 budget proposal, the city of Rochester would reduce funding for the Rochester Police Department, increase spending on the newly formed Office of Crisis Intervention Services, and meet a request from the Police Accountability Board for $5 million.
Warren unveiled the the $560.8 million spending plan Friday morning at Rochester City Hall. The plan still requires City Council approval. Council, after three public hearings next month, is expected to vote on it on June 15.
According to Warren, the plan is 5.2% bigger than last year, but she said it will decrease property taxers for the average homeowner by $36. The plan is possible through keeping the tax levy and service fees flat with a combination of reserve funding; deferred capital projects; and better-than-expected revenue collections from such sources as sales taxes, according to a release.
Separate Rochester and Monroe County crisis response teams are seeing a city-driven rise in calls mainly to assist people who are suicidal or experiencing chronic mental illness.
The county s Forensic Intervention Team has seen its call volume double from last year, averaging more than nine responses daily triple that of 2019. While Rochester s Person In Crisis team, launched in January, is well over initially projected caseloads. If I had to guess I would say it s (due to) more awareness, said Corinda Crossdale, Monroe County s deputy county executive for health and human services.
These civilian teams staffed by clinicians, social workers and counselors are part of a national push seeking alternatives to a law enforcement response.