WGXC-90.7 FM

Catskill village hearing on police plan continues

Mar 29, 2021 6:00 am

Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Catskill Village Board will hold a special meeting Mon., Mar. 29, to receive public comment on the police reform plan. The meeting will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the village courtroom. Village trustees will vote on the plan following the hearing. The plan was developed pursuant to a June state executive order requiring all municipalities with a police agency to conduct a review of police policies and procedures and to then develop an improvement plan in an effort to address the needs of the community. “The committee and myself worked really hard on this,” said village trustee Natasha Law. “As a team, we hope it is received well by the public and by our police department.” The public hearing on the plan was opened last week. The report included recommendations for better engagement with the community, less intimidating uniforms, a civilian review board and additional training. Catskill Police Chief David Darling was supportive of the recommendations. Resident Robert Kosich inquired as to why the plan did not include body cameras, saying cameras would be more effective than new uniforms. Law said cameras would likely be cost prohibitive, but she did not have the exact figures at hand. The committee also recommended the department provide a biweekly report to the village board, closely examine the budget and keep the committee active for a year to continue the review process, Darling said. “I get the message, I understand what they’re saying,” he said. “I will continue to work with them.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.