Referred to: The Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee (Chairwoman Walter and Legislators Fabiano, Haynes, Heppner and Parete)

Chairwoman of the Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee, Eve Walter, offers the following:

WHEREAS, Resolution No. 410 of October 15, 2019 established the Ulster County Criminal Justice Reform Task Force (UC-CJRTF) to evaluate Restorative Justice Services in the county and explore opportunities for improvement and expansion; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature is in receipt of, and has reviewed the report of the UC-CJRTF; and

WHEREAS, the Criminal Justice Reform Taskforce identified with Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 203 (EO203) titled, New York State Police Reform And Reinvention Collaborative, stipulating that: “each local government entity which has a police agency operating with police officers as defined under 1.20 of the criminal procedure law must perform a comprehensive review of current police force deployments, strategies, policies, procedures, and practices, and develop a plan to improve such deployments, strategies, policies, procedures, and practices, for the purposes of addressing the particular needs of the communities served by such police agency and promote community engagement to foster trust, fairness, and legitimacy, and to address any racial bias and disproportionate policing of communities of color,” and

WHEREAS, EO203 stipulated the importance to engage community members in these discussions and as a result many community members committed extensive time and care into developing plans for each police force in the county including the office of the Sheriff; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to continue community engagement in successes and barriers to success identified at the municipal and county-levels to assure implementation of these carefully imagined efforts; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Ulster County Charter Section C-16 and the Administrative Code Section A2-11: “Advisory committees, commissions and boards. Members of all citizens’ committees, commissions and boards appointed pursuant to Section C-11K of the Charter shall serve at the pleasure of the County Legislature. They shall serve without compensation other than for actual and necessary expenses within appropriations made therefor, unless otherwise provided by resolution of the County Legislature. The Chairman of the County Legislature shall be a member ex-officio of all such committees, commissions and boards;” now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Law Enforcement Community Advisory Board is hereby created as a centralized community advisory group tasked with supporting and evaluating the implementation of the reform plans approved for Ulster County as a result of EO203 for efficacy, efficiency, and compliance, to ensure the best and most cost-effective delivery of services as well as to discuss implementation, and barriers to implementation, of plans within individual municipalities; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Advisory Group shall consist of:

•         One (1) community member representative from each of the Ulster County EO203 task forces;

•         One (1) Legislator chosen by the Majority Leader;

•         One (1) Legislator chosen by the Minority Leader; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Law Enforcement Community Advisory Group shall meet no later than 30 days after the appointments to said Advisory Group are made, and shall continue to meet no less than quarterly; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Executive’s Office shall provide the assistance of such departments that he or she deems appropriate; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the first meeting of the Advisory Group shall be convened by the Chair of the Ulster County Legislature and at said meeting, the members of the Advisory Group shall choose one of its members to be the Chair of the Advisory Group; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Advisory Group shall submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the County Legislature for consideration, review, and appropriate action, if necessary, no later than one year after its first meeting; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Law Enforcement Community Advisory Group shall be dissolved upon filing its findings and recommendations with the Clerk of the Legislature,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                       NOES:     

Passed Committee: Law Enforcement and Public Safety on ______________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

TBD