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Rochester Police Must Build Trust, not Crack Down on Minor Offenses
In response to Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard’s announcement today of the “Cool Down” plan to increase police patrols in certain neighborhoods, the New York Civil Liberties Union’s Genesee Valley Chapter released the following statement, attributable to Chapter Director KaeLyn Rich:
In response to Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard’s announcement today of the “Cool Down” plan to increase police patrols in certain neighborhoods, the New York Civil Liberties Union’s Genesee Valley Chapter released the following statement, attributable to Chapter Director KaeLyn Rich:
“The spike in gun violence is a serious concern that the Police Department should be taking steps to address. However, cracking down on loitering and broken taillights is not an effective means for getting illegal guns off the streets. Rather, it is a recipe for racial profiling and civil rights abuses that will create distrust between police and residents.
“Police should focus on building trusting relationships, not writing tickets or using minor offenses as a pretext to stop and search people.”