Police Reform in Hudson

Last evening, Mayor Kamal Johnson held a Police Reform Town Hall during which members of the Police Advisory and Reconciliation Commission (PARC) reported on the work of the commission since its formation in July 2020. 

During the town hall, Linda Friedner provided an overview of how the commission had approached and carried out its task. Sergeant Mishanda Franklin discussed recommendations for new programs suggested by the Hudson Police Department. Cheryl Roberts, city attorney and counsel for the Greenberger Center for Social and Criminal Justice, spoke about the transinstitutionalization of the mentally ill from asylums to prisons and the effort being undertaken in Hudson and Columbia County to identify "gaps in the system where people are falling through the cracks." Theo Anthony made a presentation about the use of force and body camera policy. Joan E. Hunt, of Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood, was to make a presentation about safeguarding children of incarcerated parents, but she was unable to be present for the meeting.

Prior to the town hall, the report prepared by PARC and submitted to the mayor on December 7 was made available on the City of Hudson website. That report can be found here. 

Based on the report, the following goals were outlined for Year One:

1.  The police department will increase its transparency to the community it serves

Disclose all third party contracts

Website

Civilian Complaint Forms 

2.  Policy Practices

Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents 

Body camera policy

Principles of "necessary and proportional" 

Define a "use of force continuum"

Defining "de-escalation" 

If all other options have been exhausted, the officer needs to provide a clear and audible warning that they are escalating to deadly force 

3.   General Recommendations

Police Advisory and Conciliation Committee (PARC) will be made a permanent committee

Hiring of minority officers 

Community Conversations

Compile local data on no-knock warrants 

Formalize ban on chokeholds and no-knock raids 

4.   Police Recommendations

Increase training to specific officers' strengths

Community "Ride-Along" Program

Implement Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 

Implement programs like "Coffee with a Cop" and the "Explorer Program" as a model

5.  General Orders Review and Disclosure 

Vehicle and Traffic Stops 

Crisis Intervention and Assisting the Mentally Ill 

In-Service Training

Department Discipline 

6.  Data Collection Management and Disclosure

All incidents whereby any Use-of-Force/Response to Resistance event occurs  

Type(s) of force utilized and findings of the follow-up investigation  

All Civilian Complaints, type(s) of complaints, and their findings

Online Civilian complaints will have the option to remain anonymous 

 7.  Body Camera Recommendations

Record audio and video in buffer mode, expand buffer mode to 120 seconds

Prohibit the ability of officers to view footage before making sworn statements in critical incidents

Audit program for effectiveness

Ban video manipulation by police departments

Opt out of sharing Hudson Police Department footage on Axon 

There will be a public hearing on the proposed reforms on Friday, January 29. Yesterday's town hall can be viewed here. The report prepared by PARC can be found here.