The Village of Cobleskill started its review of police procedures Thursday, setting up a framework to continue the process mandated by Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Going forward, Mayor Becky Terk’s 20-member committee will examine the needs of the community and the relationship it has with the Cobleskill Police Department.
Issues to cover range from evaluating the PD’s current policies and practices to developing new policies––if necessary––all within the Governor’s observation that there’s no ‘one size fits all’ solution for communities served by 500 law enforcement agencies statewide.
Governor Cuomo’s mandate, issued in August, is in response to police-community unrest in more urban areas. Mayor Terk noted after Thursday’s meeting that Cobleskill has few, if any of those problems.
Nonetheless, the Cobleskill review must be done and the report sent to Albany by April 1.
Schoharie County officials are holding a similar review of law enforcement county-wide and pledged to make the process transparent and public.
The Governor’s order also insists that reviews “involve the entire community in the discussion,” yet Cobleskill’s meeting Thursday was closed to the public.
Mayor Terk said she was unsure whether too many people would attend the meeting, held at the firehouse, and violate COVID meeting limits.
And, she said afterwards, SCHOPEG taped the meeting, it’s available to watch.
“I felt I did it as fairly as I could,” Mayor Terk said.
A public forum will follow, she added, “when we figure out how and where to do it.”
Cobleskill’s committee includes officials mandated to be included and those recommended to take part.
Committee members are:
•Mayor Terk.
•Police Chief Jeff Brown.
•Police Lieutenant Justin Manchester.
•Cobleskill Police Benevolent Association President Cody Whittaker.
•Angie Smith, Domestic Violence Program director.
•County District Attorney Susan Mallery.
•Public Defender Suzanne Graulich.
•Deputy Mayor Howard Burt, also on the Public Safety Committee.
•Trustee Lance Rotolo, also on the Public Safety Committee.
•Andrew Fetter, pastor of Fusion Community Church.
•Anna Cole, Pastor of Cobleskill United Methodist Church.
•Three from SUNY Cobleskill: Anna Bouchard, residence hall director; Jake Scott, men’s basketball coach; and D’Andre Miller, resident life.
•Theresa Heary and Bobbi Wilding from Schoharie County Rural Awakenings.
•Business owners Jeff Tufano of The Main Room and Randy Pacatte of Pro-Active Physical Therapy.
•Recent Cobleskill-Richmondville graduates Emily MacDavitt and Hannah Rose Foote.