Rochester City Council votes to amend city charter to include Police Accountability Board News
© WikiMedia (Theresa Marconi)
Rochester City Council votes to amend city charter to include Police Accountability Board

The Rochester City Council in New York unanimously voted Tuesday to approve an amendment to the city charter to include a Police Accountability Board. The initiative will now be added to the November ballot.

The amendment would provide Rochester civilians with an instrument to oversee the police department as well as investigate police misconduct.

The Rochester City Council hereby intends to establish a civilian-controlled process to fairly investigate and make determinations respecting complaints of misconduct involving sworn officers of the Rochester Police Department. The Police Accountability Board shall be the mechanism to investigate such complaints of police misconduct and to review and assess Rochester Police Department patterns, practices, policies, and procedures. The Police Accountability Board shall ensure public accountability and transparency over the powers exercised by sworn officers of the Rochester Police Department.

The Police Accountability Board would consist of nine members, who serve three year terms, made up of residents of the City Rochester who are not currently or formerly employed by the Rochester Police Department. Of the nine members, only one board member may have prior affiliation with other law enforcement agencies.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Communist Poland bans trade union Solidarity

Communist Poland banned the trade union Solidarity on October 9, 1982, two years after the union started a large-scale strike in the Gdansk shipyard, where it was founded. Solidarity would later become instrumental in the fall of communism in Poland. The union's leader, Lech Wałęsa, was later elected the first president of post-communist Poland in 1990. Learn more about the history of Solidarity.

Roger Williams banished from Massachusetts for preaching religious freedom

On October 9, 1635, separatist Roger Williams was banished from Massachusetts colony for preaching that civil government had no right to interfere in religious affairs. Read Williams' Plea for Religious Liberty.

Che Guevara executed

On October 9, 1967, communist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara was executed by Bolivian military officials for attempting to overthrow the government there. Learn more about the life of Che Guevara.

Roger Williams banished from Massachusetts for preaching religious freedom

On October 9, 1635, separatist Roger Williams was banished from Massachusetts colony for preaching that civil government had no right to interfere in religious affairs.

Read Williams' Plea for Religious Liberty.