The newly formed Albany Policing Commission discussed creating a work plan at their second meeting on Thursday, July 20th, 2023.

The meeting started off with roll call, land acknowledgements, and announcements. After that, the Commission brainstormed actions they could take to help the community. Member Rebecca Dupuis was interested in finding possible patterns in police work in Albany, which led the group to discuss points of data they would request from the police.

These data points included crime data–including racial and ethnic demographics, what qualifies as “Use of Force” in Albany, and the frequency that it is used, what types of calls the Albany police get and how often these calls are, and the types of complaints they receive.

The Policing Commission also discussed what they would do with the data that they receive. One member suggested that they analyze the data and present it to the Albany City Council monthly.

Jeremiah Garett Pinguelo, a member of the community that was watching the meeting remotely, had many ideas for the Commission. He suggested that they prioritize fentanyl use prevention in Albany. He also encouraged the Commission to oversee the Albany Police Department’s purchasing of military weapons–if they had the power to do so.

At the end of the meeting, the Policing Commission took a vote, and were unanimous in their decision to form a subcommittee–composed of Member Alex Li, Member Brian Johns, and Member Peggy McQuaid–that will draft a work plan that the rest of the Commission will vote on at their next meeting, which will be on September 21st.

–Sabrina Zou