Police oversight changes sought
The Police Accountability Board Organizing Committee and Enough is Enough-Rochester will hold "Show Up for Police Accountability!," a public forum, on Friday, May 11.
The two groups have been seeking to change the way Rochester responds to citizens' complaints about police, how those complaints are reviewed, and how discipline is handled. Organizers will describe the Police Accountability Board they have proposed and discuss how it would function.
Enough is Enough members and many local social-justice activists say the current system of police oversight is broken. City Council has been seeking legal advice about the proposed board and how complaints from citizens against police actions could be better handled.
The meeting will be held at Open Arms Christian Fellowship Ministries, 461 Webster Avenue, at 7 p.m.
Revising Rochester's nuisance law
City Council will hold three public hearings this month dealing with the city's Nuisance Points Abatement program, which has been suspended pending a revision.
In a written statement, Council Member Michael Patterson called reducing nuisances one of the city's most important tools in maintaining a high quality of life, and he wants the public's feedback. Patterson chairs Council's Neighborhood and Business Development Committee.
The Nuisance Point program cites properties and owners where disturbances are causing problems for neighbors. The problems can range from barking dogs to fights at bars.
The meetings will be held in City Council Chambers, 30 Church Street, on the following dates and times: Thursday, May 10, at 5 p.m.; Wednesday, May 16, at 6 p.m.; and Monday, May 21, at 5:30 p.m.
Designing cities for people
The Community Design Center of Rochester will present "Sparking Change: Women in Design," a talk by Katrina Johnston-Zimmerman on Thursday, May 31.
Johnston–Zimmerman is an urban anthropologist who co-founded The Women Led Cities Initiative and is founder and director of THINK.urban. Her work has focused on how people behave and interact in public spaces. As urban areas have become more technology-driven, she says, there's a need to take a more humanistic approach to building and managing cities.
The event will be held at the Memorial Art Gallery, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tickets: $55, including lunch. Information: 271-0520.
