Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple is asking people to weigh in on how his department is doing.
The survey is in response to a governor’s Executive Order, dubbed the Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative, mandating every law enforcement agency in the state conduct a comprehensive review of its policies and practices in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police officers in May. It sparked months of protests across the nation, many of which ended as riots causing millions of dollars of damage, and calls to “defund the police.”
“We welcome the public’s assistance in this collaboration to effect real change and develop strategies to address the concerns of your specific community and improve relations with members of our agency the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.
The survey can be found on the sheriff’s webpage and asks questions about appropriate use of force, how the department spends its money, the programs the department offers, and whether or not there is implicit bias in the department based on race. All responses are anonymous.
According to the Executive Order, each agency must develop a plan that includes including “evidence-based policing strategies, including but not limited to, use of force policies, procedural justice; any studies addressing systemic racial bias or racial justice in policing; implicit bias awareness training; de-escalation training and practices; restorative justice practices; community-based outreach and conflict resolution; problem-oriented policing; hot spots policing; crime prevention through environmental design and violence prevention.”
This survey was created with the assistance of the National Center for Security and Preparedness, part of the University at Albany College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity.
Apple said his department also teamed up with Albany Law School’s Government Law Center to formulate the questions in the survey.
“Recent incidents have put the national spotlight on issues of racial justice and the role of police in society,” Apple said. “We want to hear from you about how well we address these issues and where we can do more. Please answer as candidly and thoughtfully as possible.”
To participate click here.
