01. Is our city council talking about plans to defund the police department and put those funds into other services? If so, how can our community stay up to date to these budget changes?
02. If the city defunds the police, where would the money be redistributed to?
03. How does the City ensure it is contracting with minority-owned, and specifically Black-owned, businesses when it has projects that need contracts? For instance, requiring subcontractors be Black-owned if the primary contractor isn't.
04. How can we leverage Antiracism - in active philosophy and daily practice within the city - governing, agencies, businesses, and schools? – i.e., constantly looking for the results of systems of racism in our daily actions?
05. Will the City research vendors and make an effort to sever ties with companies that aren’t aligned with Albany’s efforts to address and eradicate institutionalized racism?
06. How much did this consultant and this process cost the City?
07. How does BFHP interface with Berkley Mental Health? How does APD interface with Berkeley Mental Health? Are there ways to make this interaction more effective?
08. What can we do as residents if we see a home insecure person in need?
09. How can Albany provide services to families and the unhoused in need of help during this time of Covid-19 which disproportionately affects the Black population?
10. The advertising for CARES I've seen is senior-focused. Does it also serve disabled people, and if so, based on what criteria/definition of disability? (e.g, receiving SDI, receiving IHSS, receiving DOR services or having received them, identifying as disabled and interviewed about it, etc)
11. What type of training have the Albany police officers received in responding to citizens with special needs, disabilities, and mental health needs?
12. Has Albany pd ever used a gun?
13. How often have Albany police officers discharged firearms in the line of duty? Under what circumstances?
14. Would it be possible for Albany police to not carry guns?
15. Do the Albany police use Tasers and how often?
16. How will Albany police coordinate coverage with Berkeley Police since Berkeley will now use non-uniformed officers for traffic control?
17. Are body cams a requirement for Albany police?
18. What is the racial and gender diversity makeup of the police? What attempt are we making to bring in more police of color?
19. What training specifically has the upper police staff (Chief and supervising officers) undertaken to understand and address systematic racism and racial profiling both in hiring and also in policing in the community?
20. Will working with the Center for Policing Equity increase police costs?
21. Have you considered having your officers walk or bike around to get to know the people you are protecting?
22. The police chief acknowledged a troubling history on racist behaviors I would like to know when was that realized and what changes were implemented at that time, including the dismissal of officers.
23. When the Chief talks about new officers accepting our “culture”, how does he define Albany culture?
24. What percentage of Police Department hires are let go during the probationary period?
26. The last community report on the City's covered 2014. It reported a dramatic increase in 911 calls over the a few years. This was attributed to a system for the CHP to forward cell calls to local departments coming on line. Has the call volume continued to increase at that rate?
27. What is the rate of traffic stops for POC vs White people?
28. Does APD participate in Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies reporting?
29. How many employees of the police department live in Albany? Of those employees, how many will receive pensions?
30. Do you acknowledge that there is a vast disproportionality in how much black and brown people are pulled over by police in this town and if you do, what are you doing to address that?
31. What are the next steps in addressing police harassment of people of color given the feedback from the listening session?
32. What about implicit bias training?
33. What training/professional development is in place to make sure police officers know how to deal with and respond to persons during a mental health crisis?
34. Will there be consequences for those residents who make frivolous calls to the Albany PD just because they see a black person in their neighborhood, in the park, at the store, etc? What about people who make a false accusation?
35. How does the City handle calls from residents reporting someone suspicious in the neighborhood, when that "suspicious" person is a resident themselves?
36. Does the Albany Police Department outfit all on-duty police officers with body cameras? Are officers required to immediately turn on their body cameras when responding to a police call? If not to either question, why not and are there plans to introduce these policies in the near future?
37. Has the Albany police department helped other local police departments during these protests? What is APD's stance on these protests?
38. What oversight, if any, is in place in the Albany police department? If/when a police officer acts out violently to a civilian, what protocols are in place to hold that officer accountable?
39. Is the Village policed more than other parts of Albany?
40. When police are called to schools is there a scale at which they would defer this to school level staff? How is this reported to the district level?
41. How much interaction does the Albany police have with students? What is their role when there is an interaction? Have there been arrests or charges brought against students?
42. Do you believe that the city of Albany will actually address these issues by changing laws, policies, and budgets? To the SEJC, do you think the City Council will work with you in good faith?
43. Can the Superintendent of AUSD please be on the panel next time?
