Police Reform Reinvention

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval.

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Members

Members at Large

• Jerome Emanuel
• Peter Finnerty
• Miquelle Fountain
• Brian Hart
• Doug Houper
• Julian Hughey
• Hyder Hussain
• Anita Lewis
• Nykole Parks
• Randy Reid
• Juhura Shazer
• Georgia Verdier
• Weeden Wetmore
• Sam Zoubi

Letter from the Chemung County Executive

On June 12, 2020, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo signed Executive Order 203 (PDF) requiring local governments to adopt police reform policies to enhance the manner in which services that are being provided to the public can be improved. The Executive Order is being implemented by municipalities in a variety of formats across the State, as the number and size of agencies in each respective County differ greatly. There are approximately 514 law enforcement agencies in New York State.

In Chemung County, we have five law enforcement agencies: Chemung County Sheriff's Office, Elmira Police Department, Elmira Heights Police Department, Horseheads Village Police Department, and the Town of Elmira Police Department. Due to the manageable number of agencies, Chemung County will adopt one local law to meet the requirements of the Executive Order. It's important to note that the two largest agencies within the County, the Chemung County Sheriff's Office, and the Elmira Police Department, have achieved accreditation status via the New York State Accreditation Council, which operates under the guidelines of the New York State Department of Criminal Justice. Many of the recommended policy standards and suggestions outlined in the August 2020 Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative are already being employed by these two agencies.

We have put together a talented and diverse committee to discuss, review and make recommendations to our local law enforcement agencies so that we may come to a collaborative consensus on several important issues currently facing law enforcement on topics such as implicit bias, diversity, and inclusion training. A comprehensive review of the use of force policies will eventually result in the standardization of reporting to assist with future analytical data. We are also reviewing the services being rendered to individuals requiring mental health and drug addiction as well as other currently relevant topics involving the deployment of services and community policing.

As we move forward throughout this process, I'm confident that we will meet the goals and objectives outlined in Executive Order 203. I would like to thank all our committee members for volunteering their time to this effort and encourage the public to engage the committee in a variety of ways, including upcoming public hearings, emailing your concerns and questions, or participating in our survey.

Sincerely,

Christopher J. Moss
Chemung County Executive

Resources

• View the draft plan (PDF) in reference to Police Reform and Reinvention, Executive Order 203.
• If you have a question for the committee or would like more information please email us.