County Legislature (District 1)
Travis Brooks is in the running to replace outgoing chair Leslyn McBean-Clairborne, who decided not to run again after spending 20 years as the legislator. Brooks defeated Nicole LaFave by 34 votes, 396-362. Brooks won the first ward 181 votes to LaFaveâs 105, while LaFave was favored in the second ward, 257 votes to Brooksâ 215.
Brooks is the deputy director of the Greater Ithaca Activities Center, where he manages programs focused on education, development and sustainability. Heâs also the director of Ithacaâs My Brotherâs Keeper, a program launched by President Barack Obama designed to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color. He was also heavily involved in the Reimagining Public Safety collaborative between the city and the county, and will continue to serve on the newly created task force to work on the implementation of the plan.
Elrich to Discuss Preliminary Police Audit Report at Virtual Community Meeting Wednesday
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RECAP: County Budget Committee talks Rescue Plan funds
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WOSU
Columbus City Council presented short- and long-term strategies to increase neighborhood safety and police accountability on Wednesday.
Council introduced a range of ideas, including partnering with the fire department to provide free access to gun locks at all stations, and investing more money in organizations dedicated to helping victims of human trafficking.
Last summer’s protests inspired restrictions on chemical agents against nonviolent protestors. However Columbus City Councilmember Emmanuel Remy wants to take those restrictions a step further.
“We also need officers to have an obligation, an act of obligation to step in when they see something wrong,” Remy said. “This is why I think it is important to establish a policy for our officers to have a duty to intervene.”
Police Audit Recommendations Address Mental Health Response, Use of Force, Training
Montgomery County leaders released recommendations from a preliminary audit of the county police department (MCPD) during a press conference Wednesday.
County Executive Marc Elrich commissioned the independent audit as part of the Reimagining Public Safety initiative he launched in 2020. It aims to improve public safety in the county with an emphasis on equity.
The audit was conducted by the non-profit consultant Effective Law Enforcement For All, Inc. (ELE4A). Recommendations address areas including police mental health response, use of force, internal affairs, early warning and intervention system for officers, education and training, recruitment and hiring.