By David Tyler

The town of DeWitt is backing efforts to reform policing across the state following the killing of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis.
On Monday, the DeWitt Town Board unanimously passed a resolution of support for a package of reforms that were being proposed in the state legislature under the moniker Let Us Breathe.
Among other things, the reforms would:
– Repeal a section of the civil rights law to allow for the disclosure of police misconduct
– Make falsely reporting an incident based on a race a hate crime
– Repeal some limitations on the removal of police officer
– Ban choke holds and establish the crime of strangulation
– Ban racial profiling by police
– Expand the use of body cameras
– Mandate medical attention for persons under arrest
– Affirm the right to monitor and record police activity
“We were all both horrified and hopefully jolted into action,” said Councilor Sam Young, who crafted the resolution. “This is not a DeWitt problem. This is not a Syracuse problem. This is not a New York problem. This is a national problem.”

Protest march in DeWitt

Much of the town board’s meeting was a review of the DeWitt Police Department’s efforts to ensure the safety of protesters and to voice solidarity with all members of the community. Board members had high praise for new police chief Chase Bilodeau, who marched with protesters last week and issued a statement condemning the “tragic and unnecessary death of George Floyd.”
Last Friday, a protest march was held starting at ShoppingTown and moving west down Erie Boulevard toward downtown Syracuse. Bilodeau reported to the board that the department had 15 police officers on site to provide traffic control and ensure the march could take place safely. Normally, there would be five officers on duty in the afternoon.
“Chase was right in the thick of it – both showing support and being present,” Young said. He commended the entire DeWitt police force for “making sure this peaceful protest remained safe.”

Police commission model

Police in the town of DeWitt report to a 13-member police commission. Three of the commissioners are town councilors and the other 10 members are community residents selected to represent the diversity of the neighborhoods within the town.
Bilodeau praised the DeWitt Police Commission as a model that could be utilized in other communities.
“The only way you have success in policing is through working together with the community,” Bilodeau said. “What I want to do is to continue to improve on things because I think we have an excellent foundation.”
Supervisor Ed Michalenko briefly discussed the history of the police commission and praised former DeWitt Councilor Ken Andrews for his leadership in helping create the commission as it is currently constructed despite reluctance from other board members at the time.
“The concept was to put together a fairly diverse representation of the community,” Michalenko said. “It appears to be working.”