Troy residents angry over alleged police harassment

Posted at: 10/15/2012 10:57 PM | Updated at: 10/16/2012 12:21 AM
By: Jim Kambrich

Tweet

TROY - Angry residents let the police chief have it, Monday night.

At a community meeting, they told him that his officers are harassing the black community, they're tired of it and they want him to do something about it.

At the Missing Link Church in Troy on Sixth Avenue tempers were on edge.

"I don't want to sue. I don't want a lawsuit, but I definitely want these younger officers that are coming into our forces and our community, they need to go back there and get some type of different training," said Bonnie Hudson, a concerned resident.

Pastor Willie Bacote says he's heard several complaints over the past month -- like from a teenager who stopped by the church to tell him that officers had ticketed him for jaywalking while he was walking home.

"And the people might say it's not a color thing, but we're having issues with people of color with the police," said Bacote.

"If me or my child commits a crime and break the law, by all means arrest us. By all means. But if me or my child is not committing or breaking the law, then I don't think its right to treat my child in their community, in their home, like an animal. It has to stop. It has to stop," said an unidentified man.

Troy Police Chief John Tedesco, who recently pushed for a strong street crimes unit, told the meeting that there's a problem in North Central Troy with violently resisting arrest. In those cases he said officers need to protect themselves.

"The thing I wanted to get across here, and I don't know if we did...you know, comply with the officers, file a complaint later on. Because physical resistance is going to get you hurt," said Tedesco.

 

Follow @WNYT