Police Reform

The event was meant to be a reconciliatory discussion between community members and police. But many said they felt attendance was lacking among both groups.

Acting Mayor Laura Lewis says given the current job market, she thinks it’s unrealistic for the police department to fill all 15 vacant positions in one year.

There was a lot on the docket during the most recent meeting of the Tompkins County Legislature, plus some debate not tied to any specific motions. Here's a recap.

The police department’s sign on bonus for lateral transfer hires has grown significantly since it was introduced last November in the city budget.

"People like me have been hearing the word 'wait' for as long as we can remember," Alderperson Phoebe Brown said. "It is imperative that we move on."

Alderperson Cynthia Brock said she’s working with the Tompkins County Ethics Board to open an investigation into the former mayor.

"A number of comments and emails that we received recently made me feel like I was living in some alternate universe," said Alderperson Ducson Nguyen.

Van Houten said the Reimaging Public Safety working group lacked full understanding of Ithaca’s existing criminal justice system when it authored the report.

The proposed Department of Community Safety would oversee the current police force, as well as a new division of five unarmed responders.

Current Sheriff David Harder announced he plans to retire at the end of this term.