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On Saturday, Acting Ithaca Mayor Laura Lewis formally announced her campaign to remain in the Mayor’s office. According to WENY, Lewis took office after the resignation of longtime Mayor Svante Myrick. The city will host a special election in November with the winner filling the remainder of the mayoral term. The current term concludes at…
Read MoreOn Wednesday, the Reimagining Public Safety Working Group published their report detailing their suggestions for the implementation of a new public safety agency in the city of Ithaca. The report suggests a new Department of Community Safety which would be led by a Commissioner of Community Safety. The Department would be split between two divisions,…
Read MoreWRFI is your hyper-local, community news source for Tompkins and Schuyler counties. George Christopher, Lucas Santiago, and Felix Teitelbaum report.
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While the most ambitions Reimagination of Public Safety in New York might be happening in Ithaca, the surrounding college’s police and safety departments will be continuing as they were. This Episode of Which Way Forward is all about that dynamic. This story comes to us from Ithaca Park Scholars Maia Noah and Lauren Leone. The…
In this Episode of Which Way Forward, we hear from a student activist and professor from Ithaca College reflect on a year since Black Lives Matter protests swept across the United States. This piece comes to us from Ithaca College Park Scholars Jess Moskowitz and Syd Pierre. The music in this piece is from BlueDotSession.…
On this episode of Which Way Forward, we explore many, many opinions and views on the Reimagining Public Safety process. All these comments and thoughts are from the public feedback period of the Reimagining Public Safety Draft Report. This ranged from early February 2021, to March 31st 2021. In that fast-moving span of time, community…
On April 1st, Ithaca and Tompkins County submitted their plans for reforming public safety. Although the Common Council and the County Legislature have committed to the points of their plans, they still have a long way to go before they’re realized. The recommendations don’t have the mechanics and power of policy behind them yet, and…
This is the last episode of part one of the Which Way Forward: Redefining Public Safety series. WRFI News Contributor Fred Balfour lays out how Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order for every municipality with a police department to reimagine its public safety practices will play out in Tompkins County. Ithaca Voice intern James Baratta walks…