Residents call for investigation into allegations of racism against police officers

New Paltz High School teacher Albert Cook speaks to the town board last week. (Photos by Lauren Thomas) It’s widely understood by elected officials that if a public meeting is widely attended, it’s not because everyone is exceedingly happy. As the April 10 New Paltz police commission was winding down ahead of the town council meeting, the number in the benches swelled to over 50. Since the citizen police commission was in 2025 dissolved for the second time, town council members are performing those duties. When supervisor Tim Rogers opened a second session of public comment to the police commissioners on Thursday night, there were no takers. Expressions on officials’ faces were mostly unreadable, but there were glimpses of what may have been curiosity, befuddlement, or trepidation. The police commission meeting was adjourned and after a short break, the council meeting was called to order. Albert Cook gave a signal as to what this was all about. A well-regarded high school teacher, Cook was part of the group created to come up with a plan to review and reform police practices with a particular eye on eliminating systemic racism. When racism is systemic, biases and assumptions wend their way into bureaucracies and other schemes in such a way that even if those in charge aren’t personally racist, the policies they enact and enforce can be disproportionate across racial groups. This review was required for all local police departments, while state police were not included for reasons that are unclear. Regarding the recommendations Cook and others offered, “I don’t know what’s been implemented, but the police department is less diverse,” and community trust of law enforcement hasn’t especially improved, Cook said. Moreover, “It appears to me that there are tangible movements backward.” Cook wondered aloud if the process being slow was a strategy for “the emotional sentiment to peter out.” Issues with police oversight stretch back years. Supervisor David Lent established