ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Police Accountability Board pitched its future to the public after a lengthy legal battle stripped its investigative powers.
RELATED: Rochester PAB set to reveal its plan after court ruling strips its authority
“I obviously am working on just to continue to stabilize the organization,” Executive Director Dr. Lesli Myers-Small said. “We have been through litigation and it has been a very challenging year.”
It’s been two months since the PAB’s investigative power was stripped after a lawsuit by the Rochester Police Union. News10NBC’s Tom Kowalski crunched the numbers and found that in the past five years, the PAB has cost city taxpayers more than $15 million — about $3 million per year.
Legal pushback from the Locust Club has caused the organization to switch from its original purpose of directly disciplining officers to a systematic overview and policy review committee. Myers-Small said last month alone, the PAB received 14 complaints.
“If you look at the number of complaints that the Police Accountability Board and this isn’t a competition, but the number that we receive versus what PSS or what’s known as Internal Affairs is, it’s a significant difference, right?” Myers-Small said. “People need their voice to be heard.”
Ralph Carter, a longtime supporter of the PAB, said he’s concerned about building trust between the community and police in Rochester. “At this juncture, if it’s not the PAB, who is it?” Carter said. “It’s the police department.”
“I’m very concerned about, building trust, between the community and the police in Rochester. And I think that’s an important goal,” Carter added.
When asked how many officers have been held accountable because of the PAB, Myers-Small said over the past few years, either four or five officers have had some follow through. “But you have to remember that the collective bargaining agreement, the CBA, limits the ability,” Myers-Small said. “Even when there is a decision made, there are very strict rules of engagement relative to that.”
Because of those limits to its power, Myers-Small is looking to change how the PAB operates and holds police accountable. Instead of directly disciplining officers, it’s advising on policies, providing education and community resources, and using reports to find patterns and data.
“So for example, in our April monthly report, with those 14 complaints, we have disaggregated,” Myers-Small said. “And we know some of the hotspots where these complaints are coming from. The zip code. We know the race and ethnicity. We know the age range. So we can start having conversations back with the chief, with the mayor and with city council about where these complaints are coming from to try and put some plans together.”
The PAB is asking for $2.5 million in the 2026-27 city budget. That will be the lowest budget in the past five years, due to losing out on several investigator positions, costing about $635,000.
News10NBC reached out to the Locust Club multiple times for comment but did not hear back before broadcast.
MORE RELATED COVERAGE: Over 100 complaints filed with Police Accountability Board since April 2025 court ruling removed its disciplinary power
Rochester Police Accountability Board outlines new direction after court ruling strips its investigative powers WHEC.com.
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