Six employees of the Rochester Police Accountability Board were laid off April 17, the agency announced.
The layoffs follow a significant court ruling that stripped the PAB of its investigatory powers last month. Union representatives, however, say the affected employees were actively working on projects related to accountability and transparency that now risk languishing unfinished.
Since its inception in 2019, the oversight agency has faced a bevy of legal challenges. In 2023, the state’s highest court struck down the PAB’s disciplinary powers, ruling it would violate state labor laws and contract agreements with the police union.
The watchdog group continued to investigate complaints of police misconduct, publishing its findings as “recommendations” to the police department. That invited another lawsuit from the Rochester Police Locust Club ― which was settled last month. A panel of judges from the Court of Appeals ruled March 20 that the PAB does not have the authority to access personnel files, issue subpoenas for interviews or investigate police misconduct.
The agency is left to review and issue recommendations on RPD policy.
“This decision was not made lightly,” PAB executive director Lesli Myers-Small said in a statement about the layoffs. “We are grateful to the staff members who dedicated their time and talents to advancing the mission of the PAB. Their contributions have helped shape the agency’s work and impact, and we thank them for their service and commitment to the Rochester community.”
Myers-Small said PAB officials are exploring legal avenues to “restore the PAB to the agency Rochester residents voted for and deserve.”
PAB union challenges layoffs
Robert Leonard, an AFSCME representative for unionized city workers, called the timing of the layoffs “highly unusual.” The positions are already funded in the PAB’s $3.3 million budget, which expires June 30.
In most cases, Leonard said, the city would inform the union of potential layoffs during budget season, which allows them the chance to advocate for positions or help impacted employees find new opportunities within City Hall.
Leonard said union representatives were told of the layoffs “only minutes” before PAB workers April 17. All six of the laid off employees were part of the Accountability and Transparency Division, formerly the PAB’s investigatory unit. And all six were recently part of an improper practice charge filed against the city related to negotiations around benefits. The state Public Employment Relations Board ruled in favor of the union April 15.
“The way they did it was cruel and unusual and it appears to be vindictive,” Leonard said of the layoffs.
The union asked City Council to restore the positions.
— Kayla Canne covers community safety for the Democrat and Chronicle with a focus on immigration, police accountability, government surveillance and how people are impacted by violence. Follow her on Instagram @bykaylacanne. Get in touch at kcanne@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Six laid off as Rochester police oversight board loses power
Reporting by Kayla Canne, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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