Tonight the Skidmore College Republicans and College Democrats are holding a candidate forum from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Spa in Case Center. All of the city candidates will attend and give a three-minute speech. After, the students and public will have the chance to talk with the individual candidates.

All are welcome.

Before the forum, the Committee for Justice for Darryl will hand out information flyers demanding an independent investigation regarding the Aug. 31 police pursuit that left 21-year-old Mount in a coma from which he has not awoken.

According to a press release sent out by local blogger and rabble-rouser John Tighe, the fliers will target the current Public Safety Commissioner Christian Mathiesen, who has insisted there is no need for an outside investigation.

Here's a segment from the press release:

We pledge as a group and individually to keep the handing out of flyers low key and non- accusatory, we will not impede traffic either by motorist and or pedestrians. We believe that this is a public meeting and governed by the New York State open meeting laws. We are expressing our first amendment rights in a respectful, nondisruptive and peaceful way.

Please join us and demand a real change from the police and public officials.

Signed

The Committee for Justice for Darryl

518 421 8808

I will probably pop by and snap a few photos tonight. 

In other news, there were some very interesting statements made during the public comment period at the City Council meeting last Tuesday that The Saratogian will be digging into shortly. Several people spoke about unsavory encounters with city police, including violence and racism. If you want to hear and see what they said first-hand, go here and click on the second webcast from the top which starts at 7 p.m.

Other cities have come up with creative solutions to rein in their police officers. The Minneapolis City Council recently decided it was going to make its police department wear body cameras to save the city money. In the past five years, the city settled police misconduct lawsuits for around $8 million, and thought the body camera tactic might just save them some money.