Nisky Activists Work to Reform Police Department

by Jesse Levine

On June 12, 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued executive order No. 203 aiming to, “eliminate racial inequities in policing, to modify and modernize policing strategies, policies, procedures, and practices, and to develop practices to better address the particular needs of communities of color to promote public safety, improve community engagement, and foster trust.” The executive order dictated that every local government with a police agency must perform a comprehensive review of current police tactics, and develop a plan to improve upon said tactics in order to address the systemic racial bias that persists within police departments across the nation. According to the executive order, local governments are required to adopt this improvement plan no later than April 1, 20201.

With this deadline approaching, Niskayuna Town Board members, police officials, and community members joined together in November 2020 to create the “Niskayuna Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative Draft Report”. The draft includes, among other things, recommendations to ban chokeholds, require body cameras for officers and publish an annual use of force report.

The document begins with a testimonial written by Ayah Osman, a former NHS student and activist. The testimonial ends with an eloquently written call to action; “We have an opportunity to do real good here, let’s take it...Let us demand accountability, safety, and justice for all now.” Continuing on, the document cites findings from a racial bias audit of the Niskayuna Police Department that was completed at the recommendation of Niskayuna Town Comptroller Ismat Alam. The audit reveals that Black community members in Niskayuna are involved in arrest 2.7 times more often than white community members, and that Black community members are involved in arrests during proactive police response 2.9 times more often than white community members. After outlining the methodology and approach the committee utilized, the document enters its “Findings and Recommendations” section, which is split into four subsections that correspond with the four subgroups into which committee members were assigned in November. The subsections go as follows:

1. Functions of Police

2. Employing Smart and Effective Policing Standards and Strategies

3. Fostering Community Oriented Leadership, Culture and Accountability

4. Recruiting and Supporting Excellent Personnel

Niskayuna graduate of the class of 2020 Anjalee Modasra was a member of the “Fostering Community Oriented Leadership, Culture and Accountability” subgroup. Modasra is currently a first-year student at SUNY Albany majoring in Public Administration and Policy with a concentration in Law and Civil Rights and a minor is Women’s Studies. As a woman of color living in Niskayuna, Modasra had always been aware of the need for change in a town like Niskayuna. “As I have become more involved in activism over the past 5 years of my life and found ways to be involved in fighting against systemic racism,” she explained, “the issue of police brutality is something I know cannot be ignored by any of us. Actively choosing to ignore it does not allow Black and Brown Americans to experience any level of acceptance or equitable treatment.”

Modasra emphasized that in order to uproot the larger issue of systemic racism, it is vital to start small. After graduating from NHS in 2020, she joined the Niskayuna Alumni Diversity Alliance (NADA), which at the time was working with school administration to discuss the issues of inequality that exist in the district. She learned about the Niskayuna Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative while working with NADA. Despite her fear about not being accepted because of her young age, Modasra applied for and earned a position on the committee. When describing her experience working with the committee, she states, “It was definitely an eye-opening experience. This was the first time I had collaborated with other individuals (mostly adults) in a professional setting and I had a chance to meet a lot of people in the Niskayuna community who do care about creating change.”

As a member of the “Fostering Community Oriented Leadership, Culture, and Accountability” subgroup, Modasra advocated the most for implicit and explicit bias trainings, the creation of a Civilian Review Board, and all recommendations supporting an increase in transparency and accountability between the community and the police department. She specified that her work with fellow NHS alumna Ayah Osman on analyzing the “Tracking and Reviewing Use of Force and Identifying Misconduct” section was particularly important, and that her advocacy for an increase in transparency and accountability stemmed largely from those analyses.

When asked about the importance of police reform, Modasra responded, “We would be doing a major disservice to the Black community across the country and in Niskayuna if we did not acknowledge the improvements and changes we must make in order to work towards eliminating racial bias.” She continued to stress the importance of acknowledging racial discrimination as a “systemic, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized” issue, and the way in which racism is so deeply rooted in every aspect of American society. “The change I am striving for will only help us improve as a whole and will benefit everyone,” she explained, “so to that I ask, why should anyone be against it?” She hopes that the work she accomplished and the changes she advocated for will make Niskayuna a place where everyone’s voices can be heard, especially those of marginalized groups.

As a young activist and community member, Modasra didn’t shy away from the challenge of collaborating with adults with twice her experience. She cited her work as a student representative on the Niskayuna Board of Education and as a member of Student Congress as experiences that prepared her for collaborating on the draft. Although some could take Modasra’s age as a roadblock, Modasra made use of her young age to bring a new perspective to the committee. “My advice is to not be afraid to get up on the podium and say exactly what needs to be said without sugarcoating,” she stated, “We [young people] bring a perspective into these kinds of conversations that others may not see, and it is extremely important that those perspectives are heard.” She also emphasized the importance of not discounting yourself because you feel that your thoughts and opinions are invalid or irrelevant. Modasra explained there were even some in the committee who felt that her input was even more important given her age, and how that support encouraged her to continue expressing herself without fear.

“Enacting real change means being willing to take on work that in some cases could be heavy,” Modasra concluded, “Be ready to get your hands dirty and engage in a lot of work. It takes time and effort but ultimately, it’s worth it.”