The Albany County Legislative Black Caucus held a community roundtable discussion, the first in the series, at the United Way in Albany on Wednesday. The inaugural session addressed community concerns and offered insight into decision-making relating to public safety.

Chair of the Albany County Legislative Black Caucus Carolyn McLaughlin moderated the discussion between Albany County District Attorney Lee Kindlon, Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple, and Center for Law and Justice Executive Director Ta-Sean Murdock. The group focused on community perceptions of public safety, relationship building between law enforcement and residents, strategies that ensure equitable practices, and community-centered supports. Community feedback will help shape solutions that matter to the people of Albany County.

Albany County Legislature Chairwoman Joanne Cunningham said: “Statistics tell part of the story, but we also understand there are neighborhoods and communities that don’t feel safe. Instead of ignoring those issues, our goal is to bring community leaders and our law enforcement officers directly together to find solutions.”

Albany County Legislature Deputy Chairwoman Wanda Willingham said: “For change to happen, we need two things: we need to diagnose the problems that affect our neighborhoods based on public feedback and people to hear from us what we can do to address them. Face-to-face interactions and directly confronting and working on issues in historically underserved neighborhoods are the goals of these roundtable discussions. I think tonight’s talk was a terrific first step in this ongoing journey.”

Albany County Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus Carolyn McLaughlin said: “We want to break down barriers and dispel myths with each of these discussions. We want to create an environment where people can be heard, but also get direct answers about their concerns. Public safety is more than numbers in a spreadsheet. It is also about the perceptions of danger and fear that people feel. I hope we helped restore some trust, confidence, and peace of mind tonight.”

Albany County District Attorney Lee Kindlon said: “Having the ability to hear firsthand from our citizens about what we’re doing right and what we could be doing better is crucial to my mission of having a responsive and responsible DA’s office. I applaud the Legislative Black Caucus on hosting these community roundtables and I look forward to future open and honest conversations with the public that will help shape Albany’s future.”

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said: “It’s an honor to join fellow leaders and community advocates in this roundtable to discuss real solutions for public safety in Albany County.  Collaboration across agencies, advocates, and our communities is how we make lasting change.”

Center for Law and Justice Executive Director Ta-Sean Murdock said: “If we’re serious about creating real public safety, we have to confront the systems that continue to harm marginalized communities and communities of color. This roundtable isn’t just a conversation — it’s a call to action. We need honest, collaborative, and non-personal dialogue that centers the experiences of those most impacted. At the Center for Law and Justice, we’re committed to ensuring that community voices are not only heard, but drive the solutions we pursue together.”