GOSHEN – One Orange County legislator took exception with a resolution before the county legislature on Thursday expressing their “unwavering support” for federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Kevindaryan Lujan cited statistics that he said show his reason for not using the word “unwavering” in any support.
“You are 30 to 40 percent more likely to be arrested black or brown; it’s a fact; those reports can be seen. If you are a black person you are five times more likely to be stopped without just cause than a white person,” he argued.
Lujan went so far as to say there is systemic racism in law enforcement.
Legislator Janet Sutherland took exception with Lujan’s characterization.
“Unwavering is not a word that means were are going to accept inappropriate behaviors, that we are going to accept bad cops and we are going to accept them. It means we are going to support the other 99 percent,” she said.
Legislator James O’Donnell, a retired State Police lieutenant colonel, strongly criticized Lujan saying the resolution was not racist. “How we are going to have a legitimate conversation when you have that type of mindset is beyond me,” he said.
Lujan and a handful of lawmakers wanted to have the issue debated in committee before it would be voted upon.
