Criminal Law
Man Convicted For Killing an NYC Police Officer is Now a Member of a Police Reform Board
ITHACA, N.Y. (WSYR) — As police departments and communities in New York get ready to submit their police reform plans this week, concerns are being raised in Ithaca about the selection of one member of its police advisory group.
Richard Rivera was 16 years old when he shot and killed, execution-style, an off-duty New York City Police Department officer in 1981. The officer, Robert Walsh, was a father of four.
After spending 39 years in prison, the now 57-year-old Rivera is helping to shape Ithaca’s police reform plan as a community board member.
In an interview with WSYR, Rivera said he believes his past can help make a systematic change when it comes to police reform.
