Albany's Common Council tables legislation that would ban tear gas and rubber bullets.
The decision made on a 9 to 6 member vote. Mayor Kathy Sheehan has said she supports legislation that would restrict and control the use of tear gas. Sheehan is in favor of restricting use to when a riot is declared, as defined by state law. She also would like its use to be required by a Police Chief or Deputy Chief. In the last 32 years tear gas has been used outdoors by the Albany Police Department only twice, on May 30 and June 1 of last year in response to violent protests.