In June, Governor Cuomo enacted an executive order on Police Reform and Reinvention requiring each government entity in New York which has a police agency to perform a comprehensive review of current police force deployments, strategies, policies, procedures and practices and develop a plan to improve these areas. This coincided with a similar request by the New Rochelle City Council, also in June.
To facilitate the review and formulate such a plan, New Rochelle City Manager Charles B. Strome, III has created a Police Review Committee that will examine the following issues:
Use of Force policy/training
Data disclosure and transparency
Community engagement
Oversight/Discipline/Complaint procedures
Equipment
Other issues
Committee members are: Lisa Burton, Alvin Clayton, Kwamain Dixon, Natasha Fapohunda, Robin Frankel, Nat Harris, Carmelo Hernandez, Jason Labate, Timothy McKnight, Jr., Wynter Parham, Derek Pierson, Wendell Sears, Emma Silva, Jabari Skeene and Steven Sonet.
Staff representatives will be Police Commissioner Joseph Schaller, Deputy Police Commissioner Robert Gazzola, Chief of Staff/Corporation Counsel Kathleen Gill, and City Manager Strome. A representative from the Police unions will also be selected as a non-voting participant. Council Member Yadira Ramos-Herbert will represent the City Council and act as the non-voting facilitator of this committee.
The Committee appointments were originally scheduled for August 5th but delayed due to the recent tropical storm emergency and resultant power outages throughout the City. The committee will meet in in August and September, and a draft report is expected for presentation to City Council in October. The Governor’s Executive Order requires a report submission by April 1, 2021.
For further reference, in July, the Police Department presented a special report to City Council, offering a historical perspective on past practices, an outline of current practices, and steps planned for the future.