NEW ROCHELLE, NY — New Rochelle Police Commissioner Robert Gazzola has recommended the New Rochelle City Council support his efforts to remake the New Rochelle Police Department based on what he describes as an effort to address police reform.
Gazzola is seeking an as yet unspecified permanent annual budget increase to fund the creation of an entirely new division. He is proposing combining two existing units run by two new Senior Commanders.
By January 1, 2022, the Department would have a Commissioner, 2 Deputy Commissioners and 4 Captains — a 40% increase in Senior Command — and all the additional staffing and overhead costs that go with a new division and two new senior commanders.
“We will be able to better focus our attention towards improved performance and improved community relations,” said Gazzola.
In a Memorandum to City Manager Charles B. Strome seen by Talk of the Sound, Gazzola has proposed to create the Professional Development and Community Engagement Division with two new related Senior Command positions. The new division would include the Training Unit taken from the Staff Services Division and the Police and Community Together (P.A.C.T.) Unit taken from the Police Services Division.
A new Captain position would be created immediately to act as Division Commander of the newly created Professional Development and Community Engagement Division. That new Captain is widely expected to be Lieutenant Neil Reynolds, supervisor of the Internal Affairs Unit.
The position would be funded through the end of the year by transferring $140,000 from Appropriated Fund Balance to cover $100,000 in pro-rated salary and $40,000 in pro-rated fringe benefits.
The new Deputy Commissioner position would be created in 2022 without defined duties and responsibilities — or budget costs — but would involve “more robust community interaction”, according to Gazzola.
The New Rochelle Police Department currently has three divisions — Police Services, Staff Services, and Criminal Investigations. As described on the City of New Rochelle website, the relevant divisions and units breakdown as follows:
The Criminal Investigations Division is organized under the command of a police captain (Division Commander) and is divided into four units:
The Police Services Division is commanded by a police captain (Division Commander) and is responsible for providing uniform police services throughout the City. The Police Services Division is divided into four units:
P.A.C.T. Unit is compromised of Beat Officers, Youth Officers, LGBTQ+ Liaison Officer, and operates ongoing programs such as Homeless Outreach, Citizens Police Academy, National Night Out, Coffee with a Cop, Trunk or Treat, Touch a Truck, Mentors in Blue, Presentations in Schools and with various youth groups and P.A.C.T Fishing Trips.
The Staff Services Division is organized under the command of a police captain (Division Commander). The division provides the Department with the many auxiliary services it needs in order to operate efficiently and effectively. The Division is divided into eight units:
- Alarm Monitoring Unit
- Communications Unit
- Court Liaison/ Jail Unit
- Property and Evidence Unit
- Records Unit
- Training Unit
- Warrant Unit
The Training Unit is under the Staff Services Division supervisor and is responsible for conducting the Department’s in-service training program and for the entire Department’s training needs. The Training Unit also monitors all recruits as they go through the Westchester County Police Academy and upon graduation from the academy provides local orientation before the recruits are assigned to the Police Services Division. The Training Unit administers the annual Citizens Police Academy, usually beginning in April each year and meeting once a week for ten weeks.
The Internal Affairs Unit supervisor reports directly to the Police Commissioner. The Internal Affairs Unit is responsible for the investigation of all Internal Complaints, those regarding Police Department employees and External Complaints, those about police conduct generated by individuals who are not members of the Department. The Internal Affairs Unit also conducts investigations as directed by the Police Commissioner, all incidents where officers have discharged their weapons, or incidents where prisoners in police custody have been injured. The Internal Affairs Unit acts as liaison in civil cases between the Department and city attorneys, and insurance companies and their respective investigators. The Internal Affairs Unit testifies as a representative of the Police Department in order to enter official documents into evidence and performs whatever other duties are necessary to accommodate the proceedings.
The Staff Services Division is led by Captain George Rosenbergen. The Criminal Investigations Division was until recently led by Captain Cosmo Costa, who was promoted last week to Deputy Police Commissioner after the promotion the same day of Deputy Commissioner Robert Gazzola to Police Commissioner. Captain Collins Coyne is currently commanding both the Criminal Investigations Division and the Police Services Division until a candidate is promoted to Captain of Police Services. Internal Affairs is led by Lieutenant Neil Reynolds.
Proposed Legislation with Supporting Documents for New Rochelle City Council Committee of Whole Meeting July 13, 2021
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Nah, this is too much fun. He speaks of fatherhood when the majority of their kids lives they were in jail or running drugs. Flowers was a criminal & got shot before the cop did. You know hendo has free police security at “his” complex meanwhile he still does nothing to prevent the illegal gambling, shootings & drug use. That’s why no one takes him seriously. Not even his own people. Cops are doing great work out there with little to No support from the very same people their are there to protect. How is hendo gonna follow me? He’s gonna Google Alan Godoy? Probably the most education he’s gotten over the years is through Google
What in the section 8, welfare is going on over here? Hendo, settle down. Cops are already letting you act up in court & in the street. The least you can do is shut up & follow the rules. Everyone else is out the hood, but the Clarks. How’s the illegal dice games, shootings & drug use going on in “your” hood?
Can both of you stop bickering like little whiners. You’re both online tough guys.
ayo alan let me tell u something if it wasnt for that black cop reynolds there would be no police station in new rochelle they killed kamal flowers my friend my family do u know that there are kids growing up without a father. watch ur mouth when u speak on kamal alan. also alan these white dont be qualified for the job i went to school with most of them and personally i laugh at then look them like jokes especially officer john care i use to kick his ass everyday of school all the way up too high school and ima keep kickin his ass and i want one of these white to get crazy out here in new rochelle its goin be drama and im not tlk fight im talkin malcom x drama the revolution is coming to new rochelle black power. alan watch what u say because u can’t hide behind a computer forever.
So we’re gonna let Reynolds a women hater, 15 (confirmed by the city) violations against its Pba police members, over a dozen officers resigning or transfering because of him while he ran 1st tour, he’s the vice president of the NAACP (cop hating association), believes every cop who isn’t black is a racist, a guy who attended a “would be cop shooters” (FLOWERS) FUNERAL, a supervisor who recommended skipping 2 white more experienced higher scoring officers to promote a more less qualified younger black officer (nothing racist about that), a person no one gets along with, but GAZZOLA, get the new captains position over 2 more qualified higher tests scoring WHITE officers??? Imagine if this was reversed? The city needs to denie this or at least move Reynolds into an office all alone because obviously everything this guy touches turns to shit.