NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The New Rochelle Community-Police Partnership Board held its third stop on its 2021-22 “listening tour” on Tuesday, November 30. The CPPB meeting was hosted by the New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority in the Community Room at Bracey Apartments at 345 Main Street.
The next meeting is tonight, Wednesday, December 8. The meeting will be hosted by the New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority in the Community Room at Heritage Homes at 66 Winthrop Avenue at 6:00 PM.
Present at the Bracey meeting was Angela Farrish and another woman from the New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority, City Clerk Michelle Oliveros (taking notes), NRPD Commissioner Robert Gazzola ( Co-Chair), NRPD Captain Neil Reynolds, NRPD Captain Raul Rodriguez, NRPD Lt. Edward Hayes, Rev. David Holder (Co-Chair), Dr. Betty Campbell, Wendell Sears, NAACP New Rochelle Branch President, Minister Mark McLean, Hon. Yadira Ramos-Herbert (who left early), Michael Kushner.
Absent from the New Rochelle Community-Police Partnership Board Natasha Fapohunda and Corporation Counsel Kathleen Gill.
Altogether there were 31 people in the room total (2 from NRMHA, 10 from CPPB including 4 from NRPD, the City Clerk, 2 children with parents, 15 adult residents, 1 from NewROAR (David Peters, came late and left early).
The event was hosted by Minister Mark McLean who was active but a bit more restrained than at the first event at Bethesda. There was a brief introduction by each CPPB Member. Dispensed with was the Christian prayers and 32-page U.S. Department of Justice questioneer on Community Policing.
McLean began by asking residents “What is community policing to you?”
Antione (Bracey resident) – we police ourselves, get youth off the streets, clean up garbage, not everyone is a criminal (he said he had his own history but it was in the past).
Beverly (a City employee and Bracey resident)- have a report with police and NRMHA, community involvement, meet with NRPD, the “banned” list worked
Brian (Bracey resident) – do more for youth
McLean asked “What can police do to better relationship with community?”
Antione – show love
Beverly – PACT provide programs with youth, OSHA, job-training, education training, give kids incentives, there is a stigma for men in black community, tap into funding, Bracey will not be here much longer (being replaced by public-private partnership like Heritage Homes), “we are in dark, evil times, devil trying to take back community from us”.
McLean asked “What can NRPD do to improve things?”
Brian – PO Rob Johnson does a lot, if more police were like Rob police can build trust
Kevin – we cannot just hangout, police pull up, not in a friendly manner, I am not afraid but its scary.
Mercati – she was arrested in 2008, she was shown a lack of respect, questioned in a dark area of the basement, felt more comfortable in the interrogation room which was well lit.
Gazzola – 150 cameras have been deployed, training has taken place, residents should start seeing cameras soon
McLean asked “What does community need to do to improve relationship (with NRPD)?”
Japeera – speak to kids, because kids are disrespectful, asked how long CPPB has been doing this (Holder said since June, Holder talked about an entrepreneur program he set up in MVHA which was rejected at NRHS).
Beverly – everyone is not here, what is the next step to get something done at Bracey?
McLean asked “How can NRPD better serve this community?”
Crosstalk – get the kids out of here, take them to a Knicks game, send them to “scared straight” program, scared straight won’t work because kids know they will be coming home, end gang violence, selling guns, selling drugs, male youth issues.
McLean asked “Do you feel safer here?”
Crosstalk – element that comes in, strange people coming in, no security, doors open, gunfire, woke up in bed and have to hide in my own apartment, want police to be more visible,
Beverly – need funding for security
Brian – building checks like NYPD does in New York City, security was doing it but they are gone due to funding.
NOTE We are identifying residents who spoke by first name only.
In what has become a trend at these CPPB Listening Tour meetings is that the residents who speak are seeking more police involvement in their neighborhoods not less. This stands in contrast to many public meetings last summer where many members of the public were calling for a reduction in police involvement in the community, even “de-funding” the police to replace police responses with social service responses.
McLean, who grew up in The Hollow, pushed the residents to call for a reduction in gunfire in the area in and around the Bracey Apartments.
“Dispensed with was the Christian prayers…”
Does this mean that McLean did not say a prayer? He shouldn’t say prayers at these meetings because he is acting on behalf of the government in an official gov’t function. He should feel free to pray all he wants at non-governmental functions, but serving in an official role representing the City of New Rochelle, prayers should be off limits.