NEW ROCHELLE, NY — In what was by far the most vocal and demonstrative stop on the New Rochelle Community-Police Partnership Board 2021-22 “listening tour, the fourth stop last night at the Heritage Homes got “real” real fast. The CPPB meeting was hosted by the New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority in the Community Room at 66 Winthrop Avenue.
There is no currently scheduled fifth stop on the CPPB Listening Tour.
Present at the Heritage Homes meeting was Angela Farrish, City Clerk Michelle Oliveros (taking notes), NRPD Commissioner Robert Gazzola (Co-Chair), NRPD Captain Neil Reynolds, NRPD Captain Raul Rodriguez, NRPD Lt. Edward Hayes, Dr. Betty Campbell, Wendell Sears, NAACP New Rochelle Branch President, Minister Mark McLean, Hon. Yadira Ramos-Herbert, and Natasha Fapohunda.
Absent from the New Rochelle Community-Police Partnership Board and Corporation Counsel Kathleen Gill, Michael Kushner and Rev. David Holder (Co-Chair).
Altogether there were 21 people in the room total (1 from NRMHA, 9 from CPPB including 4 from NRPD, the City Clerk and 10 adult residents.
The event was MC’d by Minister Mark McLean. There was a brief introduction by each CPPB Member as well as the initial group of residents.
As usual, McLean began by asking residents, “What is community policing to you?”
Clifford — respect, understanding.
Tracey — familiar face, same people, familiarity.
Clifford — way it’s done feels more like harassment, not patrolling. Here when we like doesn’t look like policing, familiarity means nothing that’s not happening but what we would like is building a relationship.
Walter — in the past, police officers knew everyone and could intervene.
Kwamaine — police commissioner from Camden met with the prior Police board he was on, they put two officers like beat officers, get them out of the car, have more personal interaction.
Clifford — more youth programs, walking down the street, people do not see policing as friendly.
Mercati — upset with Yadira, accused her of farming the real work off onto Angela in particular she was “pissed off” related to the flooding, feeding people, the gas, and water being off, she should come out and have a cup of coffee.
This remark led to a pretty heated exchange involving a number of different people with Mark McLean trying to reassert control, things finally calmed down.
Markham — said he feels, people have prejudices that they have political ties like Wykagyl, we’re not policing ourselves, when he was doing drugs and stealing from his mom she kicked him out, pain is necessary, starts in the house, most crime is in our neighborhood, humanity, respect.
Kwamaine/FB — he asked a question from Facebook Live.
Gazzola — answered Kwamaine/FB about a gap in the community and who steps in to bridge the gap, he agrees 100% about getting out of the car that we should engage people and said, “we’ve asked officers to get out of the car and introduce themselves”. COVID-19 interfered with that.
Reynolds — answered Kwamaine/FB, we want to police with the community to solve problems to be a resource of help solving problems, dignity, and respect and community engagement, sports with kids, college tours, trips, show kids world available to them.
Tracy — get with the parents, parents do not know what the kids are doing, if you’re going to have an event you have to bring the parent and the child to be there.
Markham – there’s a perception that officers get promotions by making more arrests, I have 40 misdemeanors and four felonies I’ve been off drugs for 30 years there’s good officers we need police we need law and order.
Gazzola -/?said that it was a misconception that more arrests lead to promotion
Mark McLean — concentrate on please respond communicate the police responsibility community responsibility what parents are responsible.
Tracy — events with kids include the parents, youth, they just out here.
Kwamaine/FB — if you want to end the no snitching rules, deal with bad cops.
Mark McLean — it’s time for the community to express their unpleasant experiences
Markham — told a story about a cop blocking the driveway at the Hollow, he got into a verbal altercation, he was upset that he went to the police station to file a complaint which try to deter him from filing the complaint it bothered him that Pat Carroll would say we don’t have that many complaints.
Kwamaine — you can go online to file a complaint.
Walter — told a story of him running in Wykagyl, the officer stopped him, when he asked why he was stopped officer said that there was a report of a robbery Walter said his sister was a dispatcher, and he checked and there was no robbery the officer lied, they were profiling him.
Clifford — said he’s been involved in lots of situations in that sometimes he would get upset and make matters worse so how much of that is me or them, but he has had plenty of unpleasant experiences, cowboys and Indians, I was hustling, big bowl of gumbo women on section 8 man homeless and so on.
Markham — police tell us that your job security, he said he left a gathering of men, he doesn’t want to PBA card, said the perception of Mark was that he was shuckin’ and jivin’, a lot of the problems are bad parenting.
Mark McLean—said he was real.
Marcati — how many people live in heritage and how many are here
Troy — when he sees a light because he’s being pulled over for a traffic violation it’s scary, and then you call for five cars for a ticket, and I’m black, and I’m thinking anything could happen, when I see the light I get nervous, I’ve been in trouble before, told story of his 10-year-old son in 2013 there was a gunshot and the police stopped the 10-year-old.
Teresa — said that her 11-year-old grandson was with the boy,
Troy — filed a report, got nothing back his son was scared, I was getting ready to fight the officer how can you can’t tell the difference between a 10-year-old boy and older person why would my 10-year-old have a gun?
Markham — asked what is the procedure in response to gunfire and why the particular people get stopped.
There was some back-and-forth between Markham and Harris, Angela jumped in and said that there was the same conversation at the Hollow there are 150 officers they got to come out and introduce themselves there were some that are good people good money.
Walter — kids not seen as children seen as adults by, cops bypassing parents go to the child, but that does not happen with white parents.
Mark McLean quoted Elijah Mohammed, no one will do for you what you won’t do for yourself.
NOTE, We are identifying residents who spoke by first name only.
This stop on the CPPB Listening Tour was decidedly different. Residents were less interested in a greater police presence in their neighborhood; they accepted there would be a greater police presence but wanted officers to wave hello and otherwise be more friendly.
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Tell the police and city council to met at community housing eith the senior residence at 35 maple ave from brian sten activist for human rights 914 563 8330