FARCE CONTINUES: Community Police Partnership Board Meeting 2/23/23

Written By: Robert Cox

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (February 27, 2023) — The Community Police Partnership Board held its “quarterly” meeting on February 23, 2023. It’s last meeting was held on October 24, 2022, 4 months ago, so not “quarterly”.

Watch meeting here.

Visit CPPB web page here.

The Community Police Partnership Board is a farce. They often do not bother to promote their meetings and whether they do or not the rooms over the past year are largely empty. After the big kick-off to the so-called “listening tour” in 2021 at Bethesda Baptist Church the crowds have dwindled down to almost nothing. At the final listening tour event at Beth El just three people showed up. At the quarterly meeting last week at City Hall just two people showed up.

I asked yet again for the CPPB to publish their agendas and minutes on the City website which they have refused to do since day one. I addressed the CPPB on this point during public comment noting that it difficult for the public to follow along without an agenda. They do hold public meetings and talk about transparency but they do not seem to believe they are covered by FOIL or OML or care to apply those standards regardless. It is faux-transparency.

I will pursue this question within a week. If I get the agendas and minutes I will publish them.

Roll Call

Deputy Commissioner Neil K. Reynolds, Co-Chairman

Rev. David Holder, Co-Chairman

Dr. Betty Campbell

Natasha Fapohunda

Dawn Warren

Martha Gutiérrez

Lt. Edward Hayes

Minister Mark McLean

Captain Melvin Molina

Hon. Yadira Ramos-Herbert

Captain Raul Rodriguez

Wendell Sears

Martha Gutiérrez appointed to replace Eddie Contreras in June 2022 – her first CPPB quarterly meeting after 8 months on the CPPB.

Michael Kushner not present (again), second meeting in a row, missed 10/24/22 meeting.

Co-Chair Report by DC Reynolds

Mtayari Dixon remains at large, wanted for murder of James Caldwell, Jr. There is a national BOLO out for Dixon, NYSCrimestoppers is offering $2,500 for information that leads directly to his capture.

New York State Crime Stoppers Offers $2,500 Reward in Boogie Nation Shooting Death

Armed Robbery Task Force

There were multiple armed robberies in the West End, after a guy was arrested with a “fully loaded handgun”, the armed robberies stopped. I heard nothing about any such series of armed robberies or an arrest so I immediately requested full details but have yet to hear back from NRPD.

West End Armed Robbery Task Force Nabs Suspect in New Rochelle

Elder Abuse Assault

A man was arrested for elder abuse, he had in his possession a black mask, an imitation pistol with “glock” printed on it, and multiple large knives. This refers to Duane Floyd, who has an “extensive violent criminal history” but was given a nominal bail ($500). This was first mention that Floyd had “multiple large knives”. Incident at the Oasis Shelter.

New Rochelle Man with Black Skeleton Mask Arrested on Violence Assault of Elderly Man

Mental Health Intervention

New Rochelle Police Announce Launch of the Mobile Crisis Response Team

YTD 73 outreach, 105 following.

New York Peace Institute

Sustained Civil Complaints (my request)

Outcome Information posted on the NRPD website under Civilian Complaints Data.

This is a response to about a year of my asking two questions: (1) How many Internal Affairs Complaints are from within the department and how many are from outside the department; (2) of those from outside — civilian complaints — how many resulted in sustained charges and what type of disciplinary action was taken (letter of reprimand, loss of days, loss of vacation days, suspension days). I have noted that for a board tasked with creating a Civilian Complaint Review Board they have shown a remarkable ambivalence towards reviewing actual Civilian Complaints.

I made an extensive series of FOIL requests in 2020 for the disciplinary records of 835 officers going back 50+ years and read every page. I saw just one sustained civilian complaint. I made my own sustained civilian complaint in 2021. So, over 50 years I saw two. Now NRPD claims to have 31 sustained civilian complaints covering 2018 to 2022. That seems doubtful but since they just pulled out those 31 records they are readily available. I sent in a FOIL request for all 31 before the CPPB meeting was over.

In my experience, unless civilians get legal support (for free if needed) and case management services, civilian complaints are likely to fail. I do not believe the 2018 to 2022 numbers — last year a third of all civilian complaints were sustained? Highly unlikely. That is so high you wonder why there is a need for a CPPB or a CCRB.

Outreach Report (Captain Rodriquez)

Listening Tour at Beth El on 11/16/22

New Rochelle Community-Police Partnership Board Holds Sixth (and Final) Stop on Listening Tour (12/7/2022)

Registration Begins for 2023 Citizen Police Academy (last day is 2/28/23)

Police Officer Robert Ferguson will be on WVOX radio to talk about gun safety

Detective DeCarlo held a session of Hidden in Plain View for parents

Operation Cat Scratch to help people with catalytic converters 12/17/22

OPERATION CAT SCRATCH: New Rochelle PD to Offer Catalytic Convertor Serial Number Etching

Chat with a cop held at Iona University (another session on March 8 at Iona and March 9 with Monroe College

Hope Not Handcuffs is a new drug and alcohol program.

Police Explorer Program (6th grade to age 20, for people interested in criminal justice).

Cone With A Cop

Coffee With A Cop

National Night Out this summer

Training (Lieutenant Hayes)

The use of force policy is online. There have been revisions, some word changes, which will go through a process to be approved and then once approved, published on the website.

Use of Force Policy

In-Service training has begun and runs until the end of May

After the Bang, a training program on coping following an officer-involved shooting

NRPD has one cadet in the Westchester police academy

NRPD is undergoing a process of re-accreditation which has been ongoing since 1993

Police Conduct Committee (DC Reynolds)

Center for Governmental Research (CGR) in Rochester, NY addressed the CPPB at their last quarterly meeting on 10/24/22 to pave the way for a Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB).

Community Police Partnership Board Meeting Raw Notes October 24, 2022

At that meeting CGR described a 6 months time frame:

Oct/Nov — line up 25 interviews, data analysis

Nov/Dec — conduct 25 interviews

Dec/Jan — research CCRB models that may be applicable to New Rochelle

Jan/Feb — Submit report to CPPB

Feb/Mar — Implementation needs

How much of what was described by CGR was accomplished from their stated time frame?

None.

They have not set up any of the 25 interviews let alone conducted 25 interviews. They have not submitted a report to the CPPB based on data analysis, research on applicable CCRB models or 25 interviews.

The new timeline is to set up and conduct 25 interviews in March. Tomorrow is March 1st.

There is no longer a deadline to submit a final report to CPPB.

The photo above from the CGR website seems about right — them with their hand out, looking for more taxpayer money, having delivered precisely none of what they promised in October.

RELATED:

Listening Tour

New Rochelle Community-Police Partnership Board is Not a Path Towards Transparency and Accountability — First Stop on Listening Tour (10/1/21)

Time Running Out to Salvage New Rochelle Community-Police Partnership Board — Second Stop on Listening Tour (10/28/21)

New Rochelle Community-Police Partnership Board Holds Third Stop on Listening Tour at The Hollow (12/8/2021)

Heritage Homes Residents Get Real with New Rochelle Community-Police Partnership Board at Fourth Stop on Listening Tour (12/9/2021)

New Rochelle Community-Police Partnership Board Holds Unadvertised Fifth Stop on Listening Tour at Parkside Place 570 Fifth Avenue (6/22/22) – not advertised/did not cover.

New Rochelle Community-Police Partnership Board Holds Sixth (and Final) Stop on Listening Tour (12/7/2022)

CPPB Quarterly Meeting

Community Police Partnership Board Meeting Raw Notes October 13, 2021

Community Police Partnership Board Meeting Raw Notes October 24, 2022

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