NEW ROCHELLE, NY (May 20, 2026) — Public records obtained by Talk of the Sound reveal that the New Rochelle Civilian Complaint Review Board’s failure to become operational is not a story of simple neglect. It is a closed loop of self-reinforcing dysfunction, documented in the city’s own emails.
The records, produced in response to Freedom of Information Law requests submitted May 17, 2026, show a board trapped in a cycle from which no exit was ever found: the board could not meet because training was not complete; training could not be arranged by members because the board had never met; the city arranged training itself, violating the code; the city then continued to use incomplete training as the public justification for the board not meeting; and the City Manager acknowledged in writing that the board could meet before training was complete — but the board still never met.
The records span more than 500 pages of internal city communications covering the period from the board’s establishment in October 2024 through May 2026.
The City’s Own Officials Pushed for Action
The records show the failure was not for lack of internal pressure. Council Member Shane Osinloye — who also serves as Vice Chairman of the New Rochelle Industrial Development Agency — wrote in July 2025, within weeks of members being appointed: “We need this board activated asap.” Castaldo replied he would draft next steps “in the next few days.”
What followed was months of training logistics, oath administration, and background checks. No meeting was ever scheduled.
Council Member David Peters was more direct. In an April 10, 2026 email copied to Chairperson Natasha Fapohunda, Castaldo, City Manager Wilfredo Melendez, Osinloye, Police Commissioner Neil Reynolds, and Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert, Peters wrote: “The year long delay regardless of the reasons does not warrant this action.” He was objecting to requiring members to complete a full Citizens Police Academy program after nearly a year of inaction. He proposed an abbreviated version and asked to meet the following week. Three days later, on April 13, Melendez acknowledged in writing that “the Board can still meet, hold public sessions, and take care of other responsibilities” before training is complete.
The board did not meet after either of those communications.
The Training Picture
The records show three of four required training components were completed before Talk of the Sound’s investigation was published on May 17, 2026 — a fact that was never publicly disclosed. The city held no public meetings about the board’s training progress, published no agendas or minutes, and filed no semi-annual reports as required by the city code. The only public accounting of the board’s activities is the reporting by Talk of the Sound.
A FOIL and Open Meetings Law training session was conducted January 23, 2026 via video recording sent by Castaldo. Monroe University provided training on racial history and community policing on April 7, 2026 — several members missed the live session and watched a recording that one member described as “very glitchy” in the second half. NACOLE conducted three virtual training sessions on March 16, March 25, and April 8, 2026, totaling nine hours — 45 minutes short of the 9.75 hours required by the city code, with no acknowledgment of the shortfall in the records produced.
The Citizens Police Academy — the largest single component at 25 of approximately 37 required hours — was confirmed on May 12, 2026, when Melendez wrote: “We are all set to begin the training on May 20!! It will be every Wednesday night from 6:30pm to 9:00pm.” That is five days after the investigation was published.
The Code Applied Selectively
The records reveal a pattern of selective code enforcement. On training components the city controlled administratively — NACOLE, Monroe University, and the FOIL/Open Meetings Law session — the city deviated from the code in multiple ways: it selected all trainers itself without member input, as required; it delivered NACOLE training 45 minutes short of the required hours; and two required curriculum topics were excluded by NACOLE with no documented plan to cover them elsewhere.
On the Citizens Police Academy — the component controlled by the New Rochelle Police Department — the city took the opposite approach, treating the requirement as non-negotiable even as nearly a year passed without scheduling a session. Only under direct pressure from Peters in April 2026 did the city move toward an abbreviated track.
Chairperson Fapohunda herself raised the issue in a March 4, 2026 email, writing that she would suggest the NRPD training “be prioritized ahead of NACOLE and Monroe County training” and that it “not be dependent upon, nor substituted by, the publicly offered Citizens Police Academy.” She called for “a dedicated CCRB training program, focused and fit for purpose.” The records show no resolution to that request before the investigation was published.
The Chairperson’s Position
The records show Fapohunda was not passive throughout the process. She raised concerns about training structure, questioned whether training was creating a barrier to the board doing its work, declined her compensation, and stated in writing that she does not consider herself a representative of the government. The city accepted her declination of compensation while telling her she is a government representative regardless.
No record was found showing Fapohunda called or attempted to call a meeting of the board at any point.
What the Records Do Not Show
Despite more than 500 pages of internal communications, the records contain no evidence that:
- The board ever scheduled, noticed, or convened a meeting
- Any CCRB member reviewed a civilian complaint
- The city acknowledged or discussed correcting the error in Resolution 2025-102, which states members “may be” law enforcement in direct contradiction of the city code
- Any stipend payments were made to any member
- NACOLE’s 10 hours of post-training technical assistance — included in the contract — was ever requested or used
The New Rochelle Police Department has produced no records in response to any of the 11 FOIL requests submitted to NRPD on May 17. The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office has not responded to Talk of the Sound’s requests.
Talk of the Sound submitted media inquiries to Mayor Ramos-Herbert, Commissioner Reynolds, City Manager Melendez, Assistant City Manager Castaldo, Chairperson Fapohunda, and others on May 17, 2026. No responses have been received as of publication.
This story is part of a continuing investigation into the New Rochelle Civilian Complaint Review Board. The full research report is available to paid subscribers at Words in Edgewise.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
Have information about this story? Email robertcox@talkofthesound.com (preferred) or contact via WhatsApp: +353 089 972 0669.