On Dec. 1, Assemblyman Nader Sayegh presented the Yonkers Police Department with a $100,000 State funding grant check to support a proven police training program that provides them with a set of tools to make sure everyone is safer when there are conflict encounters with the public.
The Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics, (ITAC) Course was developed by an outside consulting agency and is anchored by a critical decision making model that helps police assess situations, make safe and effective decisions and helps them learn from their actions. It is especially useful for situations involving persons unarmed or armed with weapons other than guns, and who may be experiencing a mental health or other crisis.
Assemblyman Nader Sayegh said:“De-escalating situations that could end in lives lost and injuries to police and civilians alike will make our city safer for all, which is why I pursued obtaining this grant for the Yonkers Police Department. The training has resulted in dramatic reductions in citizen and officer injuries in other cities and will further build on the positive police- community relations efforts underway in the Yonkers Police Department.”
Mayor Mike Spano said: “Thanks to Assemblyman Sayegh’s advocacy, the Yonkers Police Department makes another positive step forward in its ongoing police reform efforts,” said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. “ITAC will provide the Department an opportunity to compliment the numerous crisis intervention policies already put in place so to enhance the department’s community engagement.”
Yonkers Police Commissioner John J. Mueller said:“When the Yonkers Police Department is called to respond to a person in crisis, in the critical first few minutes, often it is up to the responding patrol officer or officers to manage the situation. Integrating Communications and Tactics (ICAT) is designed to provide those officers with more options and additional tactical and communications skills to safely and effectively manage those situations and resolve conflicts peacefully whenever possible. In many instances, the goal is to buy enough time until additional, specialized resources can get to the scene. The Yonkers Police Department will train officers on how to use those options and tools safely and effectively. When agencies focus on increasing options and providing training, both the officers and the communities they serve are safer.”
The training of all 611 Yonkers Police Officers will commence at the Precinct level this coming January. The funds are part of a NYS Crime Reduction Initiative directed by the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).
