Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano today announced the appointment and convening of the City of Yonkers Police Reform Committee. In accordance with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order No. 203 urging New York’s more than 500 police agencies to rebuild police-community relations, the Yonkers Police Reform Committee will meet over the next four months for a fact-based, open dialogue about the public safety needs of the city.
“Recent events across our nation have shed light on the need to reimagine how our local police agencies engage with the communities they protect,” said Mayor Spano. “In Yonkers, I am very proud of the reforms we’ve made together over the last eight years, becoming a model for other departments, but I also know we can always do better. We welcome the opportunity to continue transparent conversations with our residents to ensure Yonkers moves forward in a positive direction.”
Mayor Spano appointed a 21-member committee ranging in backgrounds and experiences to best reflect the concerns and opinions of how law enforcement is handled in Yonkers. Consisting of local community members, law enforcement, clergy and elected officials, the City of Yonkers Police Reform Committee includes:
· Gail Baxter Hudson River Community Association
· Dr. Jim Bostic, TH. D Nepperhan Community Center, Exe. Dir.
· Daniel Campanini Yonkers Police Dept, Deputy Chief
· Rev. Frank Coleman NAACP, Yonkers Chapter, President
· Lakisha Collins-Bellamy, Esq. Yonkers BOE Trustee/Attorney
· Hon. Tasha Diaz Yonkers City Council, Third District
· Autumn Edwards Yonkers Police Department, Officer
· Pauline Galvin, Esq. Yonkers Civil Service Comm/Attorney
· Carmen Goldberg Charter School Educational Excellence
· Rev. James Hassell Kingdom Christian Cultural Center
· Charlie Knight YWCA, CEO/Executive Director
· Doreen Lloyd, Esq. Yonkers Bureau Chief, Westchester DA
· Darryl Mack Yonkers Public Schools, Asst.Principal
· Donnell McCall Community member
· Carlos Moran Mayor’s Representative (Chair)
· Keith Olson Yonkers PBA President
· Lucria Ortiz YMCA, CEO/President
· Hon. Michael Sabatino LGBTQIA community member
· Vincent Tyler Yonkers Police Department, Ret. Det.
· Lt. Charles Walker YPD Yonkers Guardians Assoc Pres.
· Cecilia Zuniga-Espiritu La Piñata, business owner
Police Commissioner John J. Mueller stated, “I believe that the formation of this committee and the important work it will undertake only advances the already strong commitment the Yonkers Police has to its communities. We welcome the opportunity for a comprehensive, evidenced-based evaluation and look forward to working together with the committee to the benefit of our residents, police officers, and City of Yonkers.”
Tasha Diaz, Yonkers City Council, Third District, commented, “I want to thank Mayor Mike Spano for including me in this historical committee. Police reform is needed everywhere, but so is building the relationships between our law enforcement and Yonkers residents. As a lifelong Yonkers resident, I know what Yonkers was in the past, what it is now, and the potential greatness that it has in the future. I know we can do amazing things with this committee for the betterment of the community.”
The Committee is scheduled to meet weekly, starting September 24, and host three public forums where residents are welcome to present questions and comments to the Committee for consideration. The Reform Committee will culminate later this year and present a Final Report with police reform recommendations specific to Yonkers. According to the Governor’s Executive Order, the Report then will be presented to the Yonkers City Council for ratification, to be adopted and signed by Mayor Spano and sent to the Governor’s Office for review by April 1, 2021.
In August 2020, Governor Cuomo released the New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative as a resource and guide for local public officials and citizens to assist them in discussions to develop policies that protect the public, while meeting the local communities’ acceptance. The Governor’s Order authorizes the Director of the State Division of the Budget to condition State aid to localities on the adoption of the Report.
For more information on the City of Yonkers Police Reform Committee, visit www.yonkersny.gov/YPRC.
