In a letter dates, Nov. 12, Yorktown Supervisor Matt Slater wrote the following letter to Rising Media Group and its Editor Dan Murphy
“Thanks for your Nov. 11 story about Tom Pomposello and the Yorktown Town Board’s letter to him. This is a very emotional issue that is provoking strong opinions, and the Yorktown Town Board respects a diversity of opinions.
However, some of the statements made by Yorktown for Justice are patently false. For example: “Despite issuing statements denouncing racism, the town of Yorktown has not supported anti-discrimination programs, policies or educational measures.”
Since I took office in January 2020, the Town Board has adopted or endorsed many initiatives designed to promote diversity and inclusion:
• Juneteenth: The Town Board officially commemorated Juneteenth for the first time in June 2020.
• Diversity Guide: In partnership with the Yorktown Alliance for Kids, the Town Board promoted ASK’s new diversity
guide in June 2020 to help local families and community groups discuss racism and social justice.
• Food Insecurity: The Yorktown Food Security Task Force was created by the Town Board in August 2020 to address
hunger in the community.
• Incarceration Reduction: The Yorktown Police Department became the first department in Westchester County to join
the Hope Not Handcuffs program in September 2020 to steer substance abusers into treatment instead of jail.
• DEI Counselling: In February 2021, the Town Board entered an agreement with Alliance for Safe Kids to provide a
community-based mental health program focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Police Reform: Through late 2020 into early 2021, Yorktown conducted six public hearings on the Yorktown Police in
compliance with Executive Order 203 requiring all police departments to review their practices. The report’s
recommendations included testing of body cameras, quarterly reports about civilian complaints and annual anti-bias
training.
• Gay Pride: Yorktown officially recognized Gay Pride Month for the first time in June 2021 to recommit to acceptance of all members of the community.
• Accessibility: The Town Board authorized the creation of an accessibility committee in June 2021 whose role will be to
identify barriers facing disabled people and to help craft more inclusive policies.
• Adaptive Playground: In June 2021 Yorktown received a grant to build the first adaptive playground in Northern
Westchester that will be accessible to children and their caregivers who are disabled.
In addition to the measures cited above, both Yorktown Police employees and Town employees are required to take annual sensitivity and anti-bias training,” writes Supervisor Slater.
