by Casey Donahue
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – A group of
community organizations led by the Westchester Coalition for Police Reform
gathered in White Plains Friday afternoon to demand more oversight and
accountability to prevent cases of police misconduct in Westchester County.
The rally also included members
of local NAACP chapters, Westchester RISE, Blacks in Law Enforcement of
America, the Westchester Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute for Nonviolence, and
local churches. The rally was held to speak out against uses of excessive and
deadly force by police and to institute ways to hold officers, management and
district attorneys accountable. Recent cases cited in the event included the
shooting of Pace University student DJ Henry in Mount Pleasant, the shooting of
Kenneth Chamberlain of White Plains, the death of Samuel Cruz in New Rochelle
and the death of Irma Marquez in Yonkers.
“Failing to establish a system
of accountability allows a uniform to become legitimized as a symbol of
violence. We cannot allow this to happen.,” said Guisela Marroquin, a community
organizer for the Lower Hudson Valley Civil Liberties Union. “If we are to
break the patterns that allow power and privilege to victimize our families,
neighbors, and friends, we must demand change from those who are hired to keep
us safe.”
Stephen Glusker of WESPAC said
that the goals of the movement are to establish independent oversight
structures to review police practices and investigate potential misconduct,
implement protocols in departments to address the use of force, reform training
programs to emphasize nonviolence and increase the hiring and promotion of
African American and Latino officers.
“The Westchester district
attorney has failed to indict police officers for misconduct. An independent
body of special prosecutors needs to be created to investigate and impose
sanctions when local and county officials fail to act,” Glusker said.
Tom Kissner, a former police
officer and former president of the Port Chester-Rye NAACP, said that police
officers must be trained to act wisely and to disregard any stereotypes or
personal insults when dealing with the public. “A police officer, someone who
has been selected to have the awesome power to take human life should the
circumstances require it, also must have awesome responsibilities,” Kissner
said.
“We’re looking at millions of
our tax dollars being spent unnecessarily when they can just properly train
these officers and hold them accountable,” said Damon Jones of Blacks in Law
Enforcement of America. He encouraged people to reach out to elected officials
and demand change. “It cannot be politics as usual anymore. People are dying.”
