To Our Ossining Community,
The Village Board is pleased welcome three new members to the Police Reform & Reinvention Working Committee. The expansion includes adding representation from the District Attorney's office, the Legal Aid Society, and the NAACP.
Frank Luis, Branch Chief of Westchester District Attorney's Northern Westchester District Office, brings a wealth of experience prosecuting cases, and it so happens that he grew up in Ossining. MaryPat Long, Senior Counsel at the Legal Aid Society, has served as a public defender since 1989, and has extensive experience working with cases in the Ossining court system. Kendall Buchanan, representing the Ossining NAACP Chapter, is a lifelong resident who is perhaps best known as Chairman of the Ossining Sankofa Homecoming, an organization dedicated to honoring African American contributions to the history of Ossining, and striving for positive and progressive social change for our community.
Several leaders and stakeholders weighed in on the new appointments and Ossining's response to Executive Order 203, Police Reform & Reinvention Collaborative:
Trustee Omar Lopez: "The new members of the Working Committee reflect feedback from the community. The Village takes stakeholder perspectives seriously. We want the entire community to have confidence in the process, in particular because robust engagement is key to developing a strong set of recommendations."
Chief Kevin Sylvester: "The men and women of the Ossining Police Department look forward to this initiative being yet another opportunity for us to highlight the good work of our dedicated staff. We hope this will be both an opportunity for the community to learn about our role and for us to better understand the wants and needs of our neighbors so we can continue to provide those who live and work in Ossining with a sense of safety and security."
Ossining NAACP President Aaron Moore: "The Ossining NAACP Branch, as part of its Mission “…to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic quality rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination…” wants to ensure that this process includes the voices of all people of color. We are pleased to have Kendall Buchanan represent the NAACP on the Working Committee. Mr. Buchanan is not only a lifelong resident of Ossining, but also a strong advocate for the Branch’s Mission. Further, the Ossining NAACP Executive Committee will be reaching out to the Branch membership about this important initiative to encourage NAACP's voices to actively participate in community forums and other opportunities to support the development of plans to reform and reinvent the Ossining Police Department."
Maria Teresa (Mayte) Garcia: "As a long standing community member, who went to the Ossining school district, I’m immensely proud and thankful to form part of this wonderful committee and bring in the many voices of our BIPOC youth and large Spanish speaking immigrant community. I look forward to the important and necessary work to make Ossining a safe and welcoming community."
Reverend Mary Phifer: "The Village provided transparency when they responded to our request that community stakeholders play a role in the Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative throughout the entire process. Staying true to the spirit of the Executive Order, the Village legitimizes their work by augmenting the Working Committee with persons that provide a wealth of knowledge, experience and passion for creating effective police reform. The appointment of the Working Committee, and now its expansion, demonstrates the commitment of the Village to ensure that the community has confidence in this process."
Reverend Shaun Jones: "The final composition of this Working Committee represents the true diversity that our Village prides itself on. As we move forward in this process I look forward to working with Village officials, fellow committee members and most importantly the community at large to get their input and experiences to ensure that our communities are not over policed and under resourced."
The Village Board, the Ossining Police Department and the Working Committee are eager to move forward with the community engagement that is so essential for creating a plan. Earlier today the Village signed an agreement with Matrix Consulting to assist with reviewing current police policy and facilitating public engagement. The Working Committee is currently focusing on ensuring effective outreach for public engagement which is anticipated to include a hybrid approach to meetings that invite participation both in person and virtually, as well as online feedback. As soon as it is available, a calendar for public engagement sessions will be shared via email, social media, and on the Village webpage dedicated to the Ossining Police Reform & Reinvention Collaborative.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees,
