To Our Ossining Community,
We are pleased to announce the fifteen members appointed to serve on the Village’s Police Reform & Reinvention Working Committee:
Jennifer Cabrera
Maria Teresa (Mayte) Garcia
Althema Goodson
Gabrielle Hamilton
Rev Shaun Jones
Rodolfo Moran
Rev Mary Phifer
Christina Picciano
Bishop Joan Whitaker
Mayor Victoria Gearity
Trustee Omar Lopez
Councilmember Jackie Shaw
Chief Kevin Sylvester
Officer Juan Encarnacion
Officer Ben Ervin
The Working Committee members will provide meaningful feedback to the process as well as encourage community engagement. Their role is essential to helping the Village respond to Governor Cuomo's Executive Order 203, the Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative.
At this moment of intense relations nationally between law enforcement and communities of color, we have an opportunity to bring together disenfranchised community members with local police and officials to hear each other and build on a commitment to community policing. The Working Committee is made up of two Village elected officials, three representatives from the Ossining Police Department, one Ossining Town Councilmember, and nine members of the community that represent stakeholder groups including the NAACP, the Briarcliff Ossining
Ministerial Association, the Community Equity Task Force, the Ossining LGBTQ Alliance and the Civilian Police Complaint Review Board.
The work of reforming and reinventing the Ossining Police Department depends on having many more voices involved than the handful who will be serving on the Working Committee. We encourage all community members to follow this effort on the page of the Village website dedicated to updates and resources related to the Ossining Police Reform & Reinvention Collaborative. Dates for public meetings and opportunities for input will also be shared on social media, the weekly WebBlast, and the Monday Mayor's Message.
In recent weeks we have met with stakeholders to discuss how best to create a process that will instill the confidence needed for robust community engagement. One of the first actions the Working Committee will undertake is to interview an additional candidate that may serve as an objective facilitator to assist the village in reviewing current police policy, engaging community stakeholders, and developing a plan honoring the work of the community and our police department. The draft plan will be presented to the community for feedback early in the new year. The final version of the plan will be voted on by the Village Board before April 1, 2021. This ambitious timeline, the steps of the collaborative process, and the key questions and insights for consideration are directed to us by the Governor.
1) What functions should the police perform?
2) Employing smart and effective policing standards and strategies
3) Fostering community-oriented leadership, culture and accountability
4) Recruiting and supporting excellent personnel
The Village Board is unanimous in our support and involvement in this collaborative process to advance justice for all.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees,
