WHITE PLAINS – The Westchester County Board of Legislators has adopted the report of the county’s Police Reform and Reimaging Task Force in a unanimous vote Monday night.
The adoption of the report establishes a blueprint for police reform intended to promote more equitable policing in Westchester.
The 177-page report contains 51 recommendations for the county’s police, correction, and other public safety operations including:
- implicit bias and intercultural competency training for law enforcement personnel
- a formal review of the County Department of Public Safety’s use of social media for branding and community outreach
- creation of community liaisons
- increased multi-lingual communications
- training in implicit bias and restorative justice for School Resource Officers
- joint de-escalation training with the Department of Correction
- increased police academy training in procedural justice, cultural diversity and bias-related crimes
- creation of a County Office of Police Accountability
“The task force’s work was serious, deliberative and thorough, as was our review,” said Legislator Colin Smith (D- Cortlandt, Peekskill, Yorktown), chairman of the Public Safety Committee and also a task force member. “In adopting the report, we are establishing a roadmap for police reform in Westchester County. Some of these recommendations will be able to be able to be implemented relatively quickly. In other cases, implementation will require longer-term work to iron out details, explore legal requirements, and establish fair and practical processes.”
