This committee will review the needs of the White Plains community served by its police department, evaluate the department’s current policies and practices; involve the full White Plains community in the discussion; develop policy recommendations resulting from this review; offer a plan for public comment; and present that plan to the White Plains Common Council.
As part of this comprehensive review process, the City of White Plains and the White Plains / Greenburgh NAACP Branch will co-sponsor a series of public listening sessions for members of the Police Reform Committee and the White Plains community as a whole. The purpose of the sessions is to obtain feedback in responding to Governor Cuomo’s “New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative” Executive Order 203.
Mayor Tom Roach said, “I am pleased to be working in collaboration with the White Plains / Greenburgh NAACP on this important initiative and I am also pleased to announce that the President of the White Plains / Greenburgh NAACP Branch, Ms. Janice Griffith, will be chairing our Police Reform Committee. The White Plains / Greenburgh NAACP is a respected partner and well-qualified to help White Plains in this endeavor.”
The Committee led by Ms. Griffith will convene several community listening sessions this fall. The listening sessions will give residents the opportunity to voice their opinions, share experiences, and submit questions to the Committee in a public forum
The listening sessions and the subsequent work of the Committee will focus on topic areas including, but not limited to:
- Community Policing
- Anti-Bias Training
- Transparency, Data Collection and Reporting
- Mental Health Crisis Management
- Civilian Complaint Review Board
For those who do not wish to speak during the public listening sessions, questions and comments may be submitted in writing to: policereform@whiteplainsny.gov. A public meeting schedule with additional details will be announced shortly.
Please read, the attached Press Release from the Mayor’s Office for additional information.