WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Active and retired police officers
will call for further oversight of local police departments through legislation
on the county and state levels at a news conference Monday in White Plains,
said Damon Jones, head of Blacks in Law Enforcement of America’s Westchester
Chapter.
The news conference, to be held at 11 a.m. in front of the
Westchester County Courthouse, is in response to a grand jury’s decision not to indict
the White Plains police officers involved in the Nov. 19, 2011, death of Kenneth
Chamberlain.
“We’re gathering on Monday to say that there needs to be
some type of external review
of not only the White Plains Police Department, but of all 43 municipalities —
and, really, New York State, because these types of incidents are going on all
across the country,” Jones said.
Blacks in Law Enforcement of America, along with other law
enforcement representatives, will “demand” that the county draft legislation to
create a civilian complaint review board, similar to the county’s Human Rights
Division, Jones said.
Press representatives for the Westchester Board of
Legislators said the board has no comment at this time, but may respond after
Monday’s news conference.
Jones’s organization has started a petition
to support legislation in the state Senate to create an inspector general’s
position to oversee the NYPD. However, state Sen. Kevin Parker — who sponsored
the bills, S6407A
and S6695
— said he would look into expanding the position to oversee police departments
statewide, Jones said. Whoever is appointed to this position would act as a
“special state-level prosecutor to handle investigations and, if necessary,
prosecute these cases,” according to the petition.
Lawyers for the Chamberlain family have asked for a
criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which has said it will
review the evidence in the case.
“We will cooperate fully with any Justice Department
inquiry into the Chamberlain incident,” said Public Safety Commissioner David
Chong, of the White Plains Police Department.
Other organizations attending Monday’s news conference
will be: Black Law Enforcement Alliance, 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement,
National Black Police Association, National Latino Officers Association, the
Grand Council of Guardians, the Network for Police Accountability and Chamberlain
family friends and supporters.