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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 09 February 2021

Created: 09 February 2021

Last Updated: 19 May 2021

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At a briefing on Monday February 8, County Executive called the county’s COVID-19 efforts a “footrace between the disease and the vaccines.” As of Tuesday February 9, the number of active cases in Westchester has fallen to 8014, down from 11,500 just two weeks ago and the positive rate for the county remains at 5.3%. In Scarsdale, the count is 63. The county is administering vaccines in multiple locations hoping to stem the tide of hospitalizations and deaths.

Sadly, Latimer reported that 59 people died from COVID in the past week, and 491 people were hospitalized. In total, the county expects to hit 100,000 positive cases in the next few weeks, which means that 10% of the county’s population will have been infected.

He reported the following number of vaccines administered by the county to date:

-6,344 at the Court Street Department of Health
-38,688 at the Westchester County Center
-560 at the newly opened Westchester County Center

Concerning the vaccine supply, Latimer said, “there is a dearth of vaccines.” The county expects to get 1,110 doses this week, along with a bonus of 20% more doses. He explained that the Governor has now further opened the list of those eligible to people who have co-morbidities and underlying conditions. However, these people, if they are under 65, will not be available to sign up until February 14, 2021. He also assured those who received a first shot that their second shot would be available.

Latimer discussed complaints about long lines for the vaccine at the County Center on Sunday morning February 7, 2021. As the County Center was closed on Monday and Tuesday due to snow, 2,400 people had to be rescheduled. And with more snow forecasted that day, some showed up early. He said, “it is not a first come, first serve situation.” He said people should go to their appointments at the scheduled time. On Sunday, the County Center did remain open until 7 pm and gave out all the scheduled doses. If the County Center has to close again due to snow, a message will be posted on the Westchester County Government Facebook Page here.

High School Sports

After the Governor gave the go ahead to allow high risk sports like basketball and hockey, the county gave permission to the school to work out their protocols. He said that these decisions are now in the hands of school administrators and coaches.

Schools

Similarly, Latimer said, “Our position is we would like to open schools for in school learning,” but the guidelines are established by the state. The county is helping by trying to get vaccines for teachers and school staff and also try to get COVID test kits. He said, “The decision to open is not up to the county.”

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Written by Sammy Silberberg

Published: 14 February 2021

Created: 14 February 2021

Last Updated: 14 February 2021

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What measures can be taken to address race-based policing and the disproportionate harm inflicted upon communities of color by law enforcement agencies? In the wake of the death of a long list of unarmed people of color, killed in New York State and around the country, in June 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued Executive Order #203 titled the New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative. This order is intended to address the race-based policing practices engrained in our law enforcement agencies. As part of the order, all local New York State governments were asked to review the needs of their community with respect to policing, examine current policing policies and practices, and develop recommendations based on current needs and best-practices.

The order cites eight New Yorkers and 12 individuals from out-of-state, all of whom were unarmed civilians of color who were killed during interactions with law enforcement. These New Yorkers including Anthony Baez, Amadou Diallo, Ousmane Zango, Sean Bell, Ramarley Graham, Patrick Dorismond, Akai Gurley, and Eric Garner, and the out-of-state individuals included Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Laquan McDonald, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Philando Castile, Antwon Rose Jr., Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd.

To comply, the Village of Scarsdale created the Police Reform and Reinvention Committee, which is chaired by Scarsdale resident Robert Tucker. After reviewing the current state of the Scarsdale Police Department and speaking with participants, officers, key stakeholders, and community members, the committee created a report that can be found in full HERE.

The report was put together by Scarsdale Village Deputy Manager Robert Cole. On February 9, 2021, the Scarsdale Board of Trustees held a meeting via Zoom to review the key takeaways and highlights from the report.

The following are the recommendations in the report made by the committee. They were reviewed by Scarsdale Police Chief Andrew Matturro.

1. Routinely publish police data to increase transparency
a. Reinforce trust, and promote police personnel awareness of the need to support established goals and objectives intended to ensure policing that is fair, safe, and effective for all, the Police Reform and Reinvention Committee recommends increased sharing of information relative to police-citizen encounters, activities, public relation information, arrests and accompanying data, e.g., implementation of a web-based dashboard or similar approach to providing community access to the Department's performance.

2. Support training and advocate for county social services unit
a. To provide the specialized skills necessary to engage persons experiencing a mental health crisis, the Committee recommends that Scarsdale PD continue to receive appropriate in-service training, including necessary de-escalation methods. Of equal importance, the Committee suggests advocating for Westchester County to activate a specialized mental health intervention unit that can be called upon 24/7 for mental health emergencies. The unit should be adequately staffed to provide response times commensurate with the need to respond under emergency circumstances.

3. Seek governmental and public consensus regarding police in schools
a. As noted, the question of shifting to a more robust police presence in local public schools is a complex one and is beyond the scope of this Committee’s charge. There are significant budgetary and operational implications; the merits and drawbacks must be adequately understood and publicly vetted.

4. Validate community policing best management practices (BMPs) and educate the public
a. Community Policing principles are integrated into Scarsdale PD's policies, training, and protocols. However, there appears to be an opportunity for further progress in formalizing the Department's commitment, particularly in the area of educating the public about its efforts. Doing so could enhance an already outstanding reputation within the community for policing excellence.

5. Update training program to recognize and avoid racism and bias in policing
a. While the Scarsdale Police Department maintains rigorous standards and protocols to reduce the likelihood of racism and/or bias in policing, new police training opportunities have arisen in the wake of recurring incidents involving the death or murder of persons of color during interactions with police officers. Scarsdale PD should aggressively pursue training in topics such as Implicit Bias, Micro-Aggressions, Racial Profiling, and Procedural Justice.
b. On this point, Police Chief Matturro specifically mentioned groups such as the Westchester-Rockland Guardians Association and the Westchester Hispanic Law Enforcement Association as organizations that the police department would like to receive input from. The Westchester-Rockland Guardians Association is an organization that provides a base for minority officers to address their needs, the needs of the community, and have representation in all ranks of law enforcement. The Westchester Hispanic Law Enforcement Association is an organization dedicated to inspiring, instructing, and creating the future leaders of law enforcement throughout Westchester County.

6. Increase and broaden de-escalation training
a. Traditionally, police departments have focused on Use of Force and when to escalate to secure the safety of the officer and individual being engaged. Such training is necessary, of course, but in some ways minimizes the importance of de-escalation strategies in resolving problems without the use of force. To better balance the two approaches and highlight the inherent value of de-escalation as a pre-cursor to use of force, the Committee recommends increasing the quality and amount of De-Escalation training.
b. On this point, Police Chief Matturro highlighted that committee members expressed a strong desire for these trainings to receive the same emphasis and urgency as firearms training, and that the police department supports this notion.

7. Strengthen and expand faith-based community relationships
a. Consider strengthening and expanding relationships with the faith-based community, which can be instrumental in cultivating even higher levels of community trust, cooperation, and support.
b. When speaking to this recommendation, Police Chief Matturro noted that the department has already begun working with various community Rabbis and Reverends in the hopes of building a strong Hope Not Handcuffs program. This program targets people suffering from substance abuse and hopes to divert them from the criminal justice system and into treatment programs.

8. Consider creating an independent use of force review board
a. Consider creation of an independent review board that examines occurrences of Use of Force and or misconduct. If feasible, other officers should be involved in the process as a way to heighten awareness of the process and administrative implications of Use of Force. DCJS conducts such reviews and may be a resource for this need.

9. Purchase and deploy body cameras
a. It was noted that the Scarsdale Police Department is committed to continuous learning and adaptation to evolving regulatory requirements, policing best practices, and community needs. To that end, and as body-worn cameras have proven to be valuable tools supporting ethical, equitable law enforcement, the Committee recommended that the Scarsdale Police Department purchase and deploy body cameras. In follow-up, Scarsdale PD has already requested FY 2021-22 funding to equip all sworn officers with bodyworn cameras. To ensure their proper deployment and effective utilization, SPD is in the process of developing the appropriate G.O. and supporting program implementation and oversight

After Police Chief Matturro presented each of the committee’s recommendations, Board members had an opportunity to ask questions and make comments about the report. Trustee Lena Crandall followed up on Recommendation #2 and suggested that the Board of Trustees consider a resolution to support the creation of a mental health intervention unit. She also mentioned that the request to purchase and deploy body cameras was “favorably considered by the Village Board and will likely be included in the final budget.”

Trustee Jonathan Lewis asked Police Chief Matturro specifically about the resources that might exist within the village to support the idea of having a county social services unit. Chief Matturro responded that although Westchester used to have crisis response teams that deployed in various situations, funding for the program ran out several years ago. As a result, this responsibility fell on police officers, who are not trained mental health professionals. Chief Matturro mentioned that a similar system could be reinstated. Additionally, within the police department, he mentioned that officers should continue to receive up-to-date and intensive training. This training will ensure that officers understand a situation before going into it to minimize the possibility of an officer overreacting or taking a situation out of context.

Trustee Seth Ross pointed out an inconsistency in the report regarding the use of chokeholds. On page 11, the report states that chokeholds are prohibited except in situations of deadly force, while on page 28 it states that the use of chokeholds is strictly prohibited by law and officers have not been trained in their use. Ross asked if there would ever be a situation with the Scarsdale Police where this technique would be employed. Chief Matturro said the department is not trained in the use of the chokehold, and that in a situation where either an officer or a third-party civilian was about to be killed, any technique that would prevent this death would be permitted. He emphasized however, that the department is not trained in chokeholds, and that he believes that the training, equipment, and tactics available to the Scarsdale Police are sufficient to prevent officers from ever employing the chokehold technique.

Trustee Justin Arest worried about privacy concerns related to body cameras and asked Chief Matturro how these concerns would be addressed. Chief Matturro responded that he too struggled with this question and noted that for this to work effectively without invading privacy, proper procedures, follow-up responses, and disciplinary actions must be instated. Chief Matturro also noted that there are best practices available for police departments and that in certain situations, if you can document a valid legal reason why it was done, officers can turn off cameras to ensure the public’s privacy. He added that there are several departments in Westchester that are now turning to body cameras, and that the governor is mandating State police to wear them as well. Finally, Chief Matturro stated that these cameras are a good tool in terms of holding officers accountable and being transparent to the public.

Finally, Trustee Randall Whitestone asked Police Chief Matturro about where he will turn for de-escalation and anti-racism training. Chief Matturro stated that the department will primarily be looking to New York State for guidance, as well as for recommendations from CALEA (the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies), the Westchester Guardians, the Hispanic Law Enforcement Association, and other Westchester-based organizations that focus on de-escalation and anti-racism in law enforcement.

Chief Matturro closed his remarks saying he would like to see this conversation continue and that it cannot be a "one and done thing." He also said that "what is important is the time in between the pendulum swing – we don't want to let one event drive us, but rather work in the in-between moments… this committee was amazing, and I want to see an advisory council of this type looking at police encounters before they become a problem so we can avoid these issues.”

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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 01 February 2021

Created: 01 February 2021

Last Updated: 01 February 2021

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County Executive George Latimer made clear that social distancing rules at school were currently under state jurisdiction and encouraged parents who wished to change these rules to write to the Governor. Though the county can’t relax the six-foot rule that school administrators say is preventing schools from fully opening, County Executive Latimer said he would do what he could to ensure that as many teachers as possible would be vaccinated.

On the other hand, at his weekly press conference on Monday February 1, he stated that the converse was true about rules surrounding high school sports, which have now been delegated to the county and school authorities. He said that high risk sports such as football and basketball would now be permitted to hold modified seasons and said that high school athletic directors are now working through the details. He added that COVID test kits would be made available to high school athletic teams to allow from frequent testing.

Reporting on the state of the vaccination effort in the county he reported that so far 23,351 vaccines have been administered at the Westchester County Center and at the Westchester County Health Clinic. However both of these facilities are closed Monday February 1 and Tuesday February 2 due to the storm. Appointments for those who missed them will be rescheduled.

COVID transmission and positive rates have flattened, though Latimer said, “the virus is still with us.”

Here are the numbers:

-As of January 31 there were 9,948 active cases in Westchester

-There were 629 new cases on Saturday January 30, 2021.

-The positive rate is 5.3%

-As of Wednesday January 27, 2021, 571 were hospitalized with COVID, which is a pretty consistent count with the last few weeks.

-In total, 1,906 Westchester residents have died from the virus, or 2% of those infected.

-In Scarsdale, the number of active cases fell to 77 from over 100 the prior week.

See the COVID tracking dashboard here:

Winter Storm Orlena

Reporting on winter storm Orlena, Latimer said that Westchester County Airport is open, though there are no incoming or outgoing flights scheduled.

-Metro North suspended service on Monday afternoon. The last train for Westchester left Grand Central at 3 pm.

-The Bee-Line bus is also suspended.

-A State of Emergency has been declared through Thursday February 4, 2021.