DOJ Cites Civil Rights Violations By Mount Vernon Police Dept

A Westchester County Police Department has been cited for a 'pattern of conduct that deprives people of rights secured by the U.S. Constitution.' A Department of Justice Report has indicated numerous 'unconstitutional' findings following a multi-year investigation.

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Civil Rights Concerns at Westchester Police Department

An alarming report regarding the behavior of the Mount Vernon Police Department was released by the Department of Justice, the findings of which are from an investigation that began in 2021. During the investigation, more than 100,000 pages of documentation which included records, reporting systems, data and statistics, were provided to the DOJ by the Department.

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Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah, who took office in 2021, publicly called upon the DOJ to conduct what was referred to as a 'pattern and practice civil rights investigation' based on problematic conduct and things she had seen.

DA Rocah even penned a letter to the Mount Vernon Police Department back in March of 2021, citing concerns about numerous instances of strip searches that were being conducted by members of the MVPD.

MVPD Practices Deprive People of Constitutional Rights

On Thursday, December 12th, the Department of Justice released their 34-page report, and announced that the Mount Vernon Police Department 'engages in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights secured by the U.S. Constitution.' Examples cited in the findings of the DOJ report include excessive force, conducting unlawful strip searches and body cavity searches, making arrests without probable cause, and also references concerning conduct at vehicle stops, evidentiary practices and racial discrimination. A section of the findings goes as far as to say:

While it appears that MVPD curtailed its unconstitutional strip search and body cavity search practices during our investigation, we are not confident that these practices have
ended. These unlawful searches were deeply ingrained in MVPD’s practices, occurring over many years, and were highly intrusive. MVPD only changed its practices during our investigation.

The report suggests that MVPD's policies and policy development are inadequate, that they fail to adequately train and supervise officers, they don't hold their officers accountable for misconduct, and fail to equip officers appropriately, or deploy resources effectively.

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DOJ's Remedial Measures for MVPD

The final page of the report released by the DOJ includes a list of 10 remedial measures to 'restore public faith' and 'instill constitutional and effective policing.' The measures include:

enhancing use-of-force policies, training and reporting systems
ensuring adequate supervision and accountability of strip searches
conducting lawful arrests and detentions
developing policies and training related to vehicle stops
collecting and analyzing data related to stops, searches, arrests
increasing oversight of evidentiary practices
improve on training for supervisors
adopting more stringent accountability measures
improving technology infrastructures
enhancing officer safety and wellness

DA Rocah shared the following statement regarding the findings and measures moving forward:

I'm sad for the Mount Vernon community that they’ve had to experience the conduct detailed in this report. It is my hope that these findings will lead to improved MVPD oversight, management, and accountability. Not only will it make Mount Vernon and surrounding communities in Westchester County safer, but it will also help rebuild the much-needed trust between law enforcement and the communities we serve.