DiFiore Discusses Crime, Rehab With Mount Kisco Chamber Of Commerce

Not content to oversee criminal prosecutions in her office, Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore has made it her mission to be "preventive and proactive" regarding crime and safety. To achieve her goal of community safety, she addressed the business community on Tuesday at a Mount Kisco Chamber of Commerce lunch meeting held at Crabtree's Kittle House in Chappaqua.

DiFiore is Westchester's 32^nd district attorney and was sworn in for a second term in January. As expected, she outlined many initiatives and programs that were enacted or updated since she first took office in January 2006. But she was also there to encourage participation by Westchester merchants and business owners in helping to reduce criminal recidivism.

DiFiore called the role of district attorney a unique one in shaping the quality of life for everyone who lives, works or otherwise enters the county. Traditionally, the district attorney prosecutes criminals after the commission of a crime, and according to DiFiore her office does just that with a high felony conviction rate. However, she is also interested in crime prevention and overall quality of life that can affect or be affected by crime.

The DA's office runs an "intel center" for sharing information among the 43 independent police departments and the other law enforcement agencies in Westchester. In addition to using information in prosecution, the information is also used to study crime patterns and issues that may cause criminal behavior.

Among the prosecutorial or "reactive" initiatives DiFiore discussed were crimes against children. She described how children are treated by a team of investigators, case workers, assistant district attorneys and forensic pediatricians. Children are assigned to one of these team members - the one with best suited to the child's personality and situation-who then is the lead liaison for the team. Because of the sensitive nature of these cases, the DA's office has set up a child-friendly environment for conducting exams and interviews.

In addition, DiFiore has what she views as an unusual position for a district attorney, especially one whose office has such a high felony conviction rate. She is a co-chair of New York State's justice task force on wrongful convictions. "People looked at me like I had three heads," said DiFiore of her decision to join the committee, initiated by Jonathan Lippman, chief judge of New York's Court of Appeals, the state's highest court.

DiFiore authorized re-testing of DNA, which ultimately led to overturning the murder conviction of Jeffrey Deskovic. Deskovic served 15 years in prison for the rape and murder of a 15 year old girl. He was convicted in 1989 due to his false confession. He was 16 years old at the time, and DiFiore said he must have been just an "immature confused boy." In sharp contrast, DiFiore's predecessor, Jeanine Pirro, had refused a request to test the DNA. This was in spite of Pirro taking office after Deskovic's prosecution.

Like Deskovic, there are hundreds of people (mostly men) who return to Westchester after being released from prison. "My job," said DiFiore, "Is to make sure that (former inmates) don't go back."

Her office coordinates all service providers such as substance abuse counselors, mental health workers, housing finders and job skills programs. A case coordinator from the district attorney's office visits prisoners three months prior to release. It is the employment piece of the many-layered support system that DiFiore needs from area businesses. "The trouble is getting people to take a chance and hire," she said.