New Task Force To Tackle Upswing In Gang and Gun Violence

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — A rash of recent gun and gang violence incidents in Westchester County has given birth to a new law enforcement initiative involving federal, state, county and local agencies.

Officials chose the Westchester Real Time Crime Center to unveil the county’s newest law enforcement initiative. Federal, county and local law enforcement agencies launched the new task force with a focus on preventing gun violence and gang activity.

The collaboration includes the FBI’s Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the Westchester Department of Public Safety, the Yonkers Police Department, the Mount Vernon Police Department, the New Rochelle Police Department and the Westchester District Attorney’s Office, Westchester District Attorney Miriam Rocah announced on Tuesday.

“This partnership at the federal, county and local level is exactly how law enforcement works best — collaboratively and proactively,” Rocah said. “Violent crime has dramatically spiked in other parts of the state, including New York City, and all of the partners in this initiative recognize the need to be proactive and prevent violent crime from escalating further here in Westchester. Every homicide due to gun or gang violence is one too many and every shooting makes entire communities feel vulnerable. That is why law enforcement in Westchester County is committed to conducting cooperative law enforcement operations to stop violent crime before it starts.”

The goal of the new law enforcement initiative is to prevent violent crime utilizing a precision policing and precision prosecution model targeting repeat violent offenders through short-term and long-term violent crime investigations, according to officials. The collaborative focus will be on using all available tools and techniques to build cases against violent offenders and their enablers. The prosecutions will take place at the state and federal level, wherever it makes sense from a public safety standpoint with a goal of ending the violence.

“The City of New Rochelle is not immune to the issues of gang and gun violence, and their harmful impact upon our community,” New Rochelle Police Commissioner Robert Gazzola told those gathered. “The New Rochelle Police Department looks forward to collaborating with our local, county and federal law enforcement partners to help address this issue and improve the quality of life for our citizens.”

This model is expected to more easily allow each jurisdiction to share resources and information about cross-border criminal activity more effectively. It is hoped the new program will also provide more coordinated enforcement efforts and collaborative decisions about state, federal or joint prosecutions.

The plan was embraced by officials from the communities hardest hit by the upswing in violence.

“The criminal element is not confined to borders. Law enforcement must share intelligence, staff and resources in order to combat this surge of gun violence that is sweeping our nation,” Mount Vernon Police Commissioner Glenn Scott said. “The MVPD looks to further expand our partnerships by joining this initiative.”

Ideally, the new partnership will allow law enforcement to not only handle individual criminal cases in their jurisdictions, but also focus their partners on possible connections to criminal activity in other jurisdictions. By staying ahead of the curve, targeting repeat violent offenders and working collaboratively, officials expect to more effectively track and prosecute gang-related crimes and violence.

Law enforcement officials present agreed that past experience indicates that the new venture will have an immediate and noticeable impact on the growing plague of gang violence.

“The Real Time Crime Center, where we gathered this morning, is another example of this initiative model in action,” Public Safety Commissioner Thomas Gleason said. “Every municipal police department in our County is represented in the intelligence center. We share information, even as crimes are in progress or have just occurred, and the results have been tremendous since RTC was created four years ago. County police detectives also serve in joint collaboration with the FBI, DEA and U.S. Marshals Service.”

Rocah singled out the commitment of Westchester County Executive George Latimer as well as Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson and Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard for authorizing the full cooperation of their police departments in joining the initiative. She also thanked the New York FBI and the Department of Justice Southern District of New York for their leadership.

“Far too many people are being victimized by violence, and we will continue to work through and expand the partnerships built on our Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force to combat this perpetual cycle,” FBI New York Field Office Assistant Director-in-Charge said. Together, we will use all tools and resources available on both the federal and state levels to pursue those responsible for the violence – and we will make sure they face justice.”