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 Yonkers, NY - Yonkers officials announced that the US Department of Justice has issued a technical assistance memorandum aimed at improving policies and procedures within the Yonkers Police Department.
The memorandum is the product of more than a year- long review of the city's police department as part of an ongoing federal civil rights investigation. It was welcomed by Mayor Phil Amicone as "a constructive set of recommendations that will improve the department and enhance public confidence in the police."
The investigation was made public by Mayor Amicone in August 2007 after the city was notified that the Department of Justice would be looking into whether systemic civil rights violations existed within Yonkers Police Department.
The memorandum makes no determinations on the civil rights issues being investigated by the Department of Justice. There have been no findings of any systemic civil rights violations or widespread wrongdoing within the department.
"We have always believed strongly that there are no systemic problems within the police department, which is why we welcomed this investigation from the very beginning. While the Department of Justice has made a thoughtful set of recommendations on how we can improve our policies and procedures, to date no systemic civil rights problems have been revealed. So we welcome these recommendations as a way to make our police department better," remarked Mayor Amicone.
The June 9, 2009 memorandum praised the city and the police department for their cooperation during the investigation, stating "We [Department of Justice Civil Rights Division] would like to express our appreciation for the cooperation that we have received thus far from the city of Yonkers and the YPD."
A full PDF version of the memorandum can be downloaded here.
The recommendations contained in the memorandum mostly fall into seven areas:
· Updates to the YPD Policies and Procedures Manual
· Policies governing the use of force
· Investigations
· Supervisory oversight
· Training program materials
· Community relations
· Personnel
The recommendations made in the memorandum are suggestions on how to improve operations within the department but are not necessarily mandates.
City attorneys and staff have been working closely with Department of Justice staff throughout the investigation. In addition, Police Commissioner Edmund Hartnett said that the YPD has already been able to implement many of the Department of Justice's recommendations, some of which were in the works before the investigation was announced.
"We welcome all input from responsible sources on how to improve police practices in the city of Yonkers. To that end, we are reviewing the suggestions made in the memo. We are hopeful that these recommendations will assist us in establishing clearer policies and procedures and in fostering a stronger relationship between the community and the police."
While the memorandum states that the investigation is ongoing, city officials remained confident that no widespread problems would be uncovered within the Yonkers Police Department.
Mayor Amicone added, "We have been cooperating extensively with investigators for well over a year and will continue to do so. The public should be reassured that we have one of the best police forces in the country and our men and women in uniform do an excellent job in keeping our residents safe. The Department of Justice Report confirms that much of what we are doing is right and will only help us to improve upon that."
The mayor and police commissioner pledged continued cooperation with federal authorities and promised to make all results from the inquiry public.
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