The alleged conduct predicating the Department of Justice's charges is abhorrent and erodes the public's trust in the hard-working men and women of the Mount Vernon Police Department. The PattersonHoward administration understands the overwhelming feelings of betrayal expressed throughout our community and agrees that lawlessness from law enforcement has no place in our city and falls significantly short of our shared values.While this incident and the grossly insufficient discipline prescribed to remedy this behavior pre-date this administration, we have been - and remain - fully committed to cooperating with the DOJ. This incident underscores the urgent need for officers to intervene when the force used by their comrades is excessive. As a result of the George Floyd incident, in July 2020, the Patterson-Howard administration created a duty-to-intervene policy that requires law enforcement officers to intervene - regardless of rank - when they can prevent another officer from using unlawful force.It is important to recognize that this officer's indictment is not an indictment of the entire Mount Vernon Police Department. Most of our officers are committed public servants working daily to make Mount Vernon safer. We will continue to work to ensure they get the resources and training they need to serve all the residents of this city with fairness and without bias.
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