Mount Vernon officials respond to DOJ investigation report into police department
The City of Mount Vernon on Friday laid out its future steps to be taken by the police after an investigation from the Department of Justice revealed multiple civil rights violations.
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Officials with the City of Mount Vernon responded to the Department of Justice's 34-page investigation report on its police department Friday morning.
The report was the conclusion of a three-year investigation that began in December 2021.
It was conducted to examine allegations of discriminatory policing practices, including use of force, strip and body cavity searches and the handling of evidence.
The report's findings concluded that the Mount Vernon Police Department engages in the pattern or practices of conduct that depraves people of their constitutional and federal rights.
"We realize that we have deficiencies that we have to correct. We're in the process of doing that...we've been doing it," said Mount Vernon Police Department Chief Marcel Olifiers.
During the conference, speakers reiterated and reinforced Mount Vernon's dedication to improving its policing policies.
Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard says her administration has been committed to reform as early as March 2020.
"Upon entering office in 2020, our administration identified over 50 unprocessed complaints and inherited a whistleblower case," said Mayor Patterson-Howard in a statement.
During the press conference she went on to say, "while we acknowledge all of the findings, we also lift up some of things that we had already seen and started to correct."
Some reforms include the revision of over 18 policies to, "ensure constitutional policing and enhance community safety."
Civil Rights Attorney William Wagstaff III, the city's Special Counsel reinforced Mayor Patterson-Howard's comments saying, "The claim that there has been no accountability is categorically false."
On Monday, the Justice Department will hold a virtual community meeting at 6 p.m. to discuss the report.
The meeting is open to the public.
