MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. — Joseph Cinquemani, a candidate for New York’s 16th Congressional District, is calling for stronger municipal accountability and greater community oversight following the arrest of former Mount Vernon Deputy Commissioner of Wellness Jennifer Lackard.
In a statement released, Tuesday, the day after the arrest of Deputy Commissioner Lackard on attempted murder charges for allegedly acting as a getaway driver in a Bronx shooting. Cinquemani says, “the arrest follows a pattern of critical failures within local law enforcement leadership, including the suspension of five officers last autumn following a high-profile inmate transit shooting.”
Lackard was terminated by the City of Mount Vernon after being charged in connection with an alleged shooting outside the Bronx Criminal Courthouse. Prosecutors accuse her of participating in a plan to help her son flee after he allegedly fired at suspected rival gang members. No one was injured, and Lackard has pleaded not guilty.
Mount Vernon officials said the allegations were unrelated to Lackard’s official duties and did not involve conduct associated with the Mount Vernon Police Department. Cinquemani criticized that response, arguing that the criminal charges raise broader questions about judgment, leadership and accountability within city government.
“So, when Deputy Police Commissioner Jennifer Lackard is charged with attempted murder, and the MVPD announces that ‘the allegations are unrelated to her duties… and do not stem from any conduct associated with the Department,’ it shows how completely disconnected leadership is from reality,” Cinquemani stated.
“The department cannot dismiss an attempted-murder charge against one of its senior officials as a simple personal matter,” he continued. “The hard-working people living here face the daily consequences of this instability, and they deserve better than institutional excuses.”
Cinquemani also referenced the suspension of five Mount Vernon police officers following a prisoner-transport shooting last year, describing the incidents as evidence of continuing problems within local law-enforcement leadership.
According to his campaign, Cinquemani has spent recent weeks speaking with small-business owners along Gramatan Avenue and commuters at the Mount Vernon West Metro-North station about public safety and confidence in local government.
“For weeks now I have walked along Gramatan Avenue speaking with small business owners and meeting commuters at the Mount Vernon West Metro-North station. They have shared their anxiety and fear over dangerous street where local law enforcement are part of the problem, like a bad cop movie”, the congressional candidate said.
“When the systems meant to protect our neighborhoods collapse into chaos, everyday citizens suffer the consequences,” Cinquemani said in the statement sent to Black Westchester.
If elected to Congress, Cinquemani said he would seek to connect federal public-safety funding to stronger background standards, transparency requirements and community oversight.
“As your representative in Congress, I will fight to tie federal safety grants directly to strict community oversight and rigorous background standards. We must restore safety, dignity, and peace of mind to the families of Mount Vernon,” he stated.
The charges against Lackard remain allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Joseph J. Cinquemani is a Republican candidate for the U.S. House in New York’s 16th Congressional District. He is an attorney based in New Rochelle, New York. His campaign website highlights priorities including tax relief, lowering energy costs, job creation, and reducing federal spending.
