Just hours before Mayor Shawyn Patterson- Howard’s 2023 State of The City Address, Save Mount Vernon held a rally for residents to have a better quality of life in the city of Mount Vernon, calling for a state of emergency so Mt. Vernon could receive the much-needed resources to deal with and help put an end to the senseless violence plaquing the community.
Activist and concerned citizens joined Save Mount Vernon at 215 S. Ninth Avenue, outside the Levister Towers apartment complex, Tuesday, April 4th, where a 14-year-old was shot and killed last month. The group called for County Executive George Latimer and New York State Govenor Kathy Hochul to implement a state of emergency to provide the city with the resources it needs to prevent crime.
Speakers included Naz Duncan, Shawna Holmes, Geoff Monroe, Slyvia Gibbs, Lauren Raysor, AJ Woodson and Jesse Van Lew. Among the comments speakers said the city needs a comprehensive public safety plan, lacks a gun buyback program and has to do something to deal with the badge drain in the MVPD.
“Having a Mayor that still doesn’t understand the meaning of public safety, in her State of The City Address, she mentioned nothing about gun buyback, shot spotter, license plate readers, things that will help reduce crime and shootings, we will continue to address this administration on the promises made tonight,” Save Mount Vernon co-founder Jesse Van Lew shared with Black Westchester, Tuesday evening.
See cell phone video of the entire rally courtesy of Save Mount Vernon!
Elected official and candidates who were present were not invited to speak but to listen to the concerns of residents.
Mayor SPH said she was there to hear residents’ concerns. She said she has expressed similar concerns and planned to provide more information at the State of the City address.
“These are things that we have been addressing. We’re not running away from issues. I’ve been talking about needing more funding for the police department,” Mayor SPH shared with News 12 Westchester.
Black Westchester’s AJ Woodson – who was there as a concerned resident that lives a block away – spoke to those in charge with public safety, that he doesn’t feel safe as he pointed all the shootings and violence within a three-block radius of the rally. On a episode of The Black Westchester Power Hour on WVOX 1460AM, a day earlier, AJ & Damon discussed the EXODUS of Police Officers in the MVPD and a recent editorial by PBA President Lt. Nicholas Mastrogiorgio titled, Mass Exodus – Badge Drain In Mount Vernon Police Department.
