The Westchester Coalition for Police Reform (WCPR) have requested to meet with the City of Mount Vernon’s Mayor Richard W. Thomas and Mount Vernon Police Commissioner Ronald Fatigate, regarding Police Officer Rick Castihano’s controversial and inflammatory anti-Black Lives Matter post on Facebook.
Thursday, September 1st the WCPR publicly made an urgent and serious request to the Mayor, Commissioner, and Chief of Police in Mount Vernon to suspend Castihano immediately but have not heard anything back from the aforementioned. Now they are requesting a face to face with Mayor Thomas and Commissioner Fatigate.
“How can you implement President Barack Obama’s 21st century Police model that you have been speaking to the media about for almost eight months,” WCPR Co-Founder Kenneth Chamberlain Jr tells BW. “Mayor Thomas after the unfortunate attack on Dallas police officer you said and I quote “We cannot allow hate to fill the void of understanding. We cannot allow fear to force us to make emotional decisions.” Well your officer made an emotional decision when he not only shared the racist post but defended it so again this officer at the very least needs to be suspended because this is clearly something that he has had on his heart and mind and truly believes so yes it is indicative. I guess the Westchester Coalition for Police Reform needs to come to Mount Vernon.”
The Westchester Coalition for Police Reform was founded in 2011 after the killing of Marine Veteran & retired Westchester County Corrections Officer Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. by White Plains Police Officers.
(WCPR) is a group of concerned community organizations, religious institutions and individuals who share a vision to help build safe communities, with improved community-police relations and greater police accountability and transparency.
![Kenneth Chamberlain Jr. [Black Westchester]](http://www.blackwestchester.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/admin-ajax-1.png)
Co-founder Kenneth Chamberlain Jr. stated, “That while it is positive that the officer expressed remorse for his actions, and apologized to fellow officers and department staff, the posting of the BLM logo with the words Burglary Larceny Murder shows an implicit bias and is extremely offensive especially to those who have family members that are victims of summary executions and extrajudicial killings.”
AJ Woodson
AJ Woodson is the Editor-In-Chief of Black Westchester and Co-Owner of Urban Soul Media Group, the parent company, Host & Producer of the People Before Politics Radio Show. AJ is a Father, Brother, An Author, Journalism Fellow (Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism), Hip-Hop Artist - one third of the legendary underground rap group JVC FORCE known for the single Strong Island, Radio Personality, Hip-Hop Historian, Documentarian, Activist, Criminal Justice Advocate and Freelance Journalist whose byline has appeared in several print publications and online sites including The Source, Vibe, the Village Voice, Upscale, Sonicnet.com, Launch.com, Rolling Out Newspaper, Daily Challenge Newspaper, Spiritual Minded Magazine, Word Up! Magazine, On The Go Magazine and several others.
