Deadline to apply is March 7

New Rochelle has opened applications for membership on New Rochelle’s new Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB).  All applications must be received by Friday, March 7, at 4:30 pm.

The CCRB was approved by the City Council last October to enhance police accountability and transparency and address community concerns about violence, racism, and corruption in the New Rochelle Police Department (NRPD). 

The CCRB will review internal investigations conducted by the NRPD when city residents accuse its officers of misconduct.  After reviewing each case, the CCRB will recommend appropriate disciplinary action to the Police Commissioner, providing both majority and minority recommendations when the Board is unable to come to a unanimous decision. 

The Commissioner will have the final authority to impose discipline in each case and will be required to report back to the CCRB on the final decision and explain any deviation from the CCRB’s disciplinary recommendations. 

The CCRB will issue a public report on each case it has reviewed, which will be published on the city’s website. These reports will include:

• the initial complaint, 
• the evidence collected during the internal investigation,
• the findings and recommendations of the CCRB, 
• the Commissioner’s disciplinary action (if any), and
• the Commissioner’s explanation for any deviation from the CCRB’s recommendations.   

The CCRB will also conduct quarterly public meetings and publish a report summarizing its activities every six months.  It will not have the authority or resources to conduct its own independent investigations.

The CCRB will consist of seven members appointed by the City Council, with each Council member and the Mayor recommending one candidate.  Members of the CCRB will serve for at most two consecutive three-year terms.   The Council and Mayor will select one of the seven members to serve as Chair for at most two consecutive one-year terms. 

All CCRB members will be required to undergo 37 hours of training provided by the NRPD and the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE).  

CCRB members will each receive an annual stipend of $1500; the Chair will receive an annual stipend of $2500.

CCRB members:

• Must be at least 18 years of age and reside in New Rochelle,  
• Cannot have served in law enforcement or have a relative who has served in law enforcement,
• Cannot hold any government office or be a city official or an employee of the city, and
• Cannot have a felony conviction or have been on parole or probation within the past five years.

The city has provided background on the CCRB, an outline of the training curriculum, and application forms, all in English and Spanish, on its website.  

The creation of the CCRB represents a milestone in the community’s demand for increased local police accountability and transparency dating back to the killing of Kamal Flowers by NRPD Officer Alec McKenna in June 2020.  Community demands for a strong CCRB continued through the worldwide protests over the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others in the summer of 2020; the killing of Jarrel Garris by NRPD Detective Steven Conn in July 2023; and the 2024  suspension of NRPD Lieutenant Sean Kane, whose body camera footage suggested that he attempted to frame Ivin Harper on drug charges by planting a bag of white powder under his car.  In all three local incidents, the police officers involved were white, and the victims were Black men. All three officers are still employed by the NRPD.

Service on the CCRB offers New Rochelle residents the opportunity to enhance police accountability and transparency in a process designed to improve communication and trust between the police and the community.  Eligible residents who are interested in serving on the CCRB are encouraged to complete the online application before the March 7 deadline.