Federal, county and local law enforcement partners have launched a new initiative focused on enhanced strategies to prevent gun violence and gang activity in
Westchester County, Westchester District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah announced on Aug. 3. The collaboration includes the FBI’s Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the Westchester Department of Public Safety, the Yonkers Police Department, the Mount Vernon Police Department, the New Rochelle Police Department and the Westchester District Attorney’s Office.

“This partnership at the federal, county and local level is exactly how law enforcement works best—collaboratively and proactively,” Rocah said. “Violent crime has dramatically spiked in other parts of the state, including New York City, and all of the partners in this initiative recognize the need to be proactive and prevent violent crime from escalating further here in Westchester. Every homicide due to gun or gang violence is one too many and every shooting makes
entire communities feel vulnerable. That is why law enforcement in Westchester County is committed to conducting cooperative law enforcement operations to stop violent crime before it starts.”

The goal of this initiative is to prevent violent crime utilizing a precision policing and precision prosecution model targeting repeat violent offenders through
short-term and long-term violent crime investigations. Together we will focus on using all available investigable tools and techniques to build cases against violent offenders and their enablers. We will prosecute those cases at the state and federal level, wherever it makes sense from a public safety standpoint of ending the violence.

“We welcome this newest initiative because we know from experience that cooperation and collaboration is a critical way we keep Westchester safe,” said
county Department of Public Safety Commissioner Thomas Gleason said. The DA’s office appreciates the commitment of County Executive George Latimer and mayors Mike Spano of Yonkers, Noam Bramson of New Rochelle and Shawyn Patterson-Howard of Mount Vernon, for authorizing the full cooperation of their departments in working as an integral part of this initiative. As well as the leadership and partnership of the NY FBI and the Department of Justice Southern District of New York.

This model allows for each law enforcement entity to share resources and information about cross-border criminal activity more effectively and efficiently, and provide more coordinated enforcement efforts and collaborative decisions about state, federal or joint prosecutions. This enhanced partnership will further permit law enforcement to not only handle individual criminal cases in their jurisdictions, but also focus their partners on the inter-connectivity of criminal actors in their various jurisdictions.

By staying ahead of the curve, targeting repeat violent offenders, and working collaboratively, we will add to the efforts of our hard-working police departments
to keep our communities safe.“The City of New Rochelle is not immune to the issues of gang and gun violence, and their harmful impact upon our community,” said New Rochelle Police Commissioner Robert Gazzola. “The New Rochelle Police Department looks forward to collaborating with our local, county and federal law enforcement partners to help address this issue and improve the quality of life for our citizens.”