A Westchester County police bigwig’s bust for allegedly driving her son to a botched gang drive by within the Bronx has Democrats operating for canopy — and Republicans saying I informed you so.
Ex-Mount Vernon Deputy Police Commissioner Jennifer Lackard is dealing with tried homicide costs within the stunning June 29 capturing, however outstanding Democrats within the area are staying mum and refusing to sentence the disgraced cop as a result of the suburban metropolis is a coveted social gathering stronghold.
“Democrats are the primary to evangelise ‘nobody is above the legislation’ till it screws them politically,” Republican Nationwide Committee spokeswoman Natalie Baldassarre informed The Publish. “This thug-hugging mother had no enterprise being a police commissioner and any official who coated for her must be held to account.”
But, almost a dozen outstanding New York Democrats requested to touch upon the scandal declined or ignored inquiries by The Publish — whereas others solely addressed it in generic phrases.
“Governor [Kathy] Hochul’s prime precedence is public security,” stated a spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul, one in every of solely two Democrats to deal with the scandal in any respect when requested for a remark.
“These entrusted with holding New Yorkers protected have to be held to the very best moral {and professional} requirements, and anybody whose actions jeopardize the vital mission of legislation enforcement have to be investigated and held accountable to the fullest extent of the legislation.”
Others, together with pols like state Senate Majority Chief Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers), state Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon) and Mount Vernon-born state Sen. George Latimer (D-New Rochelle), didn’t reply to the inquiries.
State Sen. Jamaal Bailey, whose district contains a part of Mount Vernon, addressed the controversy extra immediately, calling the fees “unacceptable and extremely critical,” saying the alleged acts have “no place inside our communities.”
Nevertheless, even Bailey gave town an out, including that “whereas these allegations are unacceptable and extremely critical, it’s essential to notice that it’s not attainable to foretell the longer term habits of any worker. The purported conduct didn’t happen through the course of or associated to her duties and should not have any bearing on how the division is considered.”
Lackard, 49, and her ex-con husband, James Lackard, are charged with driving their 20-year-old son, reputed “Slutty Gang” member Chase Lackard, to Bronx court docket for a scheduled listening to — then allegedly driving him across the block till they noticed an alleged gang rival.
Bronx prosecutors stated Chase Lackard fired from their SUV, lacking the supposed goal earlier than the household sped away and headed house.
All three had been later arrested and charged.
Jennifer Lackard was employed by Democratic Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard in 2020 for the newly created place of deputy chief of the police division’s Wellness Unit, regardless of having no prior legislation enforcement expertise.
Patterson-Howard, who’s Lackard’s sorority sister, informed The Publish after the arrests that she was subjected to a “rigorous background examine” and “there was no info that disqualified her for employment.”
She maintained that she didn’t meet Lackard till she utilized for town job, and cited her 15 years within the psychological well being and substance abuse fields as her {qualifications}.
A spokesperson for Mount Vernon Metropolis Corridor didn’t reply to a request for touch upon Friday.
However regardless of the stunning nature of the allegations towards Lackard, most Dems gained’t contact the scandal.
“Westchester County is liable for roughly 4,500 county workers,” a rep for Westchester County Government Ken Jenkins stated Friday. “Our focus should stay on issues involving our personal workforce, and we don’t change into concerned in personnel or office points with different municipalities.”
Mount Vernon at the moment has greater than 44,000 distinctive voter IDs, over 31,000 of them registered as Democrats and simply 2,800 as Republicans, election knowledge exhibits.
That’s sufficient political clout to swing native, county, state and congressional races, making Mount Vernon a must-win metropolis in regional elections — prompting pols to deal with town’s scandals with child gloves.
The town has lengthy been suffering from controversy that usually attracts little condemnation — two current mayors, Ernie Davis and Richard Thomas, had been pressured to depart workplace mid-term after being hit with federal tax evasion and state grand larceny costs, respectively.
A number of Mount Vernon cops have additionally gotten in scorching water, together with a bust in April that accused one officer of stealing greater than $800,000 from an out of state firm, and one other was accused of tipping off a Suffolk County gang member to an investigation.
Lackard was fired instantly after her arrest, however Patterson-Howard and different outstanding pols have largely did not condemn the mind-blowing allegations. Questions have swirled about how she even obtained the job and if she used police assets to intervene in a previous capturing involving her son within the metropolis, however no larger authority has referred to as for a probe into the method.
Republican leaders, nonetheless, are usually not letting it slide.
“But once more, excessive liberal Democrats are defending criminals over legislation abiding Americans.” White Home spokeswoman Lauren Bis informed The Publish.
In the meantime, Republican pollster John McLaughlin stated the scandal presents the GOP with a shot at gaining an even bigger foothold within the Westchester County metropolis.
“It’s a chance for Republicans,” McLaughlin stated. “It’s a gap for Republicans to start out a reform coalition in Mount Vernon. There are plenty of African-People in legislation enforcement who dwell in Mount Vernon who are usually not going to tolerate this habits.”
