New Rochelle CCRB Still Lacks Bylaws Two Years After Launch
A FOIL appeal targets missing training records as the civilian board prepares to review police cases.
By Christopher Singh ·
New Rochelle’s Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) is still undergoing mandatory training two years after its creation. The panel has not adopted bylaws. It has also been unable to provide full civilian oversight of the Police Department.
Publisher Robert Cox filed a formal Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) appeal on October 26. The city missed multiple deadlines to produce records about CCRB training. These records include the qualifications of individual board members. Cox also renewed his objection to Corporation Counsel Dawn Warren handling his appeals. Warren is a plaintiff in pending federal litigation against Cox.
New meeting minutes from October 1 show the board scheduled additional mandatory training. The bylaws remain unfinished. The board is preparing to begin reviewing completed Internal Affairs investigations.
Cox questions whether Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert, City Manager Wilfredo Melendez, and Police Department leadership want a functioning board. He states that restrictions prevent the CCRB from reviewing many high-profile misconduct cases. These cases originally drove demands for independent oversight.
The city has ten business days to determine Cox’s appeal. If they fail to act within that statutory period, Cox intends to bring an Article 78 proceeding. The board’s current status leaves it largely unable to perform its core oversight duties.
