Inaugural Meeting of the New Rochelle Civilian Complaint Review Board - July 8, 2026
Inaugural Meeting of the New Rochelle Civilian Complaint Review Board - July 8, 2026
The City of New Rochelle Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) held its first meeting on July 8, 2026 at 5:30 PM in the City Council Conference Room. The meeting was called to order by co-chair Renee Baron, with Deputy City Manager Todd Costaldo serving as staff liaison. All eight board members were present, and the agenda included introductions, an overview of the board's role and training, discussion of bylaws, standing committees, and community conduct guidelines. The board also voted to allow public comment at the end of the meeting. Two residents spoke, expressing support and raising questions about community influence.
Introductions and Overview
- Board members introduced themselves: Renee Baron (scholar in African American history, former county police reform task force member), Michael Kamer (long-term resident concerned about law enforcement balance and systemic racism), Fabiola Brito Briseno (Dominican immigrant, president of the Thanks Association of Ferris Chess A Road), Julie Mercer (employment attorney, focus on equity), Donna O'Keefe (28-year resident, former Little League board secretary), Christian Walker (moved from Los Angeles, experienced policing in Europe), and Damon Meller (co-chair). Aaron was also called during roll call but did not introduce themselves.
- Deputy City Manager Todd Costaldo introduced himself as a lifelong New Rochelle resident and staff liaison.
- Co-chair Damon Meller provided an overview of the CCRB's role: reviewing internal police affairs determinations, commenting on fact-finding, and recommending dispositions to the police commissioner, who must provide a detailed written explanation if he deviates from the board's recommendation.
- Training completed to date included: a 3-hour in-person session (bleeding into 4 hours) on New York State Open Meetings and Freedom of Information Law; three 3-hour online sessions (9 hours total) with an executive from the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) on history and operations of oversight boards; over 4 hours on the history of racial relations with police, focusing on New Rochelle; and over 20 hours (7 evenings) of the New Rochelle Civilian Police Academy, with three more sessions (estimated 9 additional hours) and a 4-hour ride-along per member, totaling approximately 50 hours of training.
Discussion Items
- Bylaws, Committees, and Conduct:
- Standing committees proposed: Bylaws Committee, Initial Review of Complaints Committee, and Outreach Committee. Ad hoc committees would be formed as needed. Members were asked to consider where they would best serve.
- Co-chair structure: Renee Baron and Damon Meller will alternate presiding over meetings (monthly or six-month terms) in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order. Damon Meller noted he had purchased laminated Roberts Rules placemats for all members.
- Group conduct guidelines: speak in turn, no interrupting, respect opinions and differences, no raised voices or swearing. These will be incorporated into the bylaws.
- Community conduct: public comments limited to 3 minutes per speaker, consistent with other city boards. The board will allow clarification (e.g., correcting a factual misapprehension) but will not engage in two-way debate on opinions. A point person for press inquiries will be designated in the bylaws.
- Email and website: Members requested individual city email addresses (which will require cybersecurity training) and a group CCRB email address. The city already maintains a CCRB webpage with member identities, adopting legislation, agendas, and minutes; the outreach committee may add content. Complaint intake procedures for the website will be discussed later.
- Public Comment Procedure: The board voted unanimously (voice vote, all in favor) to allow public comment at the inaugural meeting, with a 10-minute total time limit and 2 minutes per speaker.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Jean Tausey (resident of 8 Sigor Avenue): Congratulated the board and thanked them for stepping up. Recalled being active in March 2001 when the first police reform legislation was proposed, and said she had been 'harassing' public officials to get the board's training completed. Expressed support for the board's service.
- Daphy Tourist Douglas (member of 'against racism' group): Expressed excitement and noted the community had been pushing for the board since the executive order. Acknowledged positive and negative policing in the city. Asked what influence the community will have on the board's decision-making when elevating recommendations to the commissioner. Also requested that board members speak louder for those with hearing difficulties.
Key Outcomes
- The board unanimously approved holding public comment at this meeting (motion and second, voice vote all in favor).
- Standing committees (Bylaws, Initial Review of Complaints, Outreach) will be formed; members will indicate their preferences before the next meeting.
- Bylaws will include conduct rules (speak in turn, no interrupting, respect), 3-minute public comments, a designated press spokesperson, and email policies.
- The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for September 2026 (date to be determined).
- The meeting was adjourned unanimously at approximately 6:30 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. Welcome to the inaugural meeting of the City of Neurochell Civilian Complaint Review Board on July 8th, 2026 at 5.30. Pam taking place in the City Council Conference Room at Neurochell City Hall. The meeting of the City of Neurochell Civilian Complaint Review Board is now called to order. Will the deputy city manager please call the role? Yes. Renee Baron. Aaron. Aaron. Damon Meller. Here. Julie Mercer. Present. Christian Walker. Here. Donna O'Keefe. Here. Michael Kamer. Present. And Fabiolia Fabiola Brito Briseno. Present. Okay. Also in attendance tonight is the following individual, Todd Costaldo, Deputy City Manager and Staff liaison to the C CRB. Okay. So welcome everyone. First on the agenda is a discussion item to introduce the civilian complaint review board board members. City city staff and to provide an overview of the civilian complaint review board. To begin, my name is Renee Barry, and I am raised here in Neurochell. And I moved back about 11 years ago, and I want to be involved in the life of the city. I think because of my experience here in Neurochell and my training as a scholar in African American history, literature, and culture, I feel like I'm in a good I'm an Americanist, so I feel like I'm in a good place to understand many of the dynamics that inform policing, and I just wanted to participate. I suppose in portfolio. And I was also on the uh task force uh for the county for police reform and reimagining one of the um uh boards that was uh created in the aftermath of the George uh Floyd killing um in that capacity uh I'm proud to say I I was able to get that board to approve two very important things um a countywide uh mental health um mobile mental health response unit to respond to situations where there were um disturbed individuals in tandem with the police or in the move of the police we got that uh implemented we we um uh recommended but did not get implemented on a county wide basis with something like this a a police oversight board um so that made this all the more important and and and uh it made it important for me to to um apply beyond this board and happy to be here hi um I'm Michael Cammer I'm a long-term Neurochell resident um I've been very concerned about the balance of the need for law enforcement and community fairness um and this also includes problems of systemic racism so I'm hoping that as part of the CCRB we can do a really good job for abortion thank you very much um I am an immigrant from the Dominican Republic um study five years ago uh since my first day I've been Eugen in Helen I am the president of the Thanks Association of Ferris Chess A Road for the last probably 10 years uh because I'm immigrant also um I think that's a good um what can I say that a little a good point of view for me to see how um uh for the furtherness of the police department so that's what I'm here for my name's Julie Mercer I've lived in Ne Rochelle for eight and a half years um I am a parent of a young child in the New Rachel School District and I'm an employment attorney with uh long background in discrimination harassment disparate treatment and I'm passionate about equity and being a part of that in the community and I love Neurochell as a place to live and raise a family and I want to make it better for everyone hi my name is Donna O'Keefe I'm a resident of Neurochell for 28 years my son went through the school system I was on the Neurochell Little League board for quite a couple of years um loved what I was doing there I was secretary and then when this came along I applied and I was very excited Hi, my name is Donna O'Keefe. I'm a resident of Neurochell for 28 years. Um my son went through the school system. Um I was on the Neurochell Little League board for quite a couple of years. Um, loved what I was doing there. I was secretary, and then when this came along, I applied, and I was very excited to um to know that I was accepted, and I can't wait to see what we're gonna do. Christian. Hey everyone, my name is Christian Walker. Um I'm from Los Angeles, California. Um I spent the last five years living in Europe. Uh I recently moved to Neurochelle about a few years ago, and I witnessed policing done the correct way and incorrect way. So when I moved to Neurochelle, I wanted to understand how it was done here in the city uh as it grows, and I want to make sure that it's done the correct way. So once I heard about this board, um I applied and I wanted to be a good representative and a good liaison between the uh community as well as the police force. Thank you. Will city staff please introduce themselves as well? Sure. So I am Todd Costaldo, I am the deputy city manager of the city of Neurochell. I uh I've lived in Neurochell my whole life, other than a semester at Fordham.
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