Exposing the Abuse

Exposing New Rochelle Police Department’s Abuse

In its 2024 expansive annual report, LEMIO only called out one officer in Westchester County: New Rochelle’s  Officer Lane Schlesinger—the officer who arrested me—as someone with a “pattern of misconduct.” He was cited for falsifying evidence and abusing his authority. According to the report, he had over 25 separate complaints during his time on the force.

Another New Rochelle Police Department (NRPD) officer involved in my arrest, Sean Kane, was suspended the same year after being caught on camera allegedly planting drugs on someone else. These are not just a few bad moments. These are patterns. Documented. Published. Public.

The Murder By Police of Jarrell Garris

If you’re not familiar with the name Jarrell Garris, you should be. He was a 37-year-old Black man from New Rochelle—shot and killed by a police officer in broad daylight in July 2023. He was unarmed. He was experiencing a mental health episode. And like so many others, he never made it to court, because an officer decided he didn’t deserve the chance.

The officer who killed him, Steven Conn, remains on the force. To date, there has been no indictment, no public disciplinary hearing, and no independent review—not by the district attorney, not by the city, and not by the state.

Let me say that again: a man was killed, on camera, by a police officer in my own city—and we’re all still waiting for someone to care enough to do something about it.

Jarrell’s family has spent the past two years begging for answers. His name hasn’t filled headlines the way it should. His mother’s pleas haven’t made Albany move any faster. And even with LEMIO now watching, officers involved in fatal encounters still get more protection than the people they harm.

New Rochelle’s Rising Complaints

And despite calls for reform, NRPD last year had its highest frequency of complaints since 2021. The problem hasn’t changed, it has increased:

(From the New Rochelle Police website)

And despite the rise in complaints, the high profile egregious incidents of misconduct—nothing has happened. Not to my case. Not to my charges. And not for our community. 

The Bigger Picture

What happened to me is a civil rights issue. It’s a disability rights issue. It’s a family separation issue. But it’s not only my issue.

In New Rochelle, and across New York, people are being arrested, convicted, and sentenced based on the word of officers whose records are riddled with abuse. LEMIO is supposed to stop that. And yet, what we’re seeing is a report with names—officers who’ve lied, who’ve harmed, who’ve acted outside the law—and no corresponding action.

That’s why I said in my recent Black Westchester opinion piece: “All New Yorkers’ injustices need equal attention.” If LEMIO’s findings aren’t taken seriously by courts and prosecutors, then the system hasn’t changed—it’s just wearing a new face.

What Needs to Happen

It’s not enough for New York to publish a report. We need real enforcement.

  • District Attorneys, including Westchester’s, need to review cases tied to officers named in LEMIO.
  • Judges need to reopen convictions based on falsified or suppressed evidence.
  • Lawmakers need to give LEMIO teeth—by expanding its authority so it’s more than a reporting body.

If the state can admit these officers abused their power, but still won’t revisit the people they harmed, what message does that send?

Join Us In Asking New York to Do Better 

LEMIO exposed the misconduct. The Attorney General signed the report. The facts are on the table.

So the question is: Why hasn’t anyone done anything with them?

Because until that changes, this isn’t accountability—it’s performance.

And for families like mine, still waiting to be heard, that performance costs everything.