Scandal Engulfs NY Police Official as Democrats Keep Quiet

A Westchester police leader found herself in the middle of a headline‑making nightmare last weekend. Former Mount Vernon Deputy Police Commissioner Jennifer Lackard was arrested on June 29 in connection with a gang‑related drive‑by that left a Bronx street littered with bullet holes.

According to prosecutors, Lackard allegedly whisked her 20‑year‑old son, Chase—who has been linked to the so‑called “Slutty Gang”—to a court hearing, then, in a baffling twist, drove him around the block until they spotted an alleged rival. The family’s SUV allegedly opened fire, missing the target and prompting a frantic police chase that ended with all three being taken into custody.

Lackard, 49, now faces attempted murder charges, a steep fall from the role she once held as the deputy chief of Mount Vernon’s newly‑created Wellness Unit. Ironically, she was hired in 2020 by Democratic mayor Shawyn Patterson‑Howard despite having no prior law‑enforcement background, her résumé instead boasting fifteen years in mental‑health and substance‑abuse work.

The political fallout, however, has been anything but straightforward. While Republican officials have seized on the story—RNC spokeswoman Natalie Baldassarre called the case “a perfect example of a thug‑hugging mom who shouldn’t have been in charge”—many prominent Democrats have stayed in the shadows.

Only Governor Kathy Hochul’s office issued a statement, and even that was a careful, generic reassurance that “public safety remains a top priority” and that anyone who jeopardizes law‑enforcement’s mission “must be investigated and held accountable.” The governor’s spokesperson was one of just two Democrats to respond at all.

State Senator Jamaal Bailey, whose district includes part of Mount Vernon, was more direct, labeling the charges “unacceptable and incredibly serious.” Still, he added a measured caveat: the alleged conduct didn’t occur on the job, so it “should have no bearing on how the department is viewed.” A classic political tightrope.

Other Democratic figures—Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart‑Cousins, Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, and U.S. Rep. George Latimer—either declined to comment or offered only vague platitudes. Even local county legislators David Tubiolo and Tyrae Woodson‑Samuels have kept quiet, perhaps wary of alienating the city’s massive Democratic voter base.

Mount Vernon’s voter rolls show more than 44,000 registered voters, roughly 31,000 of whom are Democrats. That makes the city a coveted prize in every local, county and even congressional race. As a result, many elected officials seem to be treating the scandal with kid gloves, hoping it won’t spill over into the ballot box.

Meanwhile, the Westchester County Executive’s office distanced itself, saying the county’s 4,500 employees deserve focus and that it “will not get involved in personnel issues of other municipalities.” It’s a diplomatic line that says as much as it doesn’t.

What’s clear is that the Lackard case has exposed a fault line in New York politics: when a scandal threatens a reliable Democratic stronghold, the party’s usual chorus of “no one is above the law” can fall eerily silent. Republicans, for their part, are waving the incident like a flag, reminding voters that they warned about “law‑and‑order” lapses all along.