Police bigwig accused of driving son's getaway car in gang shooing is sorority sisters with mayor: report
A suburban New York police official accused of driving the getaway car for her son's alleged gang shooting reportedly had connections to the mayor's office when she landed the leadership role.
Court records indicate Jennifer Lackard, 49, and her son Chase, 20, were both arrested by the New York Police Department on Tuesday in connection with a June 29 drive-by shooting at rival gang members near the Bronx Criminal Court.
Prior to her arrest, Lackard worked as the deputy commissioner of wellness for the Mount Vernon Police Department.
NEW YORK POLICE OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF DRIVING GETAWAY CAR FOR SON IN GANG-RELATED SHOOTING
Mount Vernon borders the Bronx, just north of New York City.
Lackard and Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard are Delta Sigma Theta sorority sisters, according to the New York Post.
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In her former position, Lackard was tasked with police reform, civilian complaint review board implementation and officer wellness.
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When she was hired the city said, "Lackard brings a wealth of knowledge and resources to the City of Mount Vernon has worked on the community level as President of the Station of Hope prison re-entry ministry at Grace Baptist Church and organizer of the Re-Entry Meetup for Westchester County since 2015."
NEW YORK POLICE OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF DRIVING GETAWAY CAR FOR SON IN GANG-RELATED SHOOTING
In a 2020 interview with Gothamist, she "acknowledged the leap of faith it took for the department to give her the position," and she had "never worked for a police department," prior to landing the position.
She previously held advisory roles on the Westchester County Probation Advisory Board and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice Implementation Task Force.
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In a statement posted on social media, the City of Mount Vernon said in part, "Effective immediately, the City of Mount Vernon has terminated Jennifer Lackard’s employment. The allegations are unrelated to her duties with the Mount Vernon Police Department and do not stem from any conduct associated with the Department or the performance of her official responsibilities."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Patterson-Howard and Delta Sigma Theta for comment.
Attorneys for Jennifer and Chase Lackard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.