A suburban New York police official, Jennifer Lackard, faces allegations of driving the getaway car for her son’s gang-related shooting. Lackard, 49, and her son Chase, 20, were arrested by the New York Police Department for a drive-by shooting on June 29 near the Bronx Criminal Court. They targeted rival gang members during the incident.
Before her arrest, Lackard served as the deputy commissioner of wellness for the Mount Vernon Police Department. Her duties included police reform, civilian complaint review, and officer wellness. Lackard began this role in July 2020 despite lacking prior experience with police departments.
The City of Mount Vernon stated she brought extensive knowledge and resources from working on community initiatives, such as the Station of Hope prison re-entry ministry at Grace Baptist Church since 2015.
Lackard, a Delta Sigma Theta sorority sister of Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard, had various advisory roles. These included positions with the Westchester County Probation Advisory Board and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice Implementation Task Force.
Following the allegations, Mount Vernon terminated Lackard’s employment. The city clarified that the charges were not connected to her official responsibilities or conduct within the police department.
Efforts to reach attorneys for Jennifer and Chase Lackard, and comments from Mayor Patterson-Howard and Delta Sigma Theta, were not immediately successful.
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