Greenburgh Police Chief Chris McNerney will resign, one year after returning to a post he had previously occupied for more than five years, to become Larchmont's next police chief. In a statement, McNerney said it was never his intention to return to Greenburgh long-term. He was previously the town’s police chief and returned to the job after a one-year stint at the Office of the Westchester County District Attorney, where he was the office’s top criminal investigator. And, for whatever reason he chose to leave there, it seems the lawsuit against the Town of Greenburgh and the Greenburgh Police Department might have just been the impetus he needed.
While some are claiming that the Chief is trying to outrun the Federal sexual harassment lawsuit brought against the Town’s Police Department by female Police Officer Kristin Stein, we wonder if he’s in the lawsuit as the figurehead Chief of the Department. Or, is it possible he condoned the behavior of his officers and in fact helped to create a hostile work environment for Officer Stein? Sixteen officers are named as defendants in the lawsuit: Brian Ryan, Robert Gramaglia, Kobie Powell, Brian Matthews, Frank Farina, Dennis Basulto, Eric Vlasity, Patrick Grady, Michael Cookingham, Alex Rodriguez, Brian Doherty, Dyana Albano, Frank Kozakiewicz, Jeff Cerone, John Pilla and Chief McNerney.
The allegations in Stein’s lawsuit include a sexual assault from a 2019 incident in the Greenburgh Police headquarters where Officer Stein was learning over a table to collect pamphlets when Police Officer Jeff Cerone, “grinded against her rear, rammed himself into her backside with his genitals, then threw her towards the middle of the room”, according to the lawsuit.
Several Greenburgh police officers were caught on a body cam recording laughing after the alleged sexual assault took place, but it does not show the actions of Cerone. One officer that was not laughing was Kristin Stein’s brother, who was also a Greenburgh police officer, and was in the room. The body cam was from police officer John Pilla, who had mistakenly turned it on during roll call.
Numerous other incidents of inappropriate texts, comments, sexual jokes, remarks, sexual solicitations, negative work assignments, silent treatment, uninvited sexual attention, displaying pornographic photos, are all alleged in the suit, filed in Federal Court in White Plains this summer.
It’s hard to know just how extensive or pervasive this unacceptable behavior is in the Greenburgh Police Department and why Officer Stein was a) the target of it and b) never apparently able to get satisfaction regarding her claims of harassment? We do know that whatever has taken place may come out in a trial if it gets to that point. We also know that Greenburgh Town Hall has its own issues that have been swept under the rug or ignored time and time again. We know that the Board of Ethics, an impotent Board without power and only advisory capabilities, lacks its own ethical compass as a pseudo subservient group only capable of making suggestions to it’s overlord, the Town Board. Ironically, even blatant violations and unethical behavior gets a pass.
Now that this lawsuit has gotten publicity and has been “outed,” and the Town Board received the notice from Chief McNerney that he’s leaving, what other changes might we see? Obviously Chief McNerney, who apparently never had plans to stay in Greenburgh and just returned for the money, may still be called to testify and in fact even be prosecuted should this case go to court. And, what of the other accused offenders in the police department? We were initially concerned about what would happen to the other Officer Stein, Kristin Stein’s brother, but learned he has since left the Greenburgh Police Department. It’s disturbing to learn of the expanse of the Police Department’s dirty laundry. We certainly hope a special prosecutor is appointed to get to the bottom of what may have transpired. But if history has taught us anything in the Town of Greenburgh, it’ll probably be swept under the proverbial rug. We hope not. It’s the only way we’ll get A Better Greenburgh.
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