Police bigwig accused of driving son's getaway car in gang shooing is sorority sisters with mayor: report

A former deputy commissioner for the Mount Vernon Police Department has been terminated from her position after she and her son were arrested in connection with a gang-related drive-by shooting near the Bronx Criminal Court.

Jennifer Lackard, 49, was serving as deputy commissioner of wellness for the Mount Vernon Police Department, a city just north of the Bronx, at the time of her arrest. She was taken into custody on Tuesday, along with her 20-year-old son, Chase Lackard, by the New York Police Department. Both are accused in a June 29 drive-by shooting targeting rival gang members.

According to court records, Jennifer Lackard is alleged to have driven the getaway car in the shooting. The Bronx, where the incident took place, is adjacent to Mount Vernon.

Mount Vernon has since fired Lackard. In a statement shared on social media, the city said the termination was effective immediately, adding that "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."

Lackard's role with the department had focused on police reform, civilian complaint review board implementation, and officer wellness. When the city announced her hiring, officials described her as someone who "brings a wealth of knowledge and resources to the City of Mount Vernon," highlighting her work as president of the Station of Hope prison re-entry ministry at Grace Baptist Church and as an organizer of a re-entry meetup for Westchester County since 2015.

In a 2020 interview with Gothamist, Lackard acknowledged what she called "the leap of faith" the department took in hiring her, noting she had never previously worked for a police department. She also held advisory roles on the Westchester County Probation Advisory Board and the New York City Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice Implementation Task Force.

Lackard and Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard are members of the same sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, according to the New York Post. Patterson-Howard has not publicly responded to requests for comment. Delta Sigma Theta also had not responded as of reporting.

Attorneys representing Jennifer and Chase Lackard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.