The wheels of government grind slowly and nowhere is that more apparent than Peekskill’s Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB). Created by a local law during the summer of 2022 and appointed a year and a half later in November 2023, the five civilian members’ two-year terms were renewed by the Common Council in December of 2025.
The Board received recognition from New York State in September of 2025 after members had gone through two years of training. Civilian members include: Dennis Adams, Jay Buckiewicz, Antonio Knott, Lisa McClain, and Harriet Ray. Police representatives are Officers Danielle Long and Joseph Gorman, both who have extensive community policing experience. The two alternate civilian positions are not filled.
Since the board was sanctioned by the state in September, they now have the authority to review cases and make a recommendation to the city manager. The first case they are awaiting involves the Dec. 3 incident at Riverfront Green with Damar Fields.
While the police internal investigation about the Dec. 3 incident is ongoing, under the leadership of Lt. Alex Demundo, the board has been meeting monthly via Zoom with City Manager Matt Alexander, the city attorney and Chief of Police Adam Renwick. They also meet with each other via a monthly Zoom, as well as holding an in-person monthly meeting at City Hall. The monthly Zoom meetings have been held for the past year and a half.
“We are alive and active and awaiting our first case,” said Buckiewicz. After the police chief concludes the internal investigation, the CCRB gets the evidence and conducts its own investigation. “There’s a lot of evidence to review,” said Buckiewicz. Once CCRB is finished with its investigation, it makes a recommendation to the city manager, who has the final say on what action, if any, is taken.
In their January 12 meeting with the city manager and police chief, the board discussed going to the public to speak about their work and training. They envision having a meal in a city-owned building and, after dining together, explaining their role and taking questions from the public. Police Chief Adam Renwick is interested in attending, to meet the public.
The five civilian members of the board attended a police training site in Rockland County, where they participated in a simulated video environment as police officers with video weapons. They experienced, virtually, a number of potentially dangerous scenarios that officers might encounter, such as school shootings or car stops. They learned about police standards governing use of force and unprofessional behavior as outlined in Peekskill police standards.
The board members rode with police officers on shifts during the day and night. They also examined the reports of prior investigations. Their training was documented and they now are an official body recognized by the state. The minutes of their meetings will be entered into the public record.
Buckiewicz said he expects the city will post the minutes but wasn’t sure exactly they will be located. They are required by the state to produce an annual report. He said citizens can file a report by getting a CCRB form at City Hall or at the police station. He’s unsure where on the city website the form resides.
The Peekskill review board spoke with members of the CCRB in Ossining, which shared their best practices. The Ossining CCRB has been in place for a while. The one take-away from meeting with Ossining members, said Buckiewicz, is “What you initially start with may be different from what you end up with. See what works for you, figure out ways to make things that aren’t working work better.”
