She was not merely accused of crossing the line of the law — her past work had centered on challenging parts of the system behind it.
A former Westchester County police official now charged with helping bring her son to an attempted murder scene had spent years working closely with people entangled in the criminal justice system, including through inmate support initiatives she founded and through her prior marriage to a convicted drug offender.
Despite that background, Jennifer Lackard secured a high-level role as deputy police commissioner in Mount Vernon, even as prosecutors say her son, allegedly tied to gang activity, was becoming increasingly involved in violence in New York City.
Lackard, 49, is now facing attempted murder charges after authorities accused her of driving her son to a drive-by gang shooting outside a Bronx courthouse last month, with her former husband also allegedly in the vehicle.
The now-fired police official was indicted in connection with the June 29 shooting alongside her son, 20-year-old Chase Lackard, an alleged member of the “Slutty Gang” who was previously charged with pointing a gun at NYPD officers, and James Lackard, 47, her former husband and a convicted drug offender who police say remains at large.
Jennifer Lackard was brought on in 2020 by Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard to lead the police department’s Wellness Unit, a job reportedly created for her. Though she lacked traditional law enforcement experience, her résumé included work in inmate re-entry services and advocacy on behalf of people accused of crimes.
The position came with a $125,000 base salary this year, and records indicated that Lackard herself had no prior arrest history at the time she was hired.
In a statement Wednesday, Patterson-Howard said Lackard had been subjected to a “rigorous background check” before taking the post, including reviews of her prior employment, fingerprints, financial disclosures, medical clearance and criminal history, and that she was found qualified for the role.
“There was no information that disqualified her from employment,” the mayor said. “As part of the hiring process, information regarding her husband’s prior criminal history was disclosed and reviewed and deemed not to be disqualifying her for her civilian position.”
She cited Lackard’s 15 years of experience in mental health and substance abuse services.
“No employer can predict future personal conduct,” she added. “Mount Vernon has faced multiple challenges before and we have always responded with accountability, transparency, and resilience. We remain committed to those principles as this matter proceeds through the criminal justice system….”
It is unclear how the two women met, but both attend Grace Baptist Church, an influential and politically powerful Mount Vernon church that carries great weight in the city.
Sources said Mount Vernon cops joined Lackard at a Bronx hospital after Chase Lackard was shot in the chest during a confrontation on a city bus in 2023 in a reputed gang-related shooting.
The Lackards’ arrest on Tuesday marks the latest stain on the troubled suburban city, which has seen two sitting mayors arrested while in office and a string of police department controversies in recent years, according to reports by lohud.com.
Several Mount Vernon cops have been in hot water this year, including a bust in April that accused one officer of stealing more than $800,000 from an out-of-state company. One month earlier, another cop on the force was charged with larceny and allegedly tipping off a Suffolk County gang member.
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Another officer with 15 years on the job was charged with stalking in Florida in March.
Last month, a cop in the Westchester city was hit with drunk driving and speeding charges in Queens, lohud reported.
The two mayors — Ernie Davis and Richard Thomas — were both forced to leave office after being charged with federal tax evasion and state grand larceny charges, respectively.
“Our city experienced a series of events in recent weeks that should concern every resident, every taxpayer, every business owner, and every public servant,” Mount Vernon Councilman Andre Wallace said in a statement following Jennifer Lackard’s arrest.
“Regardless of political affiliations or personal opinions, we must acknowledge that these events are damaging the reputation of our city and making it increasingly difficult for Mount Vernon to conduct business,” Wallace wrote. “The headlines coming out of Mount Vernon are no longer about opportunity, economic development or neighborhood revitalization.”
Records show that Jennifer and James Lackard in 2007 founded Ivy House Center for Self-Sufficiency in WInston-Salem, North Carolina, a government-funded nonprofit program that counseled criminal defendants with mental health illness or substance abuse addictions.
Jennifer Lackard served as CEO while her then-husband sat on the advisory board until 2009.
After shutting down that program, she moved to New York and founded another one, Re-Entry Link LLC in the Bronx, where she also served on Community Board 9 before landing the Mount Vernon job.
Meanwhile, her son was starting to build up a rap sheet in the five boroughs.
Records show he was the victim of a shooting after confronting a group on a Bronx bust on Jan. 21, 2023, and was rushed to Jacobi Hospital and later recovered.
In November 2024, Chase Lackard was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and menacing after allegedly pulling a gun on NYPD cops in the Bronx, and was wounded in the left leg — the case he was in court for on the day of the courthouse shooting.
In August 2024, he was arrested in Manhattan and charged with possession of a loaded gun.
On June 29, prosecutors said he left Bronx court and hopped into a waiting gray Chrysler Pacifica with both his parents inside, changed clothes and the family circled the block.
Eventually, prosecutors said he spotted his intended target and fired from the window of the SUV, with his mom allegedly then driving him back home.
Chase Lackard’s girlfriend, Brianna Harris, was taken into custody when he was arrested and released without bail on a lesser charge.
Additional reporting by Larry Celona
