Damon K. Jones is an Author, Activist, and Publisher. Mr. Jones is a Holistic Health Practitioner, First Aid in Mental Health Practitioner, Diet and Nutrition Advisor, Vegan Vegetarian Nutrition Life Coach, and a 33-year Law Enforcement Practitioner.
Damon believes Black Communities must be Safe, Sacred, and Busy, Like every other ethnic community. We must set real priorities for our health, wellness, mental clarity, and Black Love within our communities.
Damon is the Publisher and Co-Owner of Black Westchester Magazine, an online and print magazine that serves the New York Metro Area.
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Damon K. Jones is a 33-year Westchester County Department of Corrections veteran. Mr. Jones has served 13 years as a Union Delegate for the Westchester County Correction Officers Benevolent Association (COBA). Mr. Jones has participated in the Contract Negotiation, Welfare Fund, and Labor Management Committees.
Mr. Jones is the New York State Representative of Blacks in Law Enforcement of America. From 2006 to 2010, Mr. Jones served as the North-East Region President of the National Black Police Association. Mr. Jones also served as a national board member and Chair of the National Membership Committee of the National Black Police Association.
With Mr. Jones’ leadership, Blacks in Law in Enforcement of America have been strong advocates for Law Enforcement and community relations. Helping to spearhead the Norwood E. Jackson Scholarship Fund, Save our Schools Mentoring Program, How do you know your child’s in a Gang, Are you a Victim of Domestic Violence, How do you Survive Police Confrontation seminars series, and Peacekeepers Initiative.
Mr. Jones advised Governor Paterson’s N.Y. State Police-on-Police Shooting Task Force on behalf of the National Black Police Association. The Task Force was created to examine the issues and implications arising from police-on-police shootings and confrontations, particularly between on–duty and off-duty officers, and to examine the disproportionality in shootings of African American officers while on-duty in plain clothes and off-duty. The report was a groundbreaking study to examine racial bias and perceptions within the law enforcement system.
The unfortunate death of Briana Ojeda, who died from an asthma attack while NYPD Officers refused to administer CPR because NYPD Officers didn’t receive yearly CPR training. Mr. Jones assisted the Ojeda family lawyer Bonita Zelman in proposing State Legislation called Briana’s Law to mandate that ALL NYPD Officers be trained in CPR. This legislation was sponsored by former NYS Senator Eric Adams and Assemblyman Louis Ortiz.
Mr. Jones has given expert testimony on police policies and procedures on how they rate communities of color for the United Nations International Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), the U.S. Prison System, and Human Rights. On behalf of Blacks in Law Enforcement of America, Mr. Jones’s recommendations were part of the ICERD 2014 Shadow Report.
Mr. Jones served on an advisory panel to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Thurgood Marshall Institute in examining the coalition of police policies, procedures, police union collective bargaining agreements, and how it relates to transparency and accountability of law enforcement violations, use of force and deadly force. Mr. Jones has also assisted in yearly workshops examining how racial bias, unconscious or conscious, plays a role in policing communities of color.
Mr. Jones served on the Mount Vernon City Council Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) advisory committee to create policy and legislation to establish a citywide CCRB. The CCRB is an independent oversight agency of the Mount Vernon Police Department. An impartial board tasked with investigating, mediating, and prosecuting complaints of misconduct on the part of the Mount Vernon Police Department.
Mr. Jones served on Westchester County Executive George Latimer, Transition Team, Criminal Justice Sub-Committee. The purpose of the sub-committee was to examine the policies and procedures of Westchester County Public Safety, Probation, Corrections, and Emergency Services and make necessary recommendations that will build mutual trust between the departments and the county serves.
Mr. Jones represented Blacks in Law Enforcement of America in a co-sponsorship with United Nations Southern New York Division for the May 2020 “Universal Periodic Review” (UPR) of its domestic human rights record at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
From June to December 2020, Mr. Jones served on the Westchester County Police Reform and Reimagining Task Force. The task force’s goal was to review the policies and procedures used at the Police Academy to train recruits and those already working in law enforcement to receive in-training; establish necessary changes and reforms.
In January 2020, Mr. Jones received his Health and Nutrition, Vegan Health and Nutrition Life Coach certification to aid in health awareness in reducing childhood and adult obesity that contributes to many chronic diseases in black and brown communities in our nation.
In May 2021, Mr. Jones received his First Aid in Mental Health Practitioner certificate.
In September 2021, Mr. Jones launched his first of many authored health books, “The Empowering Benefits of Detoxing Cleansing and Eating Clean.
In January 2022, Mr. Jones started Vita-Health Nutrition, a vitamin and mineral company founded to help people on the road to a proper diet, eat clean, and provide the essential vitamin and supplements for optimum health and wellness.
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Damon is the author of these best-selling books:
The Empowering Benefits of Detoxing, Cleansing, and Eating Clean
Eating Clean and Juicing 2 Live
The Strategies of Self
Black Minds Must Matter
53 Building Blocks to Be a Divine Black Masculine
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Damon has been recognized by local, state, and national representatives and organizations for his hard work in addressing the need for transparency, accountability, justice, and the need to cure social-economic disparities in communities of color.
• NYC Grand Council of Guardians Retirees, Man of the Year Award
• Proclamation from New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins
• Proclamation from New York State Senator George Latimer
• White Plains/Greenburgh NAACP 2016 Criminal Justice Awards
• Grand Council of Guardians, Community Service Award 2016
• Certificate of Appreciation, NYC Public Advocate
• City Council of Mt. Vernon Certificate of Appreciation
• The Law Enforcement Appreciation Award from Jackson State University Criminal Justice and Sociology Department and the Alpha Phi Sigma Honor Society.
• Grand Council of Guardians Organizational Award 2008
• The NBPA North East Region Leadership Award
• New York State Assembly Certificate of Merit
• The NYC City Council Citation
• Westchester County Legislators Citation
• Church Women United of White Plains Dedicated Service Award
• 100 Black Men of Long Island Public Service Award
• Town of Hempstead Certificate of Recognition Award
• Town of Babylon, Office of the Supervisor Certificate of Special Recognition
• Town of North Hempstead Certificate Recognition, Achievement & Appreciation
• Nassau County Legislature Certificate of Recognition
• The New York State Certificate of Merit from the New York State Governor’s Office