Roosevelt Island Gang Initiation Assault
Roosevelt Island Public Safety Director sends the following message regarding a gang initiation assault on Roosevelt Island. The incident occurred on April 4 in the Rear Lobby of Eastwood/ Roosevelt Landings (560 Main Street) at approximately 8:30 PM.
Recently, the Public Safety Department investigated a call of several youths fighting in the lobby of one of the buildings here on Roosevelt Island. That fight turned out to be a gang initiation into a local gang, whose name I do not wish to divulge because I do not want to give them any publicity. Suffice it to say that these types of calls have been occuring more frequently among the youths under the age of 16. Because of their age, information must be kept confidential. Please read the attachment and feel free to post it or print it. While my intentions are not to alarm the public, I do wish to beckon their cooperation in preventing gang issues from becoming gang problems here on the island. Please ask your readers to report any activity to the Public Safety Department. Thank you.The phone # for Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department is 212 - 832-4545. Mr. Guerra provides additional information on the incident:
- The incident was seen on the CCTV monitor at PSD by Officer Coyle.
- In addition to PSO Coyle, Sgt. Hernandez, Det. Malone, Det. Clemente, SPO Vernet, SPO Sach, SPO Michael, PSO Paguada, and PSO Gilmore all responded.
- Originally the juveniles were not processed. They were brought to Public Safety and released to the custody of their parents. The victim told his mother they were playing around, so she did not want to press charges. Further investigation revealed that it was, in fact, a gang Initiation, so follow-up by NYPD insued.
- Police Officer Fernandez was also present on the scene and filed the appropriate paperwork for the NYPD, which has been forwarded to the precinct Youth Officer and Gang Unit.
- Approximately two other gang related fights among youths have occurred in the recent past. With no complainants, we cannot pursue criminal charges. These other calls were not in buildings, but rather outside, and involved juveniles between 12-15.
- All of the juveniles were released to their parents. Now that the mother of the victim realizes her son was part of a gang initiation, she wishes to pursue charges. NYPD is conducting the follow-up investigation.
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GANG RECRUITMENT
An organization that hopes to exist over time must either create or recruit new members or it will perish. Established gang members recruit for new gang members in schools, on the street, while confined in detention, in fast food restaurants and their parking lots, at parties, in jail or prison, at concerts and family get-togethers (many recruits are the little brothers and sisters of established gang members), and anywhere else they may find potential members.
In order to join a gang, all potential members are required to go through an initiation ceremony to show the gang's members they have what it takes. Being “Jumped in” means having to fight a certain number of gang members for a given period of time and being able to take the beating by the overwhelming number of opponents.
Gang membership is usually determined by the school the youths attend. It is at the school that most recruiting takes place. Sometimes this causes problems because, in the same neighborhood, there may be kids attending different schools. This means that rivalry between gangs happens simply because of attendance at different schools and it brings rivals into contact with one another when they go home after school.
Such is the case here on Roosevelt Island. Some kids attend school on the island and some attend school off the island. The Public Safety Department is coming across conflicts among youths in that same predicament. Recently, we even had a gang initiation in one of the lobbies of a building. This particular incident involved eight juveniles between the ages of 12 and 15 years of age. Seven of these boys beat up the eighth boy. After punching and kicking him to the ground, they then picked him up off the floor, gave him a hug and then a private handshake. All of this was caught on tape, however, due to their ages, no further information can be divulged. Suffice it to say that gang activity is here on the island and unless the community works together, that issue will become a problem. PSD is working proactively with the schools and the local Police Precinct, but parental involvement is needed. Check your children’s school bags, their dresser drawers and even their closets for signs or indicators of them being in a gang. Lastly, report any activity to the Public Safety Department.
Keith Guerra, Director
Roosevelt Island
Public Safety Department
More information on subject is available at NYS Gang Prevention.
11 comments :
Huh? Weren't we told after the last talk about gangs on RI by Mr. Guerra that there was no gang activity here? Now we do?
I also went to that talk on gangs. If I remember correctly he said RI doesn't have a gang problem, yet. Even though the management companies have done a good job of cleaning and painting over gang graffiti, I have personally seen it since as far back as 2002. There has been a gang issue on RI for several years, just hasn't become a problem yet (no serious gang violence, like what you see in the movies).
Take a walk around the "hood" between the hours of 7 pm to around midnight. hang out in the east wood area, or even the 2-4 river road area.
Type in "blood" "crip" "latin king" and learn about the colors.
Then take a walk on RI and look in the pockets of the youth.
there are crips, bloods and other gangs right in front of your faces.
There are no gangs on the island just because kids are hanging out at night does not mean their in a gang.....psd dnt seem to see the white kids next to river cross making noise as well....those kids probly were just playing but I'm not saying their inocent
Pardon my language but this is bullshit that these children are being suspected of being a gang. Even if it really was a gang initiation, pay attention to the age of these children, what the fuck are they gonna do. They might call them selves a local gang but their to scared to do anything. Their 13 year-olds. They wouldn't have the balls to to even punch a local pedestrian, which they are suspected do to. Public Safety is just of piece of crap department trying to make money by arresting so-called "gang associated CHILDREN!".
LOL, I will pardon your language, your point of view (obviously anti-PSD for whatever reason), even your inability to use a spell-checker or correct grammar.
You seem to know a lot about gangs. Gangs have a way of evolving, from small groups of young kids that go around giving each other special handshakes, making graffiti and being mischievous, to violent crime and drug dealing rings.
It may not be happening yet, but don't denounce Public Safety for trying to let residents know there is a growing gang issue on the island.
There are still people on Roosevelt Island that approve of the job Public Safety does. I am not saying they are perfect, but I do approve of their work.
If other parents would dedicate more time to their children, we wouldn't have these issues. Instead of denying the facts, try to find solutions. Volunteer in any way you can. My kids are small but they don't leave their parents' sights. I see so many kids on this island roaming unsupervised, from after school until as late as 9 pm.
By the way, no one pays Public Safety more if they arrest our kids, gang associated or not.
my son was one of the boys that was involved in the fake gang related initiation.they was coming fron a basketball from the school they had nothing else better to but play fight and act like clowns.all the young men that was involved are good students 85-90 avg what else SHould they be doing rolling phillies in the building?jack ass
they are just being boys doing shit. psd is watching to much law in order trying to crack a bull-shit case.........
psd is whack officer fernandez is on crack officer clemente is a white supremicist look at his spider web tatoo
yo psd be on niggas dicks when all we b doin is chillin....they say we in gangs and all dat nah niggas is jus chillin....maby we need to give dem some gangsta shit to show dem what it is and maby dey gon chill and see we aint really doin nuffin
I'm African American and i have spiderweb tattoos on my elbows. Does that make me a white supremest?
I know I am VERY late commenting on this post but this has 2 be said... I am a 15 year old girl who has lived on the island my WHOLE LIFE. I went to Pre-K with the boys who participated in the gang initiation. I know that these boys aren't bad kids we have never been the best of friends but there just being boys.... and making stupid decisions cus there stupid boys. I know a lot of kids are looking at the gangs being there as a family thing protect your own. Public safety needs a new approach idk what it is but the kids are feeling attacked by psd and even some what degraded... people do. Bad things when there treated badly because they feel bad..... I am defending Island KIDS NOT THE JERK OFFS THAT SELL DRUGS BY THE BRIDGE!
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