Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Roosevelt Island's Loses Sole NYPD Officer and Position Will Not Be Replaced By 114th Precinct - January/February Public Safety Statistics Available

 Image From NY Daily News

Earlier this week I learned that Roosevelt Island's only assigned NYPD officer would no longer be patrolling our Island and that another NYPD officer would not be assigned as a replacement. During Monday's Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Island Services Committee meeting, RIRA President Matt Katz reported that it was his understanding that this was true.

I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) for comment on Monday but have not yet received a reply though earlier this morning, RIOC VP of Operations Fernando Martinez indicated that he would be providing a statement on matter soon. In the past, statements regarding Roosevelt Island Public Safety issues would have come from Public Safety Department Director Guerra but I have been advised that from now on all public statements issued from RIOC staff will be coming from Mr. Martinez.

RIRA Public Safety Committee Chair Erin Feeley-Nahem provided the following information on the matter:
Director Guerra informed me that Officer Fernandez, the Officer assigned by the 114th precinct to patrol Roosevelt Island, had requested a transfer and has now been reassigned. Chief Guerra also informed me that because of our low crime rate Officer Fernandez will not be replaced. A couple of months ago when I discussed this possibility with a Lieutenant from the 114th I was assured that although Officer Fernandez' choice of vehicle made him an ideal fit for patrolling Roosevelt Island, the 114th would continue to patrol Roosevelt Island as part of Sector Robert.

In the event that we find that adequate coverage is not provided by the 114th, endangering the continued safety of Roosevelt Island residents, RIRA's President Matthew Katz and myself will voice the Island's concern to those in a position to assist us. We will continue to advocate for a police presence on Roosevelt Island as we have in the past. I am confident that Chief Guerra and our 38 Public Safety Officers will continue to maintain law and order on the Island, but I am also aware of how important Officer Fernandez was to their team and to this community. The Public safety Committee would like to thank and express our appreciation to Officer Fernandez for his years of dedicated service in our community, and wish him success in all his future endeavors.
Below are the January/February 2011 Roosevelt Island Public Safety Call for Services/Responses and Index Crimes statistics.

Feb Public Safety Stats

Roosevelt Island is in Queens 114th NYPD precinct.
The 114th Precinct is located in the northwestern portion of Queens patrolling the neighborhoods of Astoria, Long Island City, Woodside, and Jackson Heights. A very large Greek community resides within the confines of this precinct. There are single and multiple family homes, including four housing developments. The primary commercial locations are Steinway Street, Broadway, Ditmars Blvd, 30th Avenue and Northern Boulevard.
The most recent crime statistics for the 114th are here.

UPDATE - 3/24 - Officer Fernandez sends a message to the Roosevelt Island community.

40 comments :

Anonymous said...

What a shame. Say what you want about NYPD Officers in general, but Officer Fernandez was extremely helpful to the Seniors here on the island. He often went above and beyond his call of duty to help us - even off duty. We wish him luck in his new assignment.

Emma Leigh said...

welcome to no mans land. Just in time for SUMMER! RI Residents make sure to lock your doors NOT just slam lock them. Once the word gets out that there is EVEN LESS security on the Island TONS of stuff is going to start happening. First off these little RI "thugs" with their twitter and facebook gang postings will attract even MORE rubbish to Main Street. One thing Officer Fernandez did was keep up with the goings on via the Internet. IF we get the 114 to partol the Island how often would it be. Once a day once an hour... when one of our PSD Officers need assistance. How long will it take them to get here. At least Office Fernandez was HERE ALLL the time. We as an Island have allowed a VERY FEW to speak for all of us.. So when the S^%T hits the fan we need to start knocking on Romano and Erins door. Because THEY were the ones who started this. There is an old saying that goes The Devil that you KNOW is better than the DEVIL that you don't know. See with Officer Fernandez, the MAJORITY appreciated him, the MAJORITY believed in what he was doing and understood the unique position that ANY NYPD officer would have working on and with Roosevelt Island residents. NOW we have NOTHING and NO ONE.... I'm sure sometime in the very near future all of are going to have the thought cross our minds.. What If Fernandez Was Here....

Anonymous said...

We dont need a NYPD officer on the Island anyways . Public Safety is doing a fine job , most of the time they are actually bored because nothing really happens on the Island. Its a pretty safe place to live & has been throughout my 17 years of living here . Honestly if theres ever a problem all you need to do is call the police..
& these little thugs you speak of arent thugs at all . The "Rubbish" they "bring" to roosevelt island is the same thing they have been doing since they were younger just like any other place in NYC , they're trying to have fun & just hang out . How could you say we have nothing & no one when we have public safety.. the same thing fernandez was before he even became a cop .
& once word gets out that that ONE cop that patrolled the island is leaving, everything is going to pretty much be the same. It has been when he wasnt a cop so why would it change now ?
And the MAJORITY of buildings have security, so there's no real reason to lock the door . You seem like the type of person that would WANT negativity to occur on the island , cleary you must not know what it means to be a resident of Roosevelt Island .

Anonymous said...

@EMMA LIEGH
Something must be wrong with you miss, you sound like the DEVIL here.
Relax, the resident of Roosevelt Island have put their trust in Public Safety for a while way before Fernandez and we've been fine. Your over thinking this situation. Look at the stats compared to the city, you should feel blessed to live in such a good neighborhood.

Emma Leigh said...

Actually poster above, there are PLENTY of things happening on Roosevelt Island that PLENTY of people DO NOT KNOW OF. I am sure when that little boy got caught with a gun a few weeks ago PSD was plenty prepared to take him down...
As a RI resident MOST of my 30+ years, from going to the Yotuh Center when it was run my Mike, to going through elementary school and Junior High school when the buildings are separeted to hanging out on main street. I can tell you things weren't as vicious then as it is now.
As for me wanting something to happen, NEVER, I live here I am raising my children here. And I enjoy being here.
And as far as PSD goes I am a very BIG PSD advocate. I think they are doing an incredible job. And needed the back up of an NYPD officer who was available to them. BUT at the same time their turn around is very HIGH. Plenty of the men and women who are on tour right now are looking for other jobs or are looking to go into the NYPD.
Roosevelt Island needs a person like Office Fernandez who not only knew peoples names and faces but actually cares about whats going on.

Anonymous said...

I see the poster above miss..
and its still not that vicious , no offense but you probably see it that way because of your age.
They are WAY more terrible things happening in this world. And if people dont know what happening on this island then thats THERE fault, and it may be better if they dont know. Even if the little boy was caught with the gun, nobodies perfect. The island has SMALL flaws compared to NYC as a whole.

Anonymous said...

I agree, your post was very negative @emma leigh.
You should have more faith in your community..

Anonymous said...

Well Emma,
You were not present at any of the meetings myself and other concerned residents attended when complaints hsve been skyrocketing with regard to officer Fernandez recreationally stopping and frisking young minority youths.With the new body of Common Councilmembers all those in authority must and will be held accountable for their actions..Oppose to individuals like yourself being part of the problem.I suggest you be a part of the soloution and attend meetings..

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Yeah and who arrested that little thug?
That's right, public safety, WITHOUT a gun. Do you guys think public safety are just security guards? They are fully empowered law enforcement officers who make arrests and testify in court just like NYPD cops. It's just a damn shame RIOC treat them like flashlight cops. God forbid that bridge goes out or gets stuck up... We are screwed with no armed presence if there's another armed individual on the island!! With all these gang members running around, HELP! I recall at least 3 incidents with guns/ shootings in the last 2 years. It's not so safe!

ROOSEVELT ISLANDER said...

Anonymous comments that accuse a specific person of being arrested will be removed like those by 9:58.

Tony said...

Well Emma,
You were not present at any of the meetings myself and other concerned residents attended when complaints hsve been skyrocketing with regard to officer Fernandez recreationally stopping and frisking young minority youths.- Where are these reports, I call bullcrap. Whats the story behind it and what do you call frisking, asking them whats in a bag, asking them for id, or physically touching them. Putting them up against a car or building and patting them down. Cause that is just NOT TRUE, I have seen the officer follow the children littered along Main Street. I have seen him ask the kids to

With the new body of Common Councilmembers all those in authority must and will be held accountable for their actions..Oppose to individuals like yourself being part of the problem.I suggest you be a part of the soloution and attend meetings.. --- how is @Emma Liegh part of the problem when all see things different. There was an incident last week or so where an individual pulled out a knife on a group of boys down by Gristedes. And becoming part of the solution is not hinged on joining a group.

And for the record this officer was NOT asked to Leave, he choose to leave.Those were false allegations, unfounded and laughable.

Gregor said...

One group of residents has complained that Officer Fernandez went too far in carrying out his responsibilities and may have even "taken advantage" of the situation his position afforded him - which is shocking enough if true. We leave aside considerations of whether over-zealousness is ever justified, or not, if circumstances ever merit "profiling" or warrant-less stop & search. Another group decries the departure of the only armed public safety officer the Island had, saying our remaining PSOs may be outgunned in possible future confrontations - in other words, warns of an impending security deficit once Officer Fernandez leaves. Meanwhile, the explanation for Officer Fernandez' transfer seems to be that he was reassigned back to Queens at his own request because he/NYPD has determined that the low crime rate on RI doesn't warrant having an NYPD officer full-time on RI - in other words, Mr. Fernandez/NYPD decided he had nothing to do on RI and requested reassignment to Queens, which, according to Mr. Fernandez, requires protection from crime whereas we do not. I think the entire episode, not even considering the complaints or compliments about Mr. Fernandez, or whether or not RI has a rising or falling crime rate overall, reinforces the impression that RIOC, wedded to payments from the developers for its very survival at least manipulates the crime picture if not systematically under-reports crime so as to give the rosy impression that we have little or no crime on RI and thus continues to propagate the fantasy that this island is a crime-free fantasyland in order to reel in investors, buyers and renters of expensive apartments, and the like, even to the extent of now claiming (or saying that Mr. Fernandez/NYPD says so - which is the same thing, as RIOC controls the content & flow of information from PSD) that we do not need a single armed law enforcement officer because we are so crime-free. My "theoretical" question to RIOC/PSD: What makes RI so different from other areas of NYC? All the other neighborhoods in NYC, big and small, affluent or not, need and receive NYPD protection. Other than that we are an exceptionally small neighborhood, we are still a NYC neighborhood and so we must have the same problems, stresses, domestic violence problems, gang, drug problems found everywhere else in the City of NY. The difference is that RIOC requires the payments from a handful of developers to survive, whereas City gov runs on tax revenue and is not "beholden" to a particular constituency or interest group, or at least not as much. Developers need to sell not just Manhattan views but safety, whether it is real or illusory. It's up to the thoughtful resident to decide what is authentic in this situation: RIOC's claims, or the fact that we are a neighborhood like any other with the same sort of problems as other neighborhoods, and not just a "Potemkin village", or "planned community" like those in Florida, as RIOC would have you believe. This entire issue should be thoroughly aired at Thursday's Town Hall Meeting, which is the perfect opportunity to ask Mr. Martinez about the reality of the security situation on RI.

Anonymous said...

To all that disagree with the way The Roosevelt Island Common Council conducts business , Maybe you should run for an elected seat in the community.There is an old true saying ,IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DONE RIGHT DO IT YOURSELF".It is not easy addressing issues that face Island residents..In the end Nobody is ever satisfied. I commend every resident advocate on that council For being brave enough to confront issues most residents only complain about...As for those disrespectful bloggers that suggested threats and inuindos,Public Daftey is present at every RIRA meeting.If you chose to be disruptive you will be excluded!!!All residents attend with the hopes of accomplishing something productive for the community..It was about that time for officer Fernandez to move on ..Now every resident needs to hold Public Saftey's Feet to the fire.If it were not for The Public Saftey Committee , There would not be Surveillence camera's throughout the entire Island,There would not be verticle patrols in the wire buildings..Let's give credit wewre credit is due...

Anonymous said...

DHCR, RIOC and RIRA, along with the many Island organizations, should be contacting all our elected officials, the Mayor and Police Commissioner, and protest the loss of any community policing here on RI.

NYPD presence, no matter how anyone feels personally about NYPD, is necessary here, if for no other reason than to serve as a deterrent to those who continue to commit quality of life infractions as well as petty and major crimes.

While RIPSD will always get a mixed review from me, their presence and preventive actions alone are not enough for a growing population of young people whose total disregard for appropriate public behavior towards each other and other Island residents and visitors must not be ignored.

And frankly, it is time for RIPSD and the Youth Center and and our friends at PS / IS 217 to meet and greet and talk about PARENT responsibility and supervision of their kids outside at all hours of the day and night...

Anonymous said...

If the PSD says they don't need to carry guns so be it. Why do you as a resident insist that they should be carrying any? They know much better what is needed and what is not.

Anonymous said...

The amazing pat of this is i cannot tell the difference....(Smile_):)In a few days most wont either...Officer F been gone almost a week..Uh , The Sky has not fallen yet.or has it ? Everyone relax !We survived before NYPD came ,We will survive Now that he's gone...He was only here 2 days a week anyway Duh !!!
residents feel as if they need 24 hr 7day a week security..."Hire One "!!!! GO RIRA !!!

Anonymous said...

I know PO Fernandez personally and his reason for departure of the island is a very simple reason, he has other ventures in the highly diverse department with numerous other assignments. Who wants to work on Roosevelt Island for 20 years?. Not for nothing but he did a good job in conjunction with public safety in supplementing them with a firearm and a radio that can call for numerous other nypd officers to respond in case of dire emergencies. Good luck on your future endeavours, PO Fernandez. So to the conspiracy theorists, he is not gone for any secret hush-hush reason, the man wants to better himself. He didnt transfer the NYPD to stay on this rock.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ROOSEVELT ISLANDER said...

to 1:08 - an anonymous comment accusing a person of being arrested is not fair to that person and will be removed.

I understand the larger point you are making in that you believe those responsible for Officer Fernandez leaving his post on Roosevelt Island have unfounded personal grudges against him.

Point made, I don't see a need to do a FOIL request to find out it the arrest was true or not.

carl said...

rioc must cover up all bad things that go on on this island, they must have the new people who are moving here and paying these big rents think that nothing bad goes on here .and the wire joins them in the cover up

Anonymous said...

Plain and simple, the RIRA Public Safety Committee Chairperson called the 114th Pct. at the request of another member of the committee (who should not be a member - based on his own record). This inquiry has led to Officer Fernandez wanting to leave our island.

Now, they want to chime in about how sad it is to see him go, but they were the ones who called the man's boss. Let's not get it twisted people, if someone called your boss, you would not like it either.

Anonymous said...

You conspiracy theorists are funny. The man want to better his career. Stop with the hidden agendas. Give public safety guns and plaster police stickers on their cars and poof-presto! "real" police! Amazing how easy that was of a fix!

Anonymous said...

3:58pm. Did you read his letter to the editor in the WIRE? I think you have to eat your words now.

Anonymous said...

Eat what? He moved on to a better assignment with more overtime and better hours. I would go too.

luke said...

public safety only goes after the little kids are the island ,because they are not going to mess with the real cons. you know it and i know it.if some one has a gun what the hell is public safety going to do .they will run faster than you and me. .

Anonymous said...

Thats very true. It is also mind boggling to me that they are the first on the scene whenever there is a serious incidents especially robberies and other gun related incidents. Didnt they arrest a young man from Manhattan with a gun on the Island in January? I would have never arrested him.

Anonymous said...

I was shocked to read the WIRE last night and read Officer Fernandez's letter.For 2 individuals to call his boss and speak for "me" and the rest of the island, who do they think they are, last I heard we were a democracy and we were allowed to speak for ourselves. How dare anyone speak for me. Oh, and now that Officer Fernandez is gone off to greener pastures (good for him) who is going to take care of the "thugs" hanging out on Main Street in front of the Deli at night and harassing the elderly, certainly not PSD, they are afraid of these kids, the kids wouldn't think twice about standing up to PSD and PSD knows it and leaves them alone, As Emma said previously, just wait until summer arrives. And I have attended some of the meetings, and I have spoken to most of the people that think they run our lives here on Roosevelt Island, most of those people should retire to their second homes upstate/CT, they've left their mark and let's hope it's not a blood stain that they leave. There was a fight on Main Street that involved knives and stabbings one of which was to a PSD officer, if you think that was a terrible incident just you wait.
And the tenants that have been evicted because someone in their family has been found guilty of a felony charge are now seen walking Main Street with smug smiles on their faces knowing that PSD will NOT make them leave. Where does this leave our safety???
Eviction means you are not welcome here any longer. Come on people, wake up, will you keep allowing Erin and the other keepers of our lives to lead us into hell??? Apparently you are willing to allow this since she got her way and only the few brave among us are putting the reality out there for you all to read. Those of you who are still living with your heads in the sand will see a spike in crime and deteriation of our homes, with graffiti and broken glass and "thugs" running this island..All of you "committee members" thank you for getting rid of a friend and protector, let's see how fast a certain Lt. shows up to protect us, it's so much fun to see him being driven around the island for his inspections as he sits in the passenger seat texting away not even looking out the SUV window, or to see PSD officers actually witnessing something and then have them say they weren't close enough to know what happened. they don't want to get involved because they know the "thugs" will be out to get them...
Romano and Erin I hope you're happy with the outcome of this

Anonymous said...

Can you really blame them?? I am sure they want to go home to their families at the end of their shift. They have sticks mace and a set of cuffs. With all of this serious violence, they are outgunned sort to say. Public safety needs to be revamped with protection not only us but themselves.

ben said...

wow what are the new people moving onto this island going to think,they think they are moving to a safe place because of the rent they are paying, they think because of the high rents this must be a safe place to live. well the joke is on them .they dont know anything of what goes on here.the wire doses a great job of covering it up because rioc gives money to the wire , so the wire must do its part,i am loving all this ,i love it when i hear kids fighting outside at 3am , i just hope the new people hear them also .

Anonymous said...

Somebody needs to look up the definition of "being evicted". Last time I checked you cannot be evicted from a neighborhood. I've been living here for so many years and I yet have to see all this doom that has been predicted. Who are you people? Where did you come from all of the sudden?

Anonymous said...

High rent never means safety. Not sure if anybody really equals those two concepts.

Gregor said...

RI is always touted as a safe place to live, with its own security force as well as at least monitoring by the NYPD. Crime also may be discouraged because perpetrators know they can easily be caught fleeing as there are only 3 exit points from the island. The ritual of hanging out, acting rowdy, looking for "kicks" is a rite of passage for youths/adolescents and does not equal crime. In another kind of community, the youths might assert their quality or machismo by racing souped-up autos perhaps but in a small NYC "village" like RI where are the outlets for this type of youthful symbolic behavior. Thus you may see them shouting, or swearing or swaggering - trying to use any means to convey that they are somehow cooler, better, or more attractive, to others within their own cohort. Youth will always experience a phase of possibly troublesome behavior - most of it is a show/display intended to impress their friends, not to intimidate passersby although that may be the unintended result. Rebelliousness is part of growing up - business certainly is quick to exploit this need to identify with symbols of rebellion such as profiting from the sale of profanity-laced songs, or the production of "action" movies, violent video games, as well as fashions that continue the baggy jeans trend, which are sure to annoy the adults. Unless youthful posturing leads to definite crime, which it usually does not, the tenants who leave because of occasionally noisy or swaggering youth are reacting and doing exactly as youth intends -- with shock and outrage. There are a dearth of outlets for these youth's energy especially since there is no high school on RI that could possibly offer age-appropriate programs. Activities such as mountaineering, spelunking, sailing, surfing, hang-gliding, skiing, fencing, judo, white-water rafting or kayaking - anything with a slight edge of danger or risk, would be excellent ways for these youths to "prove" themselves and gain real bragging rights by conquest of a river, mountain or the like, as well as gaining the technical expertise required to do so. How can traditionally middle or even upper-middle class activities such as the above be extended to youths who may come from a poor background with no money to spare. This is one of the keys to the problem of seemingly "aimless" youths - they do not live in an area offering the above recreational activities - if there was a real settlement house with real funding on RI, it could perhaps sponsor trips to locations for activities such as the above.

Anonymous said...

Horrible....... and I mean.. HORRIBLE parenting. No offense but your thinking better works in the suburbs, not in a big city. First step in kids getting astray is to have strictly monitored parenting. Where is he going? Who is he going with? What are they doing? When are they coming back? If you ever take a late train on a Friday or Saturday, you will see a "gang" of youths jumping the turnstyle and acting foolish at the train station. Why should a parent let their child leave anywhere out the apartment at near midnight hours? That means to me, the parents dont care. They should be held accountable for any crime that happens. If your child gets locked up due to your neglegent parenting, so be it. Next stop, eviction. We dont need parents who dont care for their kids and let them do as they wish on the island. OFF YOU GO.

Anonymous said...

Thanks go out to Erin, Romano & Matt Katz for stifling our safety here on the island. You should all be ahamed of yourselves and resign you dumb positions in RIRA.

Anonymous said...

How the heck is Romano on the Public Safety Committee? Do they just allow anyone to be on any committee? How do they expect anyone to take them seriously?

SMH

Erin Feely-Nahem said...

To those of you who need to blame someone and choose to blame me for Officer Fernandez' departure, GET REAL!
If someone loves his job, even if hundreds of people complain, he stays and fights. If somebody feels misjudged, his actions misunderstood, or he feels misrepresented by the opinion of 2 of the 12,ooo people he serves, is it really logical to think he would throw in the towel and split?
I find your ignorance amazing.
Is it really that difficult for you to believe that a seasoned cop would want to further his career, choosing not to waste any more of his time here? Do you really think that the Commander at the 114th punished PO Fernandez because 2 people, out of 12,000 requested information? Guerra claims he knows everyone there. I can't see him letting that happen.
Fact: I said nothing derogatory to anyone at the 114th about Fernandez. Face it, he just smartened up and realized that staying in this "dead end" job, where there is no chance of moving up, isnt much of a dream for a seasoned cop. Think about it, how exciting can it be to pull in a "thug" for smoking weed, or drinking a beer in the street? Stop fooling yourself. If it deflects your pain at being abandoned, go ahead,blame me. Although many of you report only having had positive contact with Officer Fernandez, there are other in the community who do not feel the same way. Just as you can bring your concerns to the various RIRA committees, or post them on this blog, those individuals did, they brought them to us. It is the job of this committee to look into problems that individuals have with the Law enforcement officers on this Island, and that is what we did. This was not my unilateral decision. I have no vendetta against him. I didn't even know the man. Try and stop being so naive. It makes you too easy to manipulate.

Gregor said...

Erin is being disingenuous when she says that someone who may be castigated by either 2 or 12,000 people would not eventually "give up" and leave.

Erin, however, should not assume that, in Mr. Fernandez' leaving, she has "won". Mr. Fernandez has moved on to a better position; if anything, Mr. Fernandez comes out ahead.

Erin states that some residents expressed their concerns about Mr. Fernandez to her and that she simply relayed these concerns to Mr. Guerra, although she, Erin, herself has no direct knowledge or experience of the problems she was complaining about. What are we to make of this? Would any reader of this blog ever do such a thing? Was she relaying concerns about a real problem or simply lies? She admits she has no way of knowing as she doesn't even know Mr. Fernandez.

The correct thing for the "injured" or "insulted" parties to have done was to voice their concerns directly to either Mr. Guerra or the NYPD or both. Everyone has a right to do this. These "injured parties" could then have given a sworn deposition if need be. Erin couldn't possibly have ever testified in any proceeding as she says she has no direct knowledge of and/or never witnessed these "problems". That is why her "complaints" were in the end without any value.

We must leave the above discussion about the unintended consequences of well-meaning though poorly thought-out actions aside for the moment to focus on future RI security arrangements.

I challenge Erin to poll her fellow representatives at the next RIRA general meeting, so as to actually determine the level of support for the idea of restoring a NYPD officer on RI full-time.

Once this poll is taken, Erin can then "petition" or lobby the NYPD, Ms. Torres or any of the other elected officials that could possibly help, to work on having a NYPD officer restored, and truthfully say the entire community supports the move.

Erin said...

Disingenuous? I don't think so..At this time I am being accused of things I never did. My name is blasted all over this blog, and yes, I feel misunderstood and frustrated by it. People who are talking trash and blaming me for ruining the man's career don't even know the facts, and obviously don't want to. But you know what? Hey, Its a free country. Reality check: Anyone who knows me from the work I've done in this community will question the facts and find the truth. These are the people whose opinions really matter to me. This slanderous rubbish is not going to make me move, and I don't think my phone call made him move either. Next point.. Why would I feel as if I had "won"? Won what? The committee didn't ask for Officer Fernandez to be reassigned. We all agree on the importance of a police presence on the Island and all of the committee members and the majority of the residents want one. So why would we think we had won something? Reality Check#2
The only call I made to the 114th was to verify what I had been told by Guerra, at the committee's request. The purpose of my call was to ask the 114 if our community officer was rotated would we be assigned another. Simple.. Reality Check#3
I never said that a resident expressed their concerns to me personally and that I relayed them to Guerra. Different reports were made to a couple of committee members, each quite similar in nature. A decision was made to "look into it". That is what we started to do. In black and white it is easy to outline what the "correct" thing to do is when injured but different circumstances,ie: economic, racial, cultural etc make that more difficult for some then for others. I have spoken to many individuals personally who remain silent because they fear retaliation. I do not need to know Officer Fernandez to look into a complaint. Neither does the civilian complaint review board. This is not a court of law, and there is no reason for depositions..it was a simple inquiry, which is suddenly filled with drama and has been blown way out of proportion. Allegations were brought before the committee and were discussed. Minutes were taken, for review by the Common Council which were erroniously published..like these..And Fernandez decided to move on..I wish him well,as I've stated before. Reality Check#4 We are already reachng out to those individuals who might be helpful in assisting us in getting a police prescence on the Island. We did it as a smaller community before and now, 12,000 srong, we should be able to do it again. And quess what? Even you can help!

Anonymous said...

anyone remember the old depts on the island,DHCR POLICE, RIPD, with guns 1978-1985 then disbaned...they had guns