Update On Roosevelt Island Brutality Allegations - Assembly Member Micah Kellner Calls For Civilian Review Board For Public Safety Department/NY State Police Forces - City Council Candidate Ben Kallos Requests State Inspector General Investigation And Resident Board To Oversee Conduct Of Public Safety Department

Logo of New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board from nyc.gov

I asked Roosevelt Island City and State elected officials if they had:

... any comment on the recent allegations of brutality by the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department?...

and any:

 ... position on a civilian review board for the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department?...

Roosevelt Island Assembly Member Micah Kellner replied:

The recent allegations against the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department are greatly concerning if they prove to be true. RIOC acted correctly in swiftly in referring this matter to the State Inspector General for review; however, this incident proves once again that New Yorkers need a state civilian complaint review board to investigate any alleged misconduct by state police forces like Roosevelt Island Public Safety .

On January 9, 2013, Mr. Kellner re-introduced his 2010 bill to:

... amend the executive law, in relation to creating the New York state civilian complaint review board..

Full text of bill (A00956) is here.

Ben Kallos (NYC Council Candidate for the 5th district which includes Roosevelt Island), shares this January 30, 2013 letter he sent to NY State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott regarding the alleged brutality incident.

Re: Complaint Regarding Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation Public Safety Department

Dear Inspector General Scott,

Yesterday, the Daily News in an article titled "So-called 'peace officers' on Roosevelt Island are being sued over savage beating of 20-year-old who claims he was just waiting in front of a building" reported that Roosevelt Island resident Anthony Jones suffered fractured ribs and a pierced lung in an 'unprovoked' attack without being charged with a crime at the hands of state employees and officers of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation's Public Safety Department.

Under New York State Executive Law Article 4-A the Public Safety Department and its employees are a part of Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation which is a State entity under the jurisdiction of your office.

On behalf of Anthony Jones and the residents of Roosevelt Island, I am writing to request that the Office of the Inspector General investigate the incident alleged in this article as well as previous incidents relating to the conduct of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation Public Safety Department.

We respectfully request that any resolution to your investigation include the implementation and ongoing support for a body comprised of residents of Roosevelt Island to oversee and review the conduct of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation Public Safety Department.

Thank you in advance for your assistance in ensuring that State government, its employees and those who work with the state meet the highest standards of honesty, accountability, and efficiency.

Full text of letter from Mr. Kallos is here.

As reported previously, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) has submitted the brutality allegations which are subject to pending litigation to the NY State Inspector General's Office for review.

Mr. Kellner and Mr. Kallos are currently both seeking the 2013 Democratic Party nomination for NYC Council District 5.

On February 1, I sent the following inquiry to RIOC Acting President Don Lewis, Public Safety Department Director Keith Guerra and RIOC Directors:

What is the current work status of any officer or supervisor involved in the recent alleged Public Safety brutality incident?

Are the officers/supervisors currently on duty or in some other status pending results of any investigation.

If their status has changed since the incident, what was the date the status changed.

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