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.
