The Great Roosevelt Island NYPD Assignment Controversy Resolved - NYPD Officers Assigned on a Temporary Basis Now Until Full Time Replacement Designated

NYPD Inspector Cirabisi and Colleague Speaking With RIRA's President and Public Safety Chair at April RIRA Meeting

Received some good news today in the ongoing controversy over recent re-assignment of the only NYPD officer assigned to Roosevelt Island. Two anonymous comments made on the Blog yesterday here and here indicated that a new NYPD officer was patrolling Roosevelt Island. To check out the accuracy of the comments, I was just about to email Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Leslie Torres and Public Safety Director Keith Guerra when I received this email from RIOC Press Spokesperson Anat Gerstein:

GREAT NEWS:  NYPD REASSIGNS OFFICER TO BE STATIONED ON ROOSEVELT ISLAND

As a result of RIOC's on-going dialogue with the commanding officer of the New York Police Department's (NYPD) 114th Precinct and the Mayor's Office, requesting a replacement of the NYPD officer who was recently reassigned, the NYPD has informed RIOC that Roosevelt Island will be receiving a daily patrol.

“RIOC is very happy to be able to report that there will continue to be a regularly scheduled NYPD presence on the Island  working hand-in-hand with our Public Safety Department.  We are grateful to the NYPD and the Mayor’s Office.  This is great news for our residents and businesses,” said Leslie Torres, President of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation.

As you recall, Roosevelt Island residents had been told that after the previous officer was re-assigned, it was extremely unlikely that the 114th Precinct Commander would be able to allocate a new NYPD officer to Roosevelt Island. The 114th Precinct Commander, Deputy Inspector Stephen Cirabisi, indicated that the NYC budget cuts to the NYPD would make it difficult to assign an officer to Roosevelt Island but that he would do his best to try.  Some Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Delegates claimed that a new NYPD officer would never be assigned again to Roosevelt Island because of alleged poor treatment received by the previous NYPD officer by other RIRA members and that those RIRA members owed an apology to the officer and NYPD.  This angry discussion/confrontation occurred at the April RIRA meeting.

You Tube Video of April RIRA Meeting Confrontation

Fortunately, those RIRA members who said a NYPD officer would never be assigned to Roosevelt Island were wrong.

So what happened. How did the a new NYPD officer get assigned to Roosevelt Island? Following the publication in the NY Post of an article with the headline:

No Sheriff in town
Roosevelt I.'s only cop transfers amid complaints

RIRA President Matt Katz emailed Inspector Cirabisi:

Dear Inspector Cirabisi:

I want to thank you for your visit to the RIRA Common Council last Wednesday. Your remarks helped to clear the air on several issues that have hung fire within our organization.

I’m looking at today’s New York Post, which printed an article (page 6) on Roosevelt Island policing. It quoted unnamed “police officials” as saying that, “The 114th Precinct in Astoria, which oversees Roosevelt Island, will not reassign another officer to the isle…” When you addressed us last week, you indicated that no decision had been reached and that this would be decided based on manpower availability and need.

Can you clear up this contradiction for us? Despite our low crime stats, we would welcome the presence of an NYPD officer here to supplement Public Safety and to confirm our credentials as City residents entitled to City services. Many thanks for all your officers do,

Inspector Cirabisi replied:

As you know Police Officer Fernandez was not transfered out of the 114 Precinct and I don't know who their Police source is but it is inaccurate. I am reviewing my staffing and I am currently looking for a replacement for Police Officer Fernandez. Once I find his replacement I will let you know.

There was also a meeting between RIOC and the NYPD at the Mayor's office referenced above, but I have not received any information yet on what occured.

RIRA President Matt Katz adds:

Inspector Cirabisi of the 114^th Pct. called me yesterday to report that he has assigned temporary officers to Roosevelt Island on Officer Fernandez’s old forty-hour shift.  This will remain in place until he assigns a full-time officer replacement, which he intends to do....

and:

At the last RIRA Common Council meeting, 144^th Pct. commanding officer, Deputy Inspector Stephen Cirabisi informed us that Officer Fernandez’s reassignment was not as a result of any action by the RIRA Public Safety Committee, and that, based on personnel and need, we might expect a new officer to assume that forty-hour shift exclusively on Roosevelt Island.  In his phone call to me yesterday, Insp. Cirabisi made good on that offer, noting that temporary officers are now assigned to that four-to-midnight shift until a full-time replacement is designated.  This is good news!  Roosevelt Island is fortunate to have both NYPD and Public Safety patrols, which have helped to make our community one of the safest in New York City.  Yet another reason to consider our home unique in the City and in America.

As both Ms. Torres and Mr. Katz state - Good News!!