Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Use Of Tasers By Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department On Agenda For RIOC Operations Committee Meeting Today - Is Jaywalking and Refusing To Provide ID Sufficient Cause To Taser, Florida Police Thing So


Reported previous here and here on the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department's request to be armed with Taser weapons in order to:
... better protect the officers from injuries caused by suspects resisting arrest, for help gaining compliance from suspects as well as preventing disturbed people from injuring themselves.... 
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Operations Committee will be meeting later today and among the items on the Agenda is:
... 2.    Follow-up Discussion of Taser Presentation...
ABC News reported July 12 on a Florida man who was tasered by Police Officers after jaywalking and refusing to provide identification. According to ABC News:
Florida police said they followed procedure when they Tasered accused jaywalker Zikomo Peurifoy three times when he refused to provide identification after police stopped him for allegedly jaywalking.

A video of the altercation taken by Peurifoy's friend Noelle Price, who was arrested along with him, and which Peurifoy posted to his Youtube account, may now be shown to officers as an example of how to properly handle an uncooperative suspect, said Capt. David Del Rosso, of the Casselberry Florida Police Department....
Here's the video.



ABC News also reports that after Mr. Peurifoy was handcuffed he was found with a concealed firearm though it was later determined he had a permit to carry it and the person taking the video was arrested for not providing her name. Her backpack was searched:
...and found brass knuckles, a firearm, pepper spray and a knife, Del Rosso said. The backpack arsenal resulted in an additional charge of carrying a concealed weapon. Price, unlike Peurifoy, did not have a permit to carry a weapon....
Click here for the entire ABC News article.

More information on Roosevelt Island Taser issue here and here.

Here's the Agenda for RIOC Operations Committee Meeting today:
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a meeting of the Operations Advisory Committee of the RIOC Board of Directors will be held on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. at the RIOC administrative office, 591 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, New York.

Agenda:


1. Follow-up Discussion of Small Pox Hospital Stabilization Project
2. Follow-up Discussion of Taser Presentation
3. Follow-up Discussion of Southpoint Park Bus Route
4. Follow-up Discussion of Bike Parking Policy
5. Follow-up Discussion of NextBus
6. Discussion of Architectural and Engineering Services for the Bus Garage and Warehouse Renovation Project
7. Discussion of Steel Boat Sculpture (Prow) Restoration Project
8. Discussion of Motorgate Ramp Drainage Improvements
9. Discussion of Service Contract for Island-wide Pothole Repair
10. Any Other Committee Business that May be Brought Before the Committee

27 comments :

Westviewer said...

What makes me think that if Public Safety gets tasers, there will be a disaster?   Am I the only one who feels that it is to the benefit  of Public Safety to exaggerate the amount and type of crime that occurs on the island, in order to justify the size of the force and their footage on Main Street?   Does anyone else feel that teenagers who hand out together are not necessarily a "gang."  Am I the only one who found the out of town expert unconvincing. 

jimmylaroche said...

There is a gang problem. They have been IDENTIFIED as gang members, not assumed gang members. You DO KNOW that there are OTHER gangs out there besides bloods and crips?

The amount of crime doesnt matter!

Lets not be oblivious here, in the past several years there has been at least 4 FIREARM incidents!

Chances are of another one happening is high, as statistics.shown therr has been an incident every other year or so.

Do you nit think the officers want to live and go to.their families?

2 of those firearm subjects, PSD arrested them!

Makes sense to just have them walk around with a stick?

zoilalexie said...

Are you the parent or neighbor of a gang member?  Of course kids hanging out does not necesarily mean they are a gang, but if they are doing more than hanging out, like committing crimes, then they are.  Tasers or no Tasers, we're lucky to have our own force here.  If you don't think so, then you're the one in the dark.

Raymond Torres said...

i agree with you

Anonymous said...

Best of luck to the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department. I hope they get this. At what point will our fellow residents stop being SO SELFISH and actually start caring about officers safety.

Westviewer said...

No, I am not the parent or neighbor of a gang member, but I recognize manipulation and hysteria when I see it. 

zoilalexie said...

What hysteria?  They could have just went and bought the Tasers, but they wanted to get feedback from the community.  They didn't have to do that.  I think it's noble that they did.  I, personally, am not 100% sure they should get them, but at least I can sympathise with their dilemna of people trying to with fight them because they do not carry firearms.  If Taers fall between Mace & Batons, I don't see where it would be a "disaster" - as you indicate. 

Salvatore Anthony Hoo said...

I agree, batons seem like they have the potential to do a lot more physical harm and control a bad situation with less authority.

RooseveltIslander said...

How do you know PSD could have unilaterally decided to arm themselves with Tasers without getting approval from RIOC Directors?

My understanding is that adding a weapon such as Tasers to PSD, whether a right or wrong decision, is a policy matter to be made by the Board of Directors and not the Staff of PSD.

Westviewer said...

The hysteria is on the part of PS, which foments fear by exaggerating the crime rate on the island.  This is the same tactic that has resulted in the widespread "security theater" we are all subjected to constantly that  does nothing to improve our safety, but only creates a false sense of security.  

zoilalexie said...

I did not know the RIOC Board instituted policy.  I thought they just approved spending.  My, possibly outdated, understanding was that policy was the responsibility of the RIOC President.  But, ok, either way, the RIOC Board could have approved the Tasers without consulting with the community.  That was really my point... not who in particular - but that it could have just been done.  I actually appreciate that they presented the topic to the community.  

Anonymous said...

Ok did anyone actually watch the video? It's clear he wasn't tased because he way jaywalking.

And yes I agree,stopping someone for jaywalking nowadays is unheard of,but we don't the layout of where this occurred. It might not have been your "normal" jaywalking.

Now if I'm a cop and I see someone cross the street,I wouldn't care. Now if I'm a cop,and I see someone crossing a 3 or 4 lane road,then honestly I would stop them cause its not only dangerous to them but to the drivers.

It's not stated thats what he did,but we shouldn't jump to the conclusion that he crossed a simple street.

Now once he did stop him,the cop clearly asked for ID. Now the cop should have stated that he was asking cause he was going to write a ticket and that's what he needed his ID for but he never said that. It's clear the gentleman became combative when they tried to take him into custody.

So in the end,he wasn't tased for jaywalking,he was tased for resisting arrest. The same reason PSD is asking for tasers.

-Luke Skywalker

NOtaserME said...

I agree with you Westviewer. I am a parent but this has nothing to do with my opinion against tasers. I don't like the manipulation going on here, manipulation through fear.

NOtaserME said...

Zoilaxie, have you ever felt threatened by the "committing crime kids" ? Perhaps we should start by implementing actions suggested in "the minority report" and start tasering the less fortunate youth BEFORE they commit a crime. The more I think about PSD the more I wonder what are they here for?? Writing tickets? Harassing us when we try to get our food home? Are they really keeping peace? The only thing they could really use the tasers for is resisting arrest. And arresting is BIG business. Have they ever stopped a burglary? This is probably or supposedly the #1 issue on Roosevelt Island yet it seems they always get to it late. I suggest they should constantly patrol the floors instead of sitting in their brand new Jeeps, riding on their Segways to Starbucks and driving off the island to get I don't know what.

NOtaserME said...

“The general population doesn’t know what’s happening, and it doesn’t even know that it doesn’t know.” Noam Chomsky

zoilalexie said...

As a matter of fact, Oblomova, I have been threatened by the kids who hang out in front of the deli.  I've also been the victim of a Burglary here, and guess what - the individual was caught.  You really should talk what you know.  You have a BIG mouth on this Blog.  I see your posts everywhere and most, if not all of them, do not make much sense at all.  The more you post, the more ignorant you sound.  Get over the fact that you were moved along when you were parked illegally.  If it was an NYPD Officer who moved you along, you wouldn't be saying a word.  One day, you may be the victim of a crime, and you're going to want PSD to be there to help you.  Until that happens, be grateful that it hasn't.  And, as i said before, talk what you know.

siscoeb said...

 As i stated before. Everyone on Roosevelt Island should have a water pistol. This way we can squirt water on each other and keep everyone cool. It really works especially in humid weather.

siscoeb said...

 Security may be hiring. Try getting a job with them instead of yapping all the time. Maybe with you on the force some improvements will be made.

siscoeb said...

 What hysteria and manipulation. People have a difference with their opinions. Are you dreaming about hysteria.

siscoeb said...

 Please calm down. Take a nap because it`s too humid and hot in this weather to argue.

siscoeb said...

 Noam Chomsky another guy who complains about our society. Everyone who agrees with him should move  to another country.

siscoeb said...

 Do you really know what you are talking about? I wish you would calm down. Try taking a nap. It may help.

Westviewer said...

I am perfectly calm, and I know what I'm talking about. 

siscoeb said...

take a nap anyway it will do you some good

Jim Porson said...

The security don't need tasers as we are already over-policed. The   patrols are obsessed with ticketing lightly infracting drivers and parkers which would go unnoticed in Manhattan. And having traffic cops spaced about 100 feet apart is cuh-razey. Giving them tasers will only embolden them. And while we are on the topic, can we institute a minimum fitness standard for these gym class losers? Only "elbow tattoo" cop looks able to chase my 5 year old. In fact tasers will give them another reason not to stay in shape or worry. Lastly, the supervisor has memory problems which surely is a crime fighting inhibitor. 

theohiostate said...

Ha Ha Ha - you are a funny dude.  Welcome to the Island, Jim.  I don't know what you do for a living, but I bet it's not putting your butt on the line for very low pay. 

Just in case you haven't noticed, this is Roosevelt Island, where Quality of Life issues are important to us.  That's why our neighborhood is one of the safest in NYC.  What exactly do you mean by "lightly infracting drivers and parkers"... it's like being pregnant - either you are or you aren't.  

Should the Officers here already be looking to "chase, tackle and arrest" your 5 year-old?  Wow, I guess they're starting younger & younger these days...

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