RIOC Public Safety Blotter Reports December 21 Roosevelt Island Sexual Assault, RIOC Responds This Afternoon To Inquiries About The Alleged Incident - Watch Video Of RIRA Public Safety December Meeting With Chief Brown

Yesterday, I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Shelton Haynes, Public Safety Department Chief Kevin Brown and Assistant Vice President of Communications Akeem Jamal: 

12/21/22 -2218 – 540 Main Street – Sexual Assault – EMS, PSD Responded – Transported to Hospital

Will RIOC comment on the sexual assault incident listed in PSD Incident Report above?

What happened? Was there an arrest?

This incident will be of great concern to the Roosevelt Island community and I want to make sure that the reporting is accurate.

Will RIOC comment on this matter?

Did not receive any response and followed up again this afternoon to RIOC asking: 

I’m following up on yesterday’s email below regarding a December 21 sexual assault at 540 Main Street reported in the PSD daily blotter.

This is of great concern to residents. Will Rioc provide information about what happened including if there was an arrest?

Today, a NYPD Press Spokesperson told me they had no information on the matter.

I’ve also asked several residents who usually know or can find out and they had no info either.

At 4:14 pm today, RIOC sent out this advisory:

Dear Roosevelt Island Community,

This is an update in response to community inquiries concerning an alleged sexual assault incident on 12/21/22 at 10:18 PM. Emergency Medical Services responded to an unknown individual in the area of 540 main street. Upon arrival, the individual on the scene declined to provide their information and declined assistance from NYPD. After further investigation – there was no police report filed, and the NYPD 114th precinct Detective Squad was not notified of an act of sexual assault.

The Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department and NYPD take any allegations of sexual assault or general wrongdoing seriously. Should you wish to make an anonymous report, please get in touch with the NYPD Crime Stoppers tip line at 800-577-TIPS or submit an online tip.

Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department

 Upon reading the advisory, one resident asked:

How did this get on their blotter if nothing took place? 

This is practically identical to the claim they made concerning the last incident.

Another resident added:

I try to give Chief Brown & PSD the benefit of the doubt on some criminal activity but they continue to test us.  And this Advisory tests their credibility.

 

Does  “... In the area of 540...“ mean In the Building Lobby?  Near the Cultural Center Staircase?  Poorly lit Dark Space Further down the road to the river?

 

Wondering who exactly called 911 if the victim didn’t?

540 Breezeway is hard for PSD to miss.  Doubt any PSOs were out at that crosswalk but is possible.  Even when they are there they miss stuff...

 

And, most importantly, isn’t this the 2nd time this year this kind of assault was reported & nothing happened?

The PSD & RIOC have the responsibility to be transparent & report critical events related 

to the SAFETY of the PUBLIC.  Chief Brown can remind us, at those Public Safety meetings & other settings, how low the crime rate is & how safe we are ... But they never send out or post some reminders about our personal safety.

RIOC's relatively new Vice President of Communications, Akeem Jamal, has made it extremely difficult for the local Roosevelt Island media to obtain information about important issues of concern to the Roosevelt Island community. In response to a prior Public Safety incident last October, Mr Jamal replied to my inquiry: 

... In the event of community concern in the case of such an incident, RIOC would work to advise the public should there be a need. In the future, if you would like information regarding any incident or have other inquiries, please submit a FOIL request. 

This email serves as notice that RIOC will no longer respond to these incidents or other matters unless a FOIL request has been submitted.

I've asked Mr Jamal why he refuses to answer press inquiries on issues of concern to Roosevelt Island residents.

Mr Jamal's answer was:

RIOC wants to control the narrative.

Roosevelt Island public safety issues were discussed with RIOC PSD Chief Kevin Brown during the December 22 Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Public Safety Committee meeting. Among the issues discussed were:

• Very low crime rate on Roosevelt Island, 
• Shoplifting at Duane Reade, 
• Problems at the new Hudson Related Riverwalk Park affordable housing building (Hudson Related is bringing in a social worker to try and solve some of the problems among tenants), 
• Main Street Traffic and parking issues,  including truck and bike deliveries, 
• PSD staffing, two officers are joining NYPD,
• Dog poop,
• and more.

Watch the video of full meeting.

These meetings are open to the public to participate.

Contact RIRA Public Safety Co-Chair Erin Feely-Nahem if you are interested in attending the next meeting.