Statement Regarding the Incident at Capobianco Field
June 29, 2009
Many Roosevelt Island residents have contacted my office to express their concern about an incident that took place on May 31st at Capobianco Field. According to reports I have received, the Public Safety officers at the scene of the May 31st incident did not effectively mediate the dispute, and may instead have played a role in unnecessarily escalating it. While I did not witness the incident, I share the concerns of residents regarding the role of Public Safety officers in this, and other disputes, as well as the obvious unresolved problems relating to use of the ball field.
If it is found that Public Safety officers acted inappropriately, I expect them to be disciplined. No matter what, I expect the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) and the Public Safety Department (PSD) to take steps to ensure that PSD officers are properly trained to respond constructively to disputes and act as mediators and not belligerents. In the longer term, I am working on legislation to create a civilian review complaint board that will bring community oversight to police officers employed by public agencies, ensuring greater accountability on the part of PSD and other similar security forces.
The incident was covered extensively by local Roosevelt Island media, including the Roosevelt Island 360 and Roosevelt Islander blogs, and in an article published by the Main Street WIRE.
On June 4th, Council Member Jessica Lappin and I wrote to RIOC President Steve Shane, expressing our shared concerns on these matters and requesting a meeting to further discuss the incident. I have posted a copy of that letter in the Publications section of my website. I will continue to keep you updated on this serious matter.
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