RIOC Report On Arrest Of Roosevelt Island Parent During Little League Permit Incident Will Not Be Released To The Public

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RIOC President Steve Shane’s statement regarding the May 30 arrest of a Roosevelt Island parent by two Public Safety Department Officers during a dispute between a local little league team and an off Island group with a valid permit to use Capobianco Field included the following:

… The Chief of Public Safety has conducted a full investigation of the actions of his officers and I have reviewed it with our Counsel.

… I have requested the now former head of RIRAs Public Safety Committee to meet with Chief Guerra and to review all of the information on this incident and to report to both RIRA and RIOC on his findings. He has indicated that if so requested by RIRA, he will proceed. I suggest that all await the full findings before leaping to any conclusions.

I inquired of Mr. Shane whether Mr. Guerra’s report on the incident would be made available for the Roosevelt Island community to review.

Will you be releasing the Review conducted by Public Safety Department Chief Guerra regarding the recent arrest of the Little League Parent during the ball field permit dispute to the public that was mentioned in your June 9 statement below?

The Chief of Public Safety has conducted a full investigation of the actions of his officers and I have reviewed it with our Counsel.

Your column indicated that you have asked the former head of RIRA’s Public Safety Committee to review the information but that should not preclude the rest of the Roosevelt Island Public from learning the contents of Chief Guerra’s completed report now.

Openness and transparency will overcome rumors, exaggerations and falsehoods. Perhaps the report can be posted in full on the RIOC web site?

Mr. Shane repled:

Because of the nature of this matter and the allegations of misconduct, while there is the potential for further legal action, I would prefer not to post the report. I would expect the RIRA report, the author having had the opportunity to review the Director’s report, will satisfy on the questions that others may have. Besides, it won’t be self serving, as I’m sure many would expect the Director’s report to be.

Of course Mr. Shane would “prefer” not to release this report on the incident. Government officials, not just RIOC, often prefer to keep as much information as they can from the public fearing embarrassment, ridicule, the revelation of mistakes and public misunderstanding, In some cases there may be a legitimate privacy, security or legal reason for government witholding of information but there has not been a showing yet by RIOC of a legitimate reason for not releasing Mr. Guerra’s report on the incident to the public particularly since RIOC is willing to share the information with a former RIRA Public Safety Committe Chairperson. (Without any positive or negative connotation express or implied, I believe this person is a former Police Officer). Note that the information is not being shared for review by the current RIRA Public Safety Chairperson.Funneling the contents of this report through the former head of RIRA’s Public Safety Committee is simply not an adequate substitute for a full public community review by any Roosevelt Island resident who wishes to read the report and find out what it reveals.