An AlliedBarton “safety ambassador” on the southern end of Battery Park City. On Wednesday the Battery Park City Authority board secretly voted to remove all law enforcement officers from the premises and replace them with civilian AlliedBarton employees.
Manhattan
By Geoffrey Croft
The Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) secretly voted this week to remove all the Park Enforcement Patrol officers, NYC Park Advocates has learned.
The board voted to allow its contract with the Parks Department to expire on Sunday night. The secret vote occurred in an Executive Session after the authority’s monthly board meeting on Wednesday. The deal replaced the current $ 2.5 million dollar PEP contract.
For months BPCA officials have told the public that a percentage of PEP officers would remain along side AlliedBarton “safety ambassadors.”
The Battery Park City Authority’s controversial decision to replace Park Enforcement officers with civilians with no law enforcement powers has sparked outrage from residents of the sprawling complex.
The BPCA board had approved a contract for up to $ 2.1 million with AlliedBarton, another $ 400,000 would be allocated for PEP officers officials said.
The Parks Department was kept in the dark about the move until yesterday afternoon according to several city sources. The agency had reached out to BPCA this week several times but got no response.
On Friday afternoon Parks Department’s general council Alessandro Olivieri was finally able to get in touch with the BPCA.
The last tour for the PEP officers will be on Sunday night. All forty PEP personnel including thirty officers and supervisors, and ten CSA’s will be reassigned to other commands.
Wednesday’s secret vote comes after a group of teens were viciously attacked and robbed in a dark alley in Battery Park City in December.
The attack left one of the victims with a concussion, a skull fracture, bleeding in his brain in three places and a swollen shut eye.
The incident sparked outrage by the victims who claimed the newly hired AlliedBarton safety ambassadors did not intervene to help the teens and delayed calling the police.
“AlliedBarton security personnel on duty did nothing to help the children,” the mother of victim said afterwards.
The actions of AlliedBarton employees further renewed the fears of residents and elected officials who have complained bitterly since finding out about the Authority’s move to replace PEP offices with civilians in October.
In
December city, state,and federal elected officials send a letter to Dennis
Mehiel criticizing the AlliedBarton move:
Battery Park City Authority board chairman and CEO Dennis Mehiel was blasted at a community meeting last month over the proposed hiring of AlliedBarton. At the meeting he stated that they were still in negotiations between the City and BPCA.
Mr. Mehiel abruptly excused himself from the meeting leaving of long line of angry residents waiting to speak.
One recent plan called for having PEP officers work two tours comprising of 24 officers in total according to a city source.
The secret ousting of the PEP officers comes amid growing outrage over several recent decisions by the Board without community consultation and transparency.
Calls for the city to take over the Battery Park City in the wake of these decisions have also been renewed.
This week State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assemblywoman Deborah Glick announced the introduction of a bill that would require a majority of BPCA members to be local residents. Only one of the current BPCA’ seven-member board lives in Battery Park City.
The Authority board is appointed by the governor, and confirmed by the State Senate.
“They televise the board meetings then go into executive session. They do all the dirty stuff behind closed doors, “ said a Battery Park City resident.
Several requests seeking comment from the Battery Park City Authority were not returned.
Read More:
Two Arrested In Brutal Battery Park City Attack
A Walk In The Park - January 13, 2015 - By Geoffrey Croft
Teens Viciously Attacked In Battery Park City While AlliedBarton Security Ambassador Watched
A Walk In The Park - January 7
2016
This secretive and out right callous behavior by the Battery Park City Board comes as no surprise to those of us that worked with them through the years – Despite the few regrettable incidents that have occurred since this new contract was put in place by their new "security service"the Authority seems not to put the life safety and health of the citizens a Battery Park City ahead of their financial concerns
ReplyDeleteIt is the residents of Battery Park that will eventually pay a terrible price for their Boards greed and lack of vision. How could they have so soon forgotten the lessons of 2001?
This secretive and out right callous behavior by the Battery Park City Board comes as no surprise to those of us that worked with them through the years – Despite the few regrettable incidents that have occurred since this new contract was put in place by their new "security service"the Authority seems not to put the life safety and health of the citizens a Battery Park City ahead of their financial concerns
ReplyDeleteIt is the residents of Battery Park that will eventually pay a terrible price for their Boards greed and lack of vision. How could they have so soon forgotten the lessons of 2001?
PEP officers are just a revenue producing scam via spurious tickets and general annoyance to peaceable citizens. Good riddance.
ReplyDeleteWhy in the world are there people on the Battery Park City Board who are not residents of Battery Park City? What is their interest?
ReplyDeleteIt is time for the citizens to fight for the original fight - No taxation without representation! If the majority of the Board does not live in BPC they should not be in power in a representative democracy.....It is time for those with a stake in BPC to take back the thrown.
ReplyDeleteThe arbitrary decision of the Battery Park City Boardto Terminate the use of sworn peace officers is one which will come back to haunt the citizens of Battery Park City - it is a part of Manhattan that will see other cataclysmic events and those sworn to perform their duty to protect the health and safety of our citizens would've been there to respond for people.
ReplyDeleteThe same cannot be said for those who are only there to pull a paycheck just above minimum-wage – this is a tragedy waiting for an opportunity – "Those who forget history are condemned to relive it"
Given the geographic location a Battery Park City is not a question of if, but it when!
Battery Park City Authority and Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation are both examples of state entities that continue to exist to represent the state's interest in these two communities that were developed with state money and bonding capacity.
ReplyDeleteIt used to be the case that public authorities would eventually go out of business once the reason for their creation (building a bridge, building a turnpike, etc.) came to fruition and the original bonds were paid off. Now, they seem to stay in existence forever. At some point, shouldn't these entities simply become regular residential developments and receive normal police services from NYPD?