Parks Worker Assaults Park Officer Over Illegal Vendor Arrest

Royan Mitchell, 36 under arrest at Pier 15 at the South Street Seaport under the East River Drive.  Moments later a parks M & O worker got involved with the PEP officers.  Mitchell has been arrested at least 32 times.

Manhattan

By Geoffrey Croft

Parks Department maintenance workers attempted to prevent Parks Enforcement Patrol officers from arresting a violent career criminal NYC Park Advocates has learned.

The bizarre incident occurred yesterday at 1:45 pm. at Pier 15 at the South Street Seaport.

On November 11th, Royan Mitchell, 36, was observed by attempting to sell tickets to the Hornblower Cruises,  when park police approached him he fled.  

Yesterday, officers observed him again illegally soliciting at the same location.  While attempting to make an arrest, he resisted, at which time approximately six parks department M & O maintenance workers from Pier 15 surrounded the officers and tried to prevent them from arresting the vendor.  

Parks Department Maintaincence & Operation worker Sandra Knight, 53,  was suspended and issued three Criminal Court summons for her involvement in interfering in the arrest of career criminal Royan Mitchell at Pier 15 for illegal vending. 



"They were trying to fight us off," said an officer at the scene.  

"They were cursing at us, and trying to prevent him from being locked up. They were acting like animals." 

Officers said one park worker in particular, Sandra Knight, 53, became aggressive. They say she pushed the officers several times, yelling and screaming.

"She came out of nowhere fighting us,"  an officer said.

Officers say Knight was repeatedly told to back away from the vendor who officers eventually managed to put in handcuffs. Video shows her rushing towards the officers getting within inches, saying, "You got me, you got me." 

Officers can be heard telling her to back away.

Knight elbowed officer Ingrid Sanchez in the face, breaking her glasses when officers attempted to move her away from Mitchell who was still on the floor.  

Officers told her she would be placed under arrest. 

"Don't touch me, don't touch me," she yells over and over. 

Her colleagues are heard saying, "Don't do it Sandra." 

Officers can be heard saying repeatedly,  "Stop resisting Sandra, stop resisting."

Officers say Parks' Chief of Operations, Namshik Yoon, came down to the 1st Pct and intervened on the maintenance worker's behalf.  Instead of being charged with Resisting Arrest and Assault on a Peace Officer and face possible jail time,  the charges were downgraded.   

Sandra Knight was instead issued three Criminal Court summons - Disorderly Conduct, Failure to Comply with Directives of Officer, and Obstruction of Government Administration. 

The Parks Department suspended Knight.  

Royan Mitchell, 36  was charged with Resisting Arrest,  Disorderly Conduct,  Soliciting on Parks Property without a Parks' permit. 

He has been arrested at least 32 times according to law enforcement sources.  On June 18th  Mitchell arrested in a fast food restaurant in the 25 Pct. for repeatedly striking a person. Drugs were also found on his possession. 

The officer was treated at Presbyterian Hospital for minor injuries and released. 

Read More:

Parks staffer arrested after brawling with cops 
New York Post - November 27, 2015 - By Rich Calder and Tina Moore 

Parks Worker Allegedly Elbowed Parks Officer In The Face For 
Arresting Illegal Ticket Vendor
gothamist - November 27, 2015 -   By Emma Whitford

Sex Crimes In Parks On The Rise

City-Wide

By Geoffrey Croft

On Wednesday morning a forty-year-old woman was out for a jog with her dog in Forest Park in Queens when a man approached her and exposed himself. 

Unfortunately this was not an isolated incident.  A number of sex crimes have been reported in city parks recently in what could be described as an alarming trend.

Since August 15th alone there have been at least nine reported incidents in city parks. The crimes include rape, attempted rape, forceable touching, and indecent exposure according to an analiyzes by NYC Park Advocates.

For years the public has called on the Mayor and City Council to dramatically increase dedicated enforcement in parkland.  Park advocates and elected officials have also demanded that the city provide accurate data on crime in parks. Currently the City tracks crime in 31 parks.

In September - on the heels of a number of high-profile sex assaults in parks - Speaker Christine Quinn and other electeds called on Mayor Bloomberg to spare the parks Department's Park Enforcement budget from further cuts.  However few elected officials have stepped up to commit to restoring the millions in funds that have been cut from PEP's budget.

Critics charge the enforcement division has been slowly dismantled under Mayor Bloomberg and recently fired park commissioner Adrain Benepe, this while crime has increased.  

From 2008 to 2011 PEP lost 42% of its officers.   Crime has risen 24% according to data complied by the NYPD of the few parks they do track.

Recent Sexual Assaults

• On November 9th, a 24-year-old jogger was groped In Central Park by a teen. A group of four or five kids surrounded her and demanded a kiss. When she refused one of the teens forcibly touched her.

• On October 5th, a 31-year-old female was raped in Tompkins Square Park, the fifth reported rape to occur on Manhattan park land in recent weeks. The woman said she had fallen a sleep in the park and was awakened by a man on top of her in the process of raping her according to police.

• On September 22, just after 5 a.m., a 21-year-old was repeatedly raped and strangled in Hudson River Park. Police arrested a suspect.   

• On September 12, a 73-year-old woman was raped and beaten in Strawberry Fields in Central Park.  Police arrested a suspect.

• On September 10, a 56-year-old woman was raped, beat up and thrown from the second story  of Pier 15 on the East River Waterfront near the South Street Seaport. Police arrested a suspect.

• On September 3, at 2:15 a.m., a 19-year-old woman was allegedly raped behind a playground in Riverside Park.

On August 21, a man attempted to rape a 17-year-old girl in Peck Park in Queens. The suspect knocked the victim to the ground before the teen was able to kick the suspect in the chest and get away according to police.

On August 15th,  a woman was attacked Forest Park also in Queens. Police reported that the victim was pushed to the ground and forcibly touched.

Parks Department Refuses To Answer Questions About Rapes On It's land - Employees Told Not To Report Crimes?

On Wednesday police investigated the rape & mugging of a 73-year-old woman in Central Park late in Strawberry Fields. On Monday a 56-year-old woman was raped and pushed over a railing and fell 20 feet from the second story of Pier 15 in lower Manhattan. (Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates)

"I'll tell you what, the park employee who begged me never to reveal his name once told me that they were actually told not to report things in Strawberry Fields anymore." - Jackie interviewed on 1010 WINS.

Manhattan

By Geoffrey Croft

For the second time in four days the parks department's press office refused to answer questions regarding agency employees that involved a rape on a park property and instead referred queries to the Police Department.

On Saturday the New York Times reported when the 73-year-old woman was raped in Central Park and encountered a man masturbating in the wooded Ramble area two weeks ago, she not only took his photograph, but also reported the incident to a park ranger.

"Some of the newspapers mentioned that after I saw the guy masturbating, I didn’t report it. I did. I reported it,” the woman naturally upset said in an interview outside her apartment on the Upper West Side, according to the Times.

“There was a park ranger who came by, and I stopped him immediately and showed him the picture. And I said: ‘Look at this picture. This guy is in the Ramble.’ And the ranger said, ‘Oh, O.K., I’ll look out for him.’ ”

"Vickie Karp, a spokeswoman for the parks department, referred questions about whether the victim approached a ranger and what rangers’ responsibilities are in such situations to the Police Department. "

The police department has absolutely no jurisdiction or connection to park workers which Ms. Karp is fully aware of.

What is not known at this time despite numerous requests from the Parks Department is if in fact the victim reported it to an actual Park Ranger or any number of other park personnel including Central Park Conservancy workers, welfare workers, maintenance personal, volunteers etc. The public is often confused about park rangers as well as PEP as there are many people with similar uniforms.

Ms. Karp's refusal to answer these questions about a park employee and protocol is completely unacceptable. Who the victim reported it to and what their responsibilities are is a very serious matter that raises many issues including potential legal liability on behalf of the city - i.e. if the rape and robbery could have been avoided had it been properly followed up on.

It is imperative we find out exactly who the victim reported it to, if the parks department knows who the employee is and if not if the agency has launched an investigation into this serious matter. We need to get to the bottom of this.

The article had initially reported that rangers, who work for the New York City parks department, are not law-enforcement officers - that has since been corrected.

Park Rangers are law enforcement officers and have the exact same peace officer status as NYPD Officers.

Jackie, interviewed on 1010 WINS and described as a frequent parks user said, "I'll tell you what, the park employee who begged me never to reveal his name once told me that they were actually told not to report things in Strawberry Fields anymore."

Multiple park sources have told us that the message alerting park employees of the Central Park crime on the Parks Department's internal paging system did not go out until after 4:00pm - three hours after the media arrived.

East River Waterfront Esplanade. On Monday, police officers guarded the entrance to Pier 15. A 56-year-old woman fell approx. 20 feet from the top level of Pier 15 after she was pushed over the railing according to police.

On Monday, Metro NY asked Vickie Karp to confirm statements made by NYC Park Advocates regarding Park Enforcement Patrol Officers assigned to Pier 15. We reported that hours after the officers left a 56-year-old woman was raped and thrown off a second level of the Pier.

Ms. Karp refused to confirm any of the statements about the incident including information pertaining to the park employees and instead referred all questions to the NYPD.

Ms. Karp was asked 8 questions earlier today regarding these issues including whether or not she was acting under the orders of the Parks lawyer Alessandro Olivieri, the new parks commissioner Veronica White, or the Mayor's office in refusing to answer these public safety questions.

"You have many answers from us defining PEP and Urban Park Rangers. How is it you suddenly don't know this," Ms. Karp said in response to numerious questions and requests seeking comment.

Yesterday Public Advocate Bill de Blasio called for answers regarding the prior confrontation involving the victim and suspect in Wednesday’s Central Park sexual assault.

In a letter sent to the NYPD and Parks Department today, de Blasio questioned why no formal report was filed two weeks ago, what policies are in place to respond when allegations of criminal conduct are brought forward, and—in light of sustained budget cuts—whether there are sufficient resources to protect park-goers.

"I am concerned that the recent upticks in violent crime point to a larger problem of an under resourced security infrastructure in our parks. Since the mid-1990s, we have seen the headcount for Park Enforcement officers diminished considerably. We now have fewer than 100 Parks Enforcement officers across all five boroughs," Mr. de Blasio wrote.

Read More:

Rape Victim, 73, Says She Reported Earlier Confrontation With Suspect

New York Times - September 14, 2012 - By Wendy Ruderman and Nate Schweber

Police Hunt For Monday's Pier 15 Rapist Of OWS Woman

Police are looking for Jackie Barcliff 44, for the rape of a 56-year-old woman on Pier 15 early Monday morning. After he raped her police say he threw the woman off the second

story of the pier over the railing and where she landed 20 feet below. The woman suffered a broken arm and a fractured pelvis from the fall. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital and under went surgery. According to the police they met that same day at an OWS related event and she recognized Barcliff from previous OWS demonstrations.

The Parks Department had Park Enforcement Patrol coverage (PEP) coverage exclusively dedicated to the Pier for the first time on Sunday but they left by 8:00pm - five hours before the incident occurred. Sunday was the first day PEP began it's "Contract Park" obligations where officers are assigned exclusivity to one park. The two officers are contracted to work just one shift leaving the Pier for vast majority of the day not secured. The public, including elected official and advocates have been calling for a dramatic rise in the hiring of officers to provide security in parks city-wide which have seen a dramatic rise in crime.

This was the third reported rape on parkland in a little over a week including the brutal attact on a 73-year-old woman on Central Park.

Manhattan

As protestors begin to filter into New York City over the weekend to commemorate the anniversary Monday of Occupy Wall Street (OWS), the NYPD is hunting for a rapist among them, according to the NYPD which released a Media Advisory from the Special Victims Squad today.

Earlier this week, a 56-year-old woman who was in Manhattan to participate in OWS protests was raped and thrown from two stories by an individual she recognized from previous OWS demonstrations.

Police officers guarded the entrance to Pier 15 on Monday. The pier was closed all day while police investigated the crime scene. (Exclusive Photo: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advcates)

At approximately 2:00 a.m. on Monday, September 10th, the assailant forced the woman to accompany him to the elevated level of the new Pier 15 park overlooking the East River in lower Manhattan. He raped her there and, afterwards, flung her over the second-story railing to the ground below, causing her to sustain a broken pelvis and other serious injuries.

Police are looking for Jackie Barcliff, Male Black ,44, who was arrested for assault and resisting arrest last December in front of Liberty Plaza, and who then tried to escape after being apprehended by police. Barcliff has frequented other OWS gathering sites in lower Manhattan in the past.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

All calls are strictly confidential.

Read More:

NYPD Hunts Occupy Wall Street Rape Suspect

WNBC - September 13, 2012

Jackie Barcliff: Police searching for Occupy protester accused of rape

Metro NY - September 13, 2012 - By Cassandra Garrison

NYPD identifies Jackie Barcliff, 44, as the Occupy Wall Street demonstrator

who raped a fellow protestor in lower Manhattan earlier this week

New York Daily News - September 13, 2012 - By Shayna Jacobs

Occupy Wall Street Protester Raped, Flung 2 Stories to Ground: Police

WNBC - September 13, 2012

Suspect Sought in Rape of Occupy Wall Street Protester Near South Street Seaport

City Room - New York Times - September 13, 2012 - By Andy Newman

Police Search For Alleged Pier 15 Rapist

NY1 News

Protester eyed in rape

New York Post - September 14, 2012 - By Kirstan Conley

Woman Raped & Thrown Off Second Story of Pier 15

A Walk In The Park - September 11, 2012

Woman Raped & Thrown Off Second Story of Pier 15

East River Waterfront Esplanade. A 56-year-old woman fell approx. 20 feet from the top level of Pier 15 to the ground below. Police are investigating whether the woman was raped and if she was pushed over the railing. (Exclusive Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates)

UPDATE: Police confirm she was raped and thrown off the second story of the pier.

The double-decker Pier 15 - located along the waterfront near the Financial District - was closed off all day yesterday while the NYPD's Crime Scene squad conducted their investigation. Police caution tape was strung across the entire width of the Pier and officers guarded the entrance. Click on image to enlarge.

The upper level closes at dusk. According to the police the incident occurred at approximately 2am Monday morning.

The Parks Department had Park Enforcement Patrol coverage (PEP) coverage exclusively dedicated to the Pier for the first time on Sunday but they left by 8:00pm - five hours before the incident occurred. Sunday was the first day PEP began it's "Contract Park" obligations where officers are assigned exclusivity to one park. The two officers are contracted to work just one shift leaving the Pier for vast majority of the day not secured. The public, including elected official and advocates have been calling for a dramatic rise in the hiring of officers to provide security in parks city-wide which have seen a dramatic rise in crime.

Manhattan

By Geoffrey Croft

A 56-year-old woman fell approx. 20 feet from an elevated platform early yesterday morning at Pier 15 along the East River near the South Street Seaport, NYC Park Advocates has learned.

Police are investigating the incident as a possible rape.

The woman is a member of Occupy Wall Street. The incident occurred about 4 am Monday morning.

According to a law enforcement source the woman met a man and they went looking for somewhere to drink. They two settled on a lawn area on the top floor of the pier. The woman somehow passed out and when she awoke she was on the ground....20 feet below. Her pants had been removed.

The woman suffered a broken arm and a fractured pelvis from the fall. She was taken to Bellevue and under went surgery yesterday.

The suspect is described as a male black in his 50's. The police have have a street name for the suspect.

Pier 15, located between Fletcher & John Streets at the Southern end of the South Street Seaport extends 500 feet out into the East River and is part of the city’s $167 million East River Waterfront two-mile East River esplanade project.

Pier 15 - located at South St. between Fletcher & John St. in the Financial District was closed off all day yesterday while the NYPD conducted its investigation. The normally bustling Pier was eerily quiet as officers guarded the entrance, police caution tape was strung across the entire width of the Pier. Throngs of tourists filed passed the pier, some took photos of the crime scene vehicle which was parked off to the side under the FDR drive.

The 50, 000-square-foot structure opened in December 2011 and South streets, is part of the city's $167 million East River Waterfront project. The for-profit Pier was built by the city's Economic Development Corporation.

The NYPD's Crime Scene Unit vehicle on Pier 15.

Investigators from the NYPD worked on the roof-top where a 56-year-old woman was pushed yesterday.

Read More:

Woman raped, thrown 20 feet off Pier 15 by South Street Seaport

Metro New York - September 11, 2012 - By Carly Baldwin

1010 Wins

September 11, 2012

Police Hunt For Monday's Pier 15 Rapist Of OWS Woman

A Walk In The Park - September 13, 2012

Police Arrest Pier 15 Rape Suspect - Also Charged With Rape Of 14-Year-Old

A Walk In The Park - September 15, 2012