Monday's 6-3-24 City Council Meeting Agenda - What's On Deck

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Shooting At Washington Ave and Depuyster Ave Early Evening of November 22

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The intersection of Washington Ave and Depuyster Ave, the location of the alleged shooting in Beacon on November 22, 2023 at 6:30pm.

Days after an alleged shooting at or near the intersection of Washington Avenue and Depuyster Avenue, which is near the mountain, the City of Beacon Police Department issued a Press Release with some details:

“On November 20, 2023 at approximately 6:30pm the Beacon Police Department responded to the area of Washington Avenue and Depuyster Avenue for a report of gunshots. Upon arrival, officers located a crime scene which the Detective Division began processing. A short time later, a local hospital received a male victim with non-life-threatening gunshot wound. He was treated and later released. The department is continuing to investigate and due to the nature of the incident further details are not being released at this time. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information that would further the investigation is encouraged to contact the Beacon Police Department Detective Division by calling 845-831-4111.”

Locals listening to the police scanner say that the people involved in the shooting used cars, versus if they had walked there. This area is relatively far from downtown Beacon or the I-84. It is not clear how or why the hospital receiving a male victim with a gunshot wound was connected to this shooting.

Some locals in the area have indicated that they did not see an ambulance, so the victim may have been dropped off at the hospital or taken themselves. It is also not stated which hospital. Sometimes these Press Releases do sometimes include the name of the hospital.

Some locals arriving home after work said they encountered the road being blocked off while the police investigated the crime scene.

In the last Press Release issued by the City of Beacon Police with the attempted entry, they indicated who the person they arrested was. In the Press Release before that for the shooting at Bank Street and Tompkins Avenue, the police did not make any indications on who the shooter was.

Pictured above is the intersection of Washington Avenue and Depuyster Avenue.

NAACP and Poughkeepsie Strike Down Law Making It Unlawful To Ride Bikes Not Registered With Police Department

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Top Photo: Barrington R. Atkins: Northern Dutchess Branch President
Bottom Photo: Members of the Northern Dutchess Branch and Members of the City of Poughkeepsie Common Council
PHoto Credit: Northern Dutchess NAACP

From the Press Release Issued By Northern Dutchess NAACP:

“On November 6th, legislation proposed by The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Northern Dutchess Branch, was unanimously sponsored and passed by the City of Poughkeepsie Common Council. The legislation struck down a 50-year-old ordinance making it unlawful to ride bicycles not registered with the police department.

“For hundreds of years, Black people have had their free movement and modes of transportation restricted - by foot, horse, coach, train, trolley, streetcar, bicycle, bus, and automobile. It is no coincidence that these ordinances went into effect in Poughkeepsie in 1973, on the heels of the enormous wins of the civil rights movement and at the advent of the war on drugs; in fact, these bicycle registration ordinances went into effect less than six weeks after the notorious Rockefeller Drug Laws were signed into law.

“In addition to the pretextual nature of such statutes, including controversial Stop & Frisk policies, laws that erect barriers to the free movement of citizens are a part of a concept known as arrested mobility. These can be traced back regionally to the Provincial NY Slave Codes of 1702. Such public policy was resurrected by the Jim Crow South after Reconstruction and was used specifically regarding bicycles by the Nazis in occupied territories, most notably the Netherlands.

“Branch President Barrington R. Atkins said, “It is our duty to dismantle all systems of inequality. Legislative changes such as this send a message to lawmakers and law enforcement that the fight for civil rights is alive and well here in the City of Poughkeepsie. This is a small step toward decriminalizing the daily lives of people of color, and there will be more to come.”

“Branch Vice President Robin Green, who also serves on the Criminal Justice Committee, believes that “While it was a proud moment for this great organization and the legislative effort led by our criminal Justice committee, let us not wait another 50 years for equity and social Justice to be realized for our most basic rights. I believe ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere,’ as MLK Jr. said. We still have a lot of work to do.”

“Executive Committee member D. Jen Brown, Esq., added, “On Monday, 11/6/23, the City of Poughkeepsie Common Council spoke with one voice to remove a historically discriminatory restriction on the mobility of Poughkeepsie residents. Their vote is a step forward toward a stronger, more unified Poughkeepsie community.”

“From Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycotts of 1955-56 to riding bicycles today in the City of Poughkeepsie, the NAACP is committed to achieving equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color.

“The Northern Dutchess NAACP is committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities. Our work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. For more information, please contact the branch by email at info@ndnaacp.org, by telephone at (845) 546- 1067, or on Facebook at fb.me/ndnaacp.”

City of Beacon Police Respond With Detail Of New May 25th Incident Involving Mentally Ill Man In Question

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PLEASE NOTE: this article series is discussing 2 different incidents of a man who has been in Beacon for some time, harassing people, which has escalated after he was Tasered on Main Street by MTA Police on May 19, 2021. Later, he was Tasered again on May 25, 2021 by a New York State Trooper. This response from the City of Beacon Police deals with the May 25th incident. It does not address the May 19th incident because the City of Beacon Police Department was not involved.

During the research for the story on the man who was Tasered by MTA Police on Main Street on May 19, 2021, in response to an alleged complaint of threats, ALBB learned that a new incident occurred on Main Street on May 25, 2021 that involved City of Beacon Police and New York State Police. On that day, we reached out to the City of Beacon Police for confirmation and any detail they could provide.

Today, Lt. Figlia from the City of Beacon Police responded to ALBB with detail from the City of Beacon Police. The detail is provided in full below:

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The following message has been written by Lt. Figlia of the Beacon Police:

We believe that the nature of this incident is, at least to some extent, related to the mental health of an individual. In order to protect that individual’s privacy, we will not be releasing any identifying information about the individual, nor will we comment on any incidents that did not involve City of Beacon Police Department members. However, the matter you are inquiring about is of considerable public concern, so we want to provide the public with as much information as we can responsibly share.

On 5/25/21 at approximately 10:48 AM the Beacon Police Department received a call for male, who was identified by name, inside of a business on Main St. screaming, “fuck you bitch” at a female employee and refusing to leave. When officers were dispatched to the call, MTA PD advised BPD over the radio that they had an active warrant for individual. BPD officers then located him on Main St. and took him into custody without incident. He was then transported directly to MTA PD’s Beacon HQ where he was turned over to them. Any questions about the nature of the warrant should be directed to the MTA PD.

At approximately 1:25 PM the same day the Beacon Police Department received three separate calls about the same individual on Main St. yelling at people and being involved in an altercation. BPD officers responded and approached the individual, who was now in need of psychiatric evaluation at a hospital under New York State Mental Hygiene Law, as it had become apparent from his actions that he was presenting a danger to himself and others. As officers approached, the individual fled on foot before they could speak to him. BPD officers pursued him with the intent of taking him into custody for transport to MidHudson Regional Hospital. During that time a passing New York State Trooper observed this and self-initiated joining the pursuit. The trooper utilized a taser on the individual. BPD officers then took the individual into custody without further incident and transported him to MidHudson Regional Hospital for psychiatric treatment. As of approximately 12:30 PM on 5/26/21 the individual was observed to be out of MidHudson Regional and back in Beacon. Any questions about the use of force and the taser should be directed to the New York State Police.

On 5/26/21 someone came into BPD HQ to file charges against the same individual for allegedly threatening to kill them. This year, from 2/28/21 to 5/26/21 the Beacon Police Department has had 42 contacts with the individual in question. Of these contacts, 36 have been due to calls from the public. They have primarily been for threatening or harassing behavior, walking in front of vehicles and very aggressive panhandling. The individual in question has been approached by our co-housed Mental Health America of Dutchess County Behavioral Health Specialist on numerous occasions and has continuously refused many attempts at assistance and services.

Coverage Of The Gathering To Speak Against Force Used By MTA Police In Beacon

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PLEASE NOTE: this article series is discussing 2 different incidents of a man who has been in Beacon for some time, harassing people, which has escalated after he was Tasered on Main Street by MTA Police on May 19, 2021. Later, he was Tasered again on May 25, 2021 by a New York State Trooper. This response from the City of Beacon Police deals with the May 25th incident. It does not address the May 19th incident because the City of Beacon Police Department was not involved.

During the summer of 2020, when the nation was marching against the standards used in policing in the name of Black lives mattering more, Beacon was marching as well. The focus was on the City of Beacon Police, a department which had undergone major reform after a Federal investigation that concluded in 2017.

To ALBB’s knowledge, City of Beacon Police Officers did not participate in those Marches (please write in to correct us if you were an officer who participated - even if anonymous!), with the exception of Lieutenant Figlia, who is still active with the City of Beacon Police, and contributed his story after one of the marches at an open mic session. During that experience, he shared his story of domestic abuse by his father towards himself and his mother, and how it inspired him to become a police officer to serve and protect others.

Otherwise, the then Chief Kevin Junjulas did not participate, was terse during City Council Meetings when asked questions about process by the Council, and retired shortly into the racial reckoning awakening in June 2020.

This week, a protest was held by Beacon4Black Lives after a young man known locally for mental instability and aggression was tasered by MTA Police on Main Street on the sidewalk. Details of the incident are here. This use of force act prompted some in the community to gather together to march to the MTA Police District 7 barracks, a sleepy little house-like structure on Beekman Street that normally nobody pays any mind to.

Over the past year, the people of Beacon have been successfully working with the City of Beacon’s Police and City Council to build relationships at the leadership level and community level for form a state mandated Police Reform plan. This incident from the MTA Police was out of character with what has been discussed within the community, which included a heavy focus on mental health and policing. Therefore, the tasering action of a mentally unstable, albeit unpleasant person on the surface, shocked many people into focus on MTA Police and learn more about them.

When the community members marched from Chase Bank on Main Street, to the MTA Police barracks on Beekman Street, they were met by 7 MTA Police Officers standing in front of the barracks at 8:45pm on the evening of Tuesday, May 25, 2021. One officer standing in front of the barracks wore a white shirt, and the rest of the officers were in dark uniforms. The officer in the center had his hand near his shirt collar, while others stood by, arms folded, and eventually leaned on the building columns and relaxed their postures.

Two other officers in white shirts approached up the hill to the south of the barracks near the police parking lot. Community members in this protest were escorted by City of Beacon Police, who had maintained a moving blockade down Main Street, and closed Beekman Street at the District 7 barracks to divert cars while the community members stood in the middle of the road, asking the MTA Police Officers questions.

This was the first time in a year that police officers had come out to meet community members demanding their attention. While the moment was awkward - as the officers and the community members did not know what to say to each other during this unexpected turnout - it was refreshing. Questions were asked of the officers, to learn more about them. All officers remained silent. Questions included:

  • Do you communicate with the City of Beacon Police on people known to this area? On the platform and on Main Street, as the people go back and forth. How does the communication work?

  • Do you come to this District 7 each time? Are you are other Districts? Or are you familiar with Beacon? Or are you in Long Island and other areas and sometimes here?
    PARTIAL ANSWER: We have since learned from the community that MTA Police Captain Pisanelli at District 7 in Beacon is a generational Beaconite - Hello!

  • How are you feeling right now?

  • When you tase someone, does it also affect your body? Does the electricity also go into your body? We wanted to hear from you on the experience, rather than read about it in newspapers.

When the officers did not respond, one community member stated: “We’re the people they are supposed to protect and serve, and they don’t want to talk to us.”

When the police did not respond, one of the group leaders, who is Black and whose dad is a corrections officer, spoke to the officers via his megaphone:

“We’re sad of seeing Black and Brown lives being hurt.”

A woman from the community broke in to say: “You’re doing your job, and we respect that.”

The march organizer continued: “And we want things to change. We want answers. We want solutions. We want things to change. We want things to get better. I don’t want to drive down the street and be afraid of being pulled over. I could be killed. And that’s the fact of the matter. My dad’s a Corrections Officer, and he still tells me to do a certain thing and act a certain way in front of police, because if they don’t know me, they can kill me at any point. And it really saddens us. It makes us so sad, that we have to do this. The reality is, even when we do this, and we come down here, and try to have an actual conversation with y’all as people, as people of your comunity, and you still won’t have enough respect for us to talk to us. And that’s terrible. You know what I mean?”

With questions asked and statements made, the protest ended. One of the organizers used a curse word to express his feelings, and the other organizer gently shepherded everyone home.

Gathering & March Tonight Against MTA Police Tasering Mentally Ill Man On Main Street During Mental Health Month

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The MTA Police Station in Beacon, NY. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The MTA Police Station in Beacon, NY.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

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PLEASE NOTE: this article series is discussing 2 different incidents of a man who has been in Beacon for some time, harassing people, which has escalated after he was Tasered on Main Street by MTA Police on May 19, 2021. Later, he was Tasered again on May 25, 2021 by a New York State Trooper. This response from the City of Beacon Police deals with the May 25th incident. It does not address the May 19th incident because the City of Beacon Police Department was not involved.

Yesterday, A Little Beacon Blog reported that a Black man reportedly known by MTA Police for mental illness was pursued from the MTA train station in Beacon and was tasered last Wednesday, May 19, 2021. The MTA Police told bystanders that the man harassed a woman, compelling them to pursue him and detain him Main Street, which is no longer MTA property. MTA Police then tasered the man after they detained him on the ground.

UPDATE 5/25/2021: We have since learned that MTA Police jurisdiction covers the Hudson line, and that they can go into the communities along the train. One reader wrote in to say that she received a ticket for expired registration on her car on the road while passing Boscobel, which is on 9D. We have also learned that the man was not chased from the platform to Main Street. According to MTA Media Relations, a complaint was made about him by “a pair of women” after he verbally harassed them and then he walked away from them. After the man walked away from them, the women made the complaint. The MTA Police Officer put the complaint over the wires, and about 20 minutes later, according to MTA Media Relations, two other MTA Police Officers detained him on Main Street just a few storefront shops in from Wolcott Avenue.

The organization Beacon4Black Lives has organized a March and gathering to speak against the actions taken by the MTA Police tonight (Tuesday) at 7:45pm. Beacon4Black Lives state: “Meet at Chase Bank at 7:45pm. We are going to March to the MTA Police Station (on Beekman Street, across Wolcott) for a peaceful gathering. Bring signs, megaphones, and flashlights! Share this and invite friends, family and anyone or everyone in the area who is willing to stand up and say this can’t go any further. They can’t hurt a Black life in our town or anywhere. I hope as many people who came out last year when Black Lives Matter was trending and said they support us come and help us get justice. We cannot allow the police to hurt us anymore.”

View of the train platform at Beacon’s MTA train station, from the MTA Police Station. According to MTA Media Relations, the man was apprehended and tasered 20 minutes later on Main Street in Beacon outside of storefronts. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

View of the train platform at Beacon’s MTA train station, from the MTA Police Station. According to MTA Media Relations, the man was apprehended and tasered 20 minutes later on Main Street in Beacon outside of storefronts.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

EDITORIAL NOTE 5/25/2021: The MTA Media Relations has responded with detail since this publishing, and this article has been updated to reflect what they say happened.

According to a bystander at the scene of the tasering, when the MTA Police apprehended the man and pushed him up against storefront glass windows on Main Street, where one bystander said they thought the window would break. After getting him to the ground, according to a bystander, the MTA Police Officers told the man they were going to taser him, and then did taser him at least 3 times, according to the bystander.

The reaction to this story in Beacon has been similar across the board:

  • “I didn’t know that the MTA Police were real. I thought they were like mall security guards.”

  • “I hope it’s not that guy who I think it is. He’s a Black man not too tall and clearly has some mental health issues. I see him walk between the train and town all the time.”

One bystander described to ALBB how the MTA Police Officer answered when asked why the man was being tasered: “He held and rubbed his jaw a bunch of times saying that the taser shook him up (referring to himself the officer as being shaken from taser) and that the man was threatening people on the street and he keeps getting worse. They have been dealing with him for years,” the bystander said they heard the MTA Police Officer say.

Upon listening to the video, some readers are recognizing the man’s voice. If it is the same man, one female reader said: “I am making red mad faces for the way the MTA Police detained him. I’ve seen him be calm and kind and I’ve seen him be irritable and aggressive. He approached me on Main Street not long ago asking for money. He had his mask down so I asked him to put it up and he did. I told him I didn’t have anything to give him (I didn’t) and he moved along. I see him walk from the train talking to himself sometimes. Over the winter, he would walk up with a blanket wrapped around himself. I have no idea where he lives or if he is houseless.”

Where Does The City Of Beacon Police Fit Into This?

Questions were emailed to Beacon Police Chief Sands Frost, Mayor Lee Kyriacou (technically in charge of the Police in Beacon), City Administrator Chris White (works closely with every department), Colin Milone (assistant to the Mayor), Dan Aymar-Blair (Councilmember who co-authored Beacon’s Police Reform Resolution and has questioned Beacon’s inventory of tasers, even though this was MTA Police action), Air Nonken Rhodes (Councilmember who co-authored Beacon’s Police Reform Resolution), and Terry Nelson (Councilmember representing Ward 1, which is where this incident happened).

So far ALBB has not received a response from the City of Beacon, but if one comes in, this article will be updated. MTA’s Media Relations team did respond to us within 24 hours after questions were submitted. The questions emailed to the above mentioned City of Beacon group are as follows:

  • How does jurisdiction work between MTA Police and Beacon Police?

  • If a person is accused of doing something at the train station, and then runs up the hill and into Beacon via Main Street or other street, are the MTA Police allowed to pursue and apprehend that person?

  • Do the MTA Police call Beacon Police when entering Beacon?

  • Readers are beginning to comment that they are familiar with the man who was electrocuted. That he is known to walk between the train station and Main Street often, who is known to have mental health issues. One of the MTA Police Officers also said the man is known to have mental health issues, and is “getting worse.” Is electrocuting him the recommended way to help him?

  • With the new Mental Health professional, Lashaveous Dicker, working for Beacon alongside Beacon Police, would this be something he would be called for?

  • Does the MTA Police know that Lashaveous Dicker is working in Beacon?

  • Do the MTA Police and Beacon Police communicate as to how to handle people that they both encounter on a regular basis?

The pictures below show one of the paths up from the train station to Main Street. The walk involves the long and winding road of Beekman Street, which is where the MTA Police Station is, past the Beacon Police Station which is built into a hill, and then across Wolcott Avenue, where Main Street starts.

MTA Responds With Details Of Tasering Of Mentally Ill Man On Main Street In Beacon

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A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the MTA to confirm or clarify details of the Tasering of a mentally ill man on Main Street on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. ALBB sought the details of how the MTA Police were alerted to the initial issue to cause them to pursue the main in question.

A reader submitted partial video of the incident, along with testimony of what that person recording video said they saw. Other people who were on the street that day, and other days, have chimed in with additional details. These details are being included here if they cross referenced each other.

According to the MTA, the man in question was harassing people on the train platform at the Beacon station, shouting obscenities, and threatening. Prior to this, an MTA Police Officer who was just walking on patrol at the Beacon station saw this man behaving erratically, saying curse words.

The man in question then left. After the man left, a pair of women reported to the MTA Police Officer that he had been threatening them, saying “I am going to kill you,” and cursing. Once those threats were made clear to the officer, the officer informed - aka “put it over the wire.” ALBB has not pursued video footage of the platform to confirm the activity. ALBB is awaiting answer from the MTA on if its officers wear body cameras.

Roughly 20 minutes later, a pair of other MTA Police Officers responded by finding the man in question, who at that point was at the beginning of Main Street. That is where they sought to detain the man. That is when he resisted arrest, and the Taser came out and was used on the man on Main Street outside of storefront shops.

According to a witness, the MTA Police Officers pressed the man in question up against storefront windows in order to apprehend him. The witness on Main Street told A Little Beacon Blog: “The officer said he was resisting arrest, but they had him in a hold, so the other cop said: 'I’m going to taser you’ like 3 times. And they did. Several times, and he screamed.”

A witness on Main Street said: “They told me the man they apprehended has a long history of arrests and is mentally ill, but they Tasered him a lot…There were caps all over the place. The cop cleaned up some after.”

As seen in the video, after being Tasered, the officer delivering the electric charge tells the man to “stand up.” The man is held by the second officer from behind, and the man states: “Help me get up.” According to the MTA, after the officers placed the man in the car after he was Tasered, and they took him to a hospital, where he was checked to make sure he was fit enough for discharge after being Tasered. He was processed at the MTA District 7 Headquarters (aka “barracks”) on Beekman Street. He was given an appearance ticket for court, and released. He was charged with 3 charges:

  • Aggravated harassment

  • Menacing in the 3rd Degree

  • Resisting arrest

According to the City of Beacon Officer Reynolds on Beacon's information desk, the Beacon Police were not called for this incident.

The man in question is in his early 20s, and may have an address in Poughkeepsie. He has been arrested 22 times by the MTA Police, with several arrests happening in Beacon. Within this month - Mental Health Awareness Month - the man in question had another incident in the middle of Main Street with officers. There was a warrant out for his arrest on a trespassing case, where he had not shown up to court. It is not known if he is houseless, or if he is functional enough to open the mail, or write down a court appearance date in his calendar. It is not known at this time if he carries a calendar.

Beacon Police were dealing with him on Main Street recently. The man has been attempted to be Tasered before in a separate incident by New York State Police, but the taser didn't “stick.”

ALBB has not pursued the number of arrests, if any, made by the Beacon Police or New York State Police. New York State Police also have jurisdiction in Beacon and throughout the state. Here is New York State’s Arrest Without A Warrant criminal procedure that explains where an officer can go throughout the state to make an arrest.

How Does A Taser Work?

According to this New York Times article, a Taser has 2 prongs that are discharged from the Taser to the person. According to the article, for each charge (or discharge), 50,000 volts of electricity are pulsed into the person’s muscles for up to 5 seconds. The goal is to render the muscles frozen. According to the New York Times article, “the shock can cause pain that has been described as excruciating.”

According to this DIY Taser Maker web page, “this gadget generates substantial voltage pulses which can disrupt muscle tissues and neurological system, forcing any individual who touches it into a condition of mental bewilderment.” You can also read about the effects on a person’s body here at ABC News.

Are Tasers Recommended For People With Mental Health Conditions?

According to the New York Times article, “The devices can bring an abrupt halt to a confrontation and disable an uncooperative person, but if they are discharged and don’t work — or even when they do — sometimes the effect can be to make things worse.”

“If a person is angry, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or has a mental illness, the use of a Taser can exacerbate those conditions and inflame a situation, said Joel Feinman, the chief public defender in Pima County in Arizona.”

The man in question in Beacon is known to MTA Officers. The situation that involved this particular Tasering happened after the man allegedly cursed and made threats to the people on the train platform, and had left. It was on Main Street that he was apprehended, resisted, and was Tasered.

This man is one of several mentally delicate people who walk up and down Main Street on a daily basis. He does mumble to himself, curse to himself, and approach people for money. People like himself have been known to walk into storefronts and places of business - or to parking lots - to encounter people with an ask or demand. The experience of when he does that can be jarring and frightening.

Dutchess County prides itself on providing several Mental Health services. During Beacon’s City Council Meetings, several Mental Health presentations have been made this year alone, including information about why hiring a Mental Health professional from Mental Health America of Dutchess County was a good idea. According to the Mid Hudson News: “The addition of a mental health intensive case manager was highlighted as one of the initiatives called for the City of Beacon’s newly adopted police reform plan.

It is not known at this time if that professional thinks it a good end game to continue Tasering this man in question in order to bring peace to his life, and to residents, visitors and businesses owners in Beacon. It is also not clear if Beacon’s new Mental Health professional was consulted by MTA Police on their tactic for dealing with a known mentally unstable person who regularly behaves the same way.

Perhaps they think that electric therapy delivered on the sidewalk is the best treatment. Perhaps Tasers are just protocol, and perhaps MTA Police Officers aren’t encouraged or trained in other ways of dealing with a regular person in the community after in non-violent situation 20 minutes after an alleged incident.

Tasers Mentioned In Beacon’s Police Reform Report

After the murder of George Floyd and the reckoning that awakened after that across the nation, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 203 that all municipalities must deliver their visions of how to police in their communities. At this time, it is not clear if that Executive Order 203 includes MTA Police, other train police, and New York State Police.

The MTA Police, which the MTA says has roughly 30 officers working from the barracks just below the City Of Beacon Police Station who can patrol up and down the region of the Hudson line all the way into Long Island, were not factored into public discussions on Police Reform, but do drive regularly through Beacon, and are authorized to do police work in Beacon.

According to the Highlands Current, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department (MTAPD) was formed in 1998 when the Long Island Rail Road and the Metro-North Railroad Police Departments merged. "After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the department expanded and dramatically expanded its counter-terrorism capabilities," the article reports. In 2005, the department expanded when the Staten Island Railway Police Department also became part of MTAPD.

The MTA Police are used as “mutual aid” with the City of Beacon when necessary, much like how neighboring Fire Departments cross municipalities and county lines during a fire to help each other.

The City of Beacon worked very hard on its Police Reform plan, with input from the community, and submitted it to New York State in March 2021. It includes mention of Tasers and how officers are trained. An excerpt from the City of Beacon’s Police Reform and Modernization Collaborative Report is below:

 

The Beacon Police Department has a recent history of progressive training. All patrol officers are trained in a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training(“CIT”) course, which helps to train officers to help persons with mental disorders and addictions to access medical treatment rather than place them in the criminal justice system.

This evidence-based strategy has been found effective in reducing the risk of injury or death during emergency interactions between police and persons with mental illness. In addition to the CIT Training, the Department conducts regular in-service training on topics including Workplace Violence, Sexual Harassment, Use of Force Policy and Law, De-escalation Techniques, Administration of Narcan (to address opioid overdoses), CPR/AED, Defensive Tactics, Active Shooter Response, Blood-borne Pathogens, and Taser and OC spray (pepper spray) use.

The Department is adding eight hours of Procedural Justice training and eight hours of Implicit Bias training for all officers for 2021. Procedural Justice training focuses on how the police interact with the public. Procedural justice is based on four central principles: "treating people with dignity and respect, giving citizens 'voice' during encounters, being neutral in decision making, and conveying trustworthy motives." Research demonstrates that these principles contribute to relationships between authorities and the community in which 1) the community has trust and confidence in the police as honest, unbiased, benevolent, and lawful; 2) the community feels obligated to follow the law and the dictates of legal authorities, and 3) the community feels that it shares a common set of interests and values with the police.


 

Man Tasered On Beacon's Main Street; Allegedly Pursued By MTA Police From Train Station

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UPDATE 5/25/2021: A gathering and march is being held on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 to march against the actions of the MTA Police. Details here.

According to a witness, a man was tasered several times on Main Street in Beacon by MTA Police Officers on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, after he allegedly harassed a woman or women on the train platform down at Beacon’s MTA train station. The MTA Police Officers are separate from the City of Beacon’s Police Department.

During the scene, a MTA Police Officer told a person who witnessed the incident that the man they apprehended has a long history of arrests and is mentally ill. According to Officer Reynolds with the the Beacon Police on May 24, 2021, their department was not called about the man the MTA Police pursued and arrested.

Recently, the City of Beacon hired a Police Officer who specializes in mental health, Lashaveous Dicker, a full-time mental health intensive care manager, who is also an employee with Mental Health America of Dutchess County. He assists Beacon officers on calls relating to mental health issues and substance addiction, and has been introduced to the public during City Council Meetings.

UPDATE 5/25/2021: MTA Media Relations has confirmed to A Little Beacon Blog that the incident first started on the platform at the train, and that a MTA Police Officer patrolling the platform saw a Black man described to be in his 20s behaving erratically and was shouting curse words. The young man then left. After the man left, a pair of women reported to the MTA Police Officer that the man had been threatening them and cursing. Once those threats were made clear to the officer, the officer informed his department by putting it over the wire. Roughly 20 minutes later, a pair of other officers responded to the incident. It is at that time, according to MTA Media Relations, that is where the officers sought to detain the man on Main Street, that is when he resisted arrest, and the taser came out.

The witness on Main Street during the tasering incident said that the officers pressed the man up against a storefront “window so hard, I thought they were going to break it,” the witness told A Little Beacon Blog. “The officer said the man was resisting arrest, but they had him in a hold. The other cop told the man: ‘I’m going to taser you’ like 3 times. And they did. Several times, and he screamed. They continued to taser him after they had him down. I yelled at them to stop. There were caps all over the place. A cop cleaned up some after. I didn’t know what he was doing. They sent someone back later to collect all the caps.”

The person who reached out to A Little Beacon Blog with this information elaborated: “It was quite a scene. Main Street was frozen; stand still for at least 5-10 minutes. At least 3 others were filming with 2 on the street 1 person in a car.”

A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the MTA Police to confirm the incident, and were referred to the MTA’s Press Office, which handles all of the media relations for any question from any MTA location. Police Officers work for the MTA Police in Beacon are not listed on the MTA Police website, including the name of their Police Captain. When A Little Beacon Blog called the MTA Media Relations to inquire, they said they would seek information to confirm details, and needed to confirm how jurisdiction works (ie train station vs Main Street, and if there even are boundaries of jurisdiction), and asked for time to do some digging to find the answers. They have since responded within one day!

UPDATE 5/25/2021: MTA Media Relations has responded with several answers to questions, which have been updated to this article.

At A Little Beacon Blog’s request, Detective Stewart with the MTA Police who answered the phone at the Beacon MTA Police Headquarters, provided the MTA Police Captain’s name as Captain Charles Pisinelli. Detective Stewart said that all questions seeking confirmation needed to go through the MTA Media Relations Office. When asked for the phone number, Detective Stewart stated that only Captain Pisinelli could give it, who was unavailable, but Detective Stewart called back to provide the number to MTA Media Relations. Which is appreciated, since the Media Relations office is quite large, so any point of entry to pursue confirmation is helpful, even though they do have a website.

After the witness saw the taser incident, the witness called Beacon’s Councilmember Terry Nelson, who represents Ward 1, where the apprehension took place. The witness also called Beacon’s Human Rights Commission. What happened after the call to the Human Rights Commission? “It was just a voice mailbox No one has called me back.”

UPDATE 5/25/2021: The Human Rights Commission has since called the Beacon bystander back, saying they have had problems with the phone. These details seem mundane, but it is common in Beacon for inquiries to go unanswered from time to time.

A Little Beacon Blog has reached out to MTA Media Relations representative. Should we hear back, we will update this article. UPDATE 5/25/2021: We have heard back from MTA Media Relations! And this article updated where necessary.

  • Do the MTA Police have jurisdiction to pursue someone from the train station up from the train into Beacon? To pursue a person from the platform, the person would need to run down the platform, down the stairs from the platform, then up the stairs to the parking lot, then up through the parking lot and up the long steep and curving hill from the train station, cross the busy street of Wolcott Avenue, run past the Beacon Police station, and then run up to Main Street storefronts, where the man was apprehended.
    ANSWER: Yes. According to MTA Media Relations, the MTA Police have jurisdiction over the region, which includes Long Island, Hamptons, Westchester, and more. In this case, an officer patrolling the platform informed his department, and two other officers in a car apprehended the young man by the time he was on Main Street.

  • Was the man apprehended charged with anything?
    ANSWER: Yes. According to MTA Media Relations, the man was charged with:
    - Aggravated harassment
    - Menacing in the 3rd Degree
    - Resisting arrest.

  • How many times was he tasered?

  • Where did the man go after being brought to wherever he was brought to?
    ANSWER: According to MTA Media Relations, the man was brought to the hospital after being tasered, to see if he was fit enough for discharge. He was processed at the MTA Police District 7 on Beekman Street, and given an appearance ticket to court, and was released.

  • Where do people go when apprehended by the MTA Police?
    ANSWER: According to MTA Media Relations, they go to the MTA Police District 7 on Beekman Street in Beacon.

  • How many MTA Police are there, and what are their job titles? Like, a Police Chief, Officer, Detective?
    ANSWER: According to MTA Media Relations, there are about 30 officers at District 7. They patrol a large area up and down the Hudson River line, not just in Beacon. Beacon happens to be the town in which the barracks are based.

  • Can you tell me the names of the officers who pursued him, and who made the arrest?

  • Can you confirm how the MTA Police were alerted to the issue?
    ANSWER: According to MTA Media Relations, an officer patrolling the platform first saw activity, and then was complained to by a pair of women, and then notified his department. Two other officers went out to find the man.

Village Of Wappingers Mayor Resigns; Town Of Wappingers Faces Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Of Highway Department

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On Monday, October 26, 2020, the Village of Wappingers Falls Mayor, Matt Alexander, announced to residents via letter that he was resigning, effective December 2020. He has been the Mayor of the Village of Wappingers Falls for almost 14 years. In his letter, he stated: “Over this extraordinary past year, in enforced solitude and decreased mobility, I reflected on my own needs. With great sadness, I am announcing that I will be stepping down as mayor in December to pursue other opportunities.” His full letter is published below.

The announcement broke into the news cycle on Tuesday morning, followed by a press release from County Executive Marcus Molinaro wishing him well, and concluding with a discovery that the Mayor had accepted a job of Comptroller in Peekskill. He is a graduate of Notre Dame and is a certified public accountant.

The Mayor told MidHudson News of his new job: “I’m really looking forward to a community like Wappingers Falls urban and diverse and full of opportunity,” he said. “They just got the Downtown Revitalization initiative – a very prestigious award in New York State – and I am very excited about working on that with them.”

The soon to be former Mayor had run for New York’s 19th Congressional Seat in 2012 against Nan Hayworth, and owned a 19th Century building that was destroyed in a large fire in 2017, which prompted the #WappingersRises movement. Matt owned the shop, Stone Bridge Antiques, which he re-opened in a nearby location, according to Hudson Valley Magazine.

Village Of Wappingers Falls And Mandated Police Reform

All municipalities in New York State are under obligation from a Governor’s Order to supply a police reform plan that works with their unique communities. Mayor Alexander is no stranger to police reform. In 2018, the Village of Wappingers Falls had voted twice to dissolve their Police Department, preferring to use Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office instead, according to a Poughkeepsie Journal article. On August 30, 2018 the Board voted to disband the police force to begin on Jan. 1, 2019.

A judge ruled that the votes were unauthorized, and required a public vote. The judged ruled that the Village of Wappingers Falls did not conduct an environmental review, as required under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, according to the article.

The public vote, after the Village’s 2 rounds of voting to disband were denied, was spearheaded by 2 lawsuits, according to Deming Headlight, resulting in the people of the Village Wappingers Falls voting to keep their Police Department. After that vote to keep the Police Department, Mayor Alexander proposed creating a Citizens Board. ALBB has not reached out to confirm if such a Board was created.

The Police Commissioner of the Village of Wappingers Falls, Carl Calabrese, resigned after 11 years of service, on April 8th, 2020. The Mayor and the Village Board of Trustees honored the Commissioner’s service in the Resolution accepting his resignation. Police Commissioner Walter Burke is currently in the position.

Some legal cases are listed in connection with former Police Commissioner, Carl Calabrese, including NOVICK v. VILLAGE OF WAPPINGERS FALLS, NEW YORK, which revolved around the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), retaliation against the Police Union rules or advocacy of rules, bladder cancer of Officer Novick, reporting correctly or incorrectly into the job for health issues, “Disciplinary” actions, a demotion of Officer Novick, and other details.

Another lawsuit in 2011, PISTOLESI v. CALABRESE, centered around the removal of a towing company used by the Village of Wappingers, as directed by then Police Commissioner Calabrese. The lawsuit named Officer Novick and Commissioner Calabrese, among others, including a then Board Trustee, for harassment. Years later, Officer Novick filed a lawsuit against Commissioner Calabrese and the Village of Wappingers in the lawsuit named above. The newspaper clippings below can be clicked to be enlarged.

Meanwhile, In The Town Of Wappingers…

A racial discrimination lawsuit was brought against the Town of Wappingers (different from the Village with different departments, and the Mayor does not preside here, as it is managed by the Town Supervisor, Richard L. Thurston) in 2019 by Troy Swain, who was 4 months into the job of Highway Superintendent when he was fired by a unanimous vote by the Town Council of the Town of Wappingers, due to allegations that he did personal tasks while on the job.

Troy was the first and only African American to serve as Highway Superintendent. Troy now works for the City of Beacon as a Heavy Equipment Operator, where he is 1 of 3 Black people working in that department in Beacon. Another worker, Reuben Simmons, had also served as Highway Superintendent for the City of Beacon, before also being unanimously voted out by Beacon’s City Council when they deemed that the job title did not exist in Beacon, and required a Civil Service exam he was not entitled to take (see ALBB’s article and podcast about this).

According to an article in the Poughkeepsie Journal, The Town of Wappingers also thought that the job title did not exist when Troy Swain held it. “Some members of the town board disputed the existence of the position and said Swain was ‘erroneously’ promoted. The union believed the position should've gone to someone with seniority, according to the documents.”

The same logic was used in Beacon in Reuben’s case in an unsigned mystery letter delivered to a Councilmember’s front porch, even though Reuben had been working for the City of Beacon for as long as his replacement, Michael Manzi.

In the Town of Wappingers, according to Swain’s attorney, Masai Lord of Lord & Schewel, he believes Troy’s termination was retaliation for filing an earlier racial harassment complaint. “Swain claims while on the job he was addressed with racial slurs. He said he had spoken about the harassment to his supervisor and a union representative, but wasn't provided a remedy,” he told the Poughkeepsie Journal.

In a lawsuit against the Town, Troy alleges he was discriminated against and denied due process before being fired, among other claims. He's seeking punitive damages. The trial is set for March 2021, due to a delay with COVID.

The goal of the trial, Masai told A Little Beacon Blog, is that “Mr. Swain needs to be compensated for what he went through. Not just the years of racial harassment, gratuitous use of the N-word, and wrongful termination and retaliation, but violation of collective bargaining agreement, and denied his constitutional due process rights.”

The Town of Wappingers voted unanimously via Resolution to terminate Troy on June 13, 2016. He received his termination notice on June 14, 2016. The lawsuit was filed in 2019, and named individual Board Members instead of the Town as a whole. The Board members tried to reverse by filing an appeal for qualified immunity in May 2020, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal article. That appeal of dismissal was denied in the U.S. Court of Appeals Second Circuit in mid-June 2020.

“The Southern District Court of New York also denied the Town's motion for summary judgement on the claims of discrimination, retaliation and retaliation based on the town's opposition to Swain getting unemployment compensation, meaning those claims will be moving forward to trial,” the article stated.

The Letter From The Mayor Of The Village Of Wappingers Falls Reads As Follows:

For ease of reading, Mayor Matt Alexander’s letter of resignation has been republished here:

Dear fellow residents,

It has been the privilege and honor of my life to enjoy the reward and fulfillment of service to my neighbors as mayor. However, all things must come to an end and my service to you has come to that point.

For over eighteen years, I served the people of the Village of Wappingers Faslls, with almost fourteen, as mayor. Over this extraordinary past year, in enforced solitude and decreased mobility, I reflected on my own needs. With great sadness, I am announcing that I will be stepping down as mayor in December to pursue other opportunities.

Our time together has been full of success and failure, joy and grief as well as growth and decline. But from the past fourteen years, I hop you see mostly good. I will do just that. I see how we have made great changes in our community over time. Though, I have some regrets, my belief is that, together, we have left the Village in a much better place than it was.

The best of our Village is its people and I have gotten to know o many of you in a special way that has made me better for it. I will miss this job more than any other. It was a very difficult decision, but I am confident that wonderful things lie ahead for all of us.

Godspeed and be well my fair Village. I will see you next as a fellow private citizen and hope to enjoy the future with you here for many years.

[EXTENDED Sept. 15] Last Day To Submit Feedback For Beacon Police Chief Qualities

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UPDATE: The last day to submit feedback on what you want in the new police chief has been extended to September 15th, 2020.

September 4, 2020 is the last day to submit feedback on what you are looking for in a Police Chief for Beacon.

The survey has been created by the City of Beacon, and the search firm they hired to find the new chief.

Survey in English >

Survey en Español >

City Of Beacon Hires Police Chief Search Firm For $24K And Appoints Citizen Committee

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On July 20, 2020, the City of Beacon City Council voted in favor of hiring the search firm Public Sector Search to conduct the search for a new Chief of Police for the City Of Beacon after Chief Kevin Junjulas announced his retirement effective July 7, 2020.

In response, Mayor Kyriacou appointed a formerly retired officer, William Cornett, to serve as Acting Police Chief for 90 days, a decision that was met with controversy between citizens and the police union. Chief Cornett stepped down after 40 days in the position, and currently, Lieutenant Frost from the Beacon Police Department has been appointed Acting Chief.

The search firm will be paid $24,000, with additional expenses not to exceed $6,000 according to the firm's proposal. Included in the proposal are 2 Facebook Live Community Forums (60 minutes) and 2 community focus group meetings (60 minutes each). Additional forums and group meetings can be billed at $200/hr plus expenses.

For an additional $1,500, the firm was hired to put together a survey of the public, to provide input into what they want in a Police Chief. The survey has been open for a bit and concludes on September 4, 2020. Mayor Kyriacou released a robo-call two weeks ago informing the public of the survey, and it has been mentioned at City Council meetings. For an additional $1,500, a survey can be put together to survey the Police Department itself.

How The Search Firm Will Work

Details of how the search process will work are included in the firm’s proposal which can be found here. The timeline is a projection of 4 months (resulting in a November selection time).

The first month focusing on project management setup and interviews with local government leaders, key personnel, department heads, and other internal or external stakeholders to get a feel for the city’s culture and structure. The next phase is a community engagement report from the survey and any community forums held. The firm will then design a brochure and website landing page to display the job posting.

The firm will then advertise it at recommended locations it made like New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Police Executive Research Forum, National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, National Black Police Officers Association, and FBI National Academy Associates. Qualified candidates will then be collected, and the firm stated that it will also rely on its own relationships and outreach to find a candidate.

The candidates will be presented to the Mayor and search committee, after going through a screening process. The Mayor and City Administrator will be given access to a background check report, and Mayor Kyriacou suggested that the search committee head, Terry Nelson, also have access to that background check. Terry accepted. Once finalists are selected, “the search committee work is completed,” according to the proposal.

Appointment Of Citizen-Based Police Chief Search Committee

The creation and announcement of the search committee was fast and not widely publicized. The announcement was made via press release on July 29, 2020, and was initially criticized by members of the public during the Public Comment portion of the meeting on August 3, 2020. Thirteen people were selected, 7 of whom are citizens only and not with any government appointed commission.

Community participants included clergy and school employees, as well as the locally based Beacon4Black Lives organization, which came together at the start of the racial protest nation-wide in response to police brutality and the call to make Black lives matter more.

One of the lead organizers for Beacon4Black Lives, Justice McCray, has been vocal about how the city should proceed with the selection of new leadership, and was not asked to be on the committee. However, one of his fellow leaders, Stefon Seward, was asked by Mayor Kyriacou, but Stefon voiced confusion during the City Council meeting, stating: “I think Justice Would have been a way better fit than me, and I don't know why he's not there.”

A Little Beacon Blog reached out to Justice for comment: "I was on the City Council call when they were voting to spend $24,000 to hire the police chief search firm. I called in and said they shouldn't. A lot of people did. The council voted to do so anyway."

Further communication ensued in social media around a miscommunication between the parties. A Little Beacon Blog reached out to Mayor Kyriacou to clarify what resulted in a misunderstanding about his feelings towards the protests in Beacon ending if a police chief was hired. His response to A Little Beacon Blog was: “No of course not. The call from Terry and me was about soliciting participants for the Chief selection committee. What I said was that selecting a Chief was incredibly important, because if we find the right one who shares the same goals for change, then change becomes easier. As I recall, Stefon put an interpretation on what I said, and I immediately corrected that interpretation. No one person, chief or otherwise, will address all the concerns, protests and need for change that have arisen.”

Mayor Kyriacou went on to say, in response to A Little Beacon Blog seeking clarification on his misunderstood statement: “Private comment not for any publication:  it’s incredibly important for any reporter to rely on the speaker making a statement, and not on hearsay, which is what someone else says that someone said. Hearsay just encourages miscommunication.”

A Little Beacon Blog does not grant blanket “off the record” situations by email or phone. We must agree to it first, before the speaker speaks. A definition of hearsay, spoken in response to the act of researching such hearsay, is on the record.

The committee members are as follows:

Chair:
1. Terry Nelson – Councilmember Ward 1

Community Participants:
2. Deborah Felder – school guidance counselor; involved in local NAACP chapter
3. Deacon Marty Mayeski – Saint John’s the Evangelist; Lewis Tompkins Hose Chaplain
4. Pastor John Perez – Faith Temple Church of God in Christ
5. John Rembert – former City Councilmember; retired U.S. Army veteran; ordained clergyman
6. Molly Rhodes – director, Teach for America
7. Stefon Seward – Beacon High School graduate; co-founder Beacon for Black Lives

Community Participants:
2. Deborah Felder – school guidance counselor; involved in local NAACP chapter
3. Deacon Marty Mayeski – Saint John’s the Evangelist; Lewis Tompkins Hose Chaplain
4. Pastor John Perez – Faith Temple Church of God in Christ
5. John Rembert – former City Councilmember; retired U.S. Army veteran; ordained clergyman
6. Molly Rhodes – director, Teach for America
7. Stefon Seward – Beacon High School graduate; co-founder Beacon for Black Lives

City Participants:
8. Air Rhodes – Councilmember Ward 2
9. Michael Deane – Chair, Human Relations Commission
10. Sands Frost – Beacon Police Lieutenant (currently the Acting Chief)
11. William Cornett – Beacon Acting Chief of Police (no longer the Acting Chief)
12. Anthony Ruggiero – City Administrator
13. Gina Basile – Human Resources Director

Chair Person Terry Nelson’s Vision For The Police Chief Selection

Terry has been outspoken in his goals for the selection of the new chief, which can include a promotion from within, but seems to be weighted for a broader search. In response to questions from A Little Beacon Blog, Terry explained: “I want the committee to look at the civil service definition of chief, which just lists the minimum requirements and then think about what are some other important characteristics they would want to see in a police chief. Together I want us to come up with a description of what we want to see in a chief.”

Terry expressed during this week’s 8/31/2020 City Council Meeting that one of the biggest problems he intends to solve, or get closer to solving, is helping Black and Brown people and people of color not be afraid to call the police.

Terry further explained in an interview with the Highlands Current: “I’ve had people ask me, ‘Why are they protesting? Why are they bringing this stuff up again?’ But this stuff is my daily life. This stuff is me getting in my car and getting on the highway and being conscious of the speed limit, or having my headlights on, or, am I doing everything right? What if I get stopped? What do I do? It’s a conversation that is long overdue.”

Nation-wide, but in New York State in Rochester, another example of police brutality that happened in March has been revealed this week: Daniel Prude, who was asphyxiated while unarmed and not wearing clothes, after police put a bag on his head, according to this local news report at 13WHAM. “Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Prude’s death a homicide. Under the cause of death was listed ‘complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint,’ excited delirium and acute phencyclidine (PCP) intoxication,” according to 13WHAM.

Police were responding to a mental health call that Daniel’s brother had made. During a press conference held today with Free The People, Daniel’s brother, Joe Prude, was quoted to have said that “he called first responders to get help his brother in the midst of his mental health crisis. In retrospect, Prude says he wishes he’d never made that call. ‘All I was trying to do was get him some help,’ said Prude.

Back in Beacon, the community, like all communities across the country, look to each other for examples of how to reform training, hiring, and cultural mindset, that currently, is playing out quite visually in the form of police violence, which speaks to underlying cultural issues which foster that violence, and normalizing it.

Might it be time for police officers themselves to speak up against other officers, even in other states, as a way to signal cultural awareness, acceptance, and protection? As a way to demonstrate anti-racism? Not just saying “I’m not racist,” but by showing it? Showing the solidarity to the Black and Brown community who watches their own get treated so badly? And therefore lives with a fear that a white person does not know?

What if police officers in Beacon marched in plain clothes in a local march?

City Of Beacon Publishes Names and Ranks Of Police Officers On City's Website

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In following up to A Little Beacon Blog’s article last week about the intent of the City of Beacon to publish the names and ranks of police officers onto its website, which had not happened after a month since the announcement, Beacon’s City Administrator, Anthony Ruggiero, announced yesterday (Monday) that the names and ranks of police officers have now been published onto the City’s website in the Police Department section. Photos of the officers are to come, he told ALBB. We also suggested this enhancement to Mayor Kyriacou during a “Wait, What Is That?” podcast episode, who thought it a good idea.

With this information at one’s fingertips, it should be easier to get correct name spelling of an officer or detective, send an officer a Thank You note if they were helpful in a situation, and have better familiarity with who works for the City of Beacon.

You can find the list here on this PDF on the City of Beacon’s website. As of now, it is not dated with an “Updated” type note so as to see which officers no longer work for the City of Beacon, or which officer has been newly appointed. For instance, Officer Ryan Murphy was hired by the City of Beacon in early January 2020, and submitted his letter of resignation two months later on March 6, 2020. Ryan was part of a batch of new hires after the Beacon PBA and the City of Beacon agreed on a new contract which gave the officers retroactive raises of 2% for 2020, with an additional 2% raise slated for 2021 according to an article in the Poughkeepsie Journal. The contract also “decreases compensatory time from 48 hours to 40; compensatory time allows the officers to take time off instead of receiving overtime pay,” according to the article.

At that point, the number of police officers was 37, the highest it has been in years, according to then Chief Kevin Junjulas (since retired). A new hire also included Officer Michael J. Connor, a Beacon High School graduate who transferred from the City of Newburgh Police Department, who had been working for the City of Newburgh, who was let go along with 15 fellow officers and 14 firefighters when the City of Newburgh purged its public safety force due to budget constraints. As of today, according to Beacon’s list of police officers, there are 32.

Hours After ALBB's FOIL Article, City of Beacon Publishes 1st FOIL Results On e360Code Website

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Three cheers for the first publication of FOIL requests by the public of the City of Beacon. We have been asking questions, and getting a lot of “Please submit a FOIL” type answers, and noted that the FOIL requests that were casually promised to be on the website, were in fact not there one month later. On a Friday evening, after we published this article wondering where they were, the first batch has been published! Under a tiny link on the City Clerk’s web page. Coincidence? Perhaps. Was this on a Friday afternoon agenda? Maybe.

Meanwhile, there have been 2 sets of FOIL requests published so far in the 8/21/2020 batch:

“FOIL Request: A list of all officers or administrators who have been employed by your department at any point since the start of 2010”

2010 was the last year of the Federal Investigation of the Beacon Police Department. Oversight by the Federal Government remained active until 2016. You can hear Mayor Lee Kyriacou recount those early days here on the “Wait, What Is That?” podcast.

A list of 34 officers has been published here.

“FOIL Request: The name of any probationary police officer who quit or was fired during their probationary period since Jan. 1, 2010, and any documentation reflecting that separation from service.”

A list of names was provided. Documentation for two of the names was provided. One letter of resignation was from Trooper Katelyn Ruffolo, who resigned in January 4, 2018 to went on to work for the New York State Police.

Officer Ryan Murphy was the second resignation letter provided with the FOIL. Ryan resigned on March 6, 2020, and had been hired in January 2020, as reported by the Poughkeepsie Journal. Ryan is a Red Hook High School graduate. He was hired along with two other officers during the time when Newburgh laid off 15 police officers and 14 firefighters (Beacon hired one officer from that round of layoffs - Michael J. Connor).

Former Beacon Police Chief at the time Kevin Junjulas said: “he would have hired as many Newburgh officers as possible, but the Dutchess County civil service exam has different requirements from the Orange County civil service exam, making it impossible for officers to transfer unless they previously took the exam.” This is an important note to remember as we discuss Civil Service rules and how they define a job, and make hiring, firing and demoting possible and even easy.

To learn how to submit a FOIL to get information that is otherwise denied to you after a simple email request, click here.

Beaconites don’t usually hear about resignations of officers during public City Council Meetings. These may be discussed during the Executive Session portion of the meeting, which happens after the public portion.

How To Submit A FOIL/FOIA Request To Beacon's Government

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Lately, as we cover more police related news, and job fairness news, we have been asking what seem to be straightforward questions that have answers in the public domain, but have been given answers of: “Please submit a FOIL,” by the City Manager, Anthony Ruggiero. Normally super helpful with providing information, this answer has been surprising. A FOIL is the Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law, Article 6) (FOIL) grants members of the public access to the records of government in accordance with its provisions.

In Beacon’s case, it means that while Anthony might have the answer in a filebox behind him or down the hallway, we need to go to a website to officially submit a FOIL request, which may get sent to Beacon’s City Clerk, Iola C. Taylor, who also works down the hallway from Anthony (or maybe on a different floor, we actually don’t know this part), who then goes through a decision process on if the request can be granted, and sends us an estimate for any paper copy fees, and may or may not provide the answer to the question.

In Putnam County, an actual Secrecy Law was enacted which allows any public document or contract to be marked confidential for any reason. The Highlands Current has fun submitting FOILs to get the information, but we are not sure on their success rate.

Such questions of late have been:

  • What was the salary for Reuben Simmons when he was the Superintendent of Streets?

  • What was the salary for Michael Manzi when he replaced Reuben as Superintendent of Streets about a year after Reuben was hired?

These questions seemed straightforward because when expenditures are being discussed, salaries are presented. Like last year, when Beacon was hoping to hire an HR person (has since happened) at $65,000. An Human Resources (HR) Director was hired. Or a Climate Smart Coordinator at $9,500. Or the Deputy City Clerk as full-time in the City Clerk budget (1410) for $18,685.

In fact, the salary of the new Human Resources Director, Gina Basile, which was dubbed as a “shared service” with Fishkill, in that she is Fishkill’s Human Resources Director as well, is $88,000. We will have to follow up to see if that is a split cost with Fishkill, or if that is Beacon’s share. Perhaps the answer to the question will be: “Please submit a FOIL.”

As of now, the salary language in the contract is here: “Your annual compensation will be Eighty-Eight Thousand ($88,000) Dollars. Salary increases shall be at the discretion of the City Council and similar to other non-bargaining unit members. Under no circumstances will the salary in a subsequent year be less than the year before unless imposed as the result of discipline or a reduction in required work hours.”

Yay for great salaries, but the application of providing the information is inconsistent. The salaries for the Highway Superintendents were not stated in their Resolutions, however, when Reuben was hired to replace his successor, Anthony Thomaselli, Anthony was hired to stay on as temporary position of part-time Street Superintendent for $50.90 for 8 hours per day, for 3 days per week, from January 17, 2017 through February 28, 2017. This rate detail can be found in this Resolution agenda dated 7/17/2012, here in this Resolution. Payment detail doesn’t seem to be noted in Reuben or Michael’s Resolutions.

Salary and negotiated contract rates are usually in their Resolutions. But when they aren’t, why aren’t they? Sometimes the attorney forgets to include details. For example, when Gina was hired, her name was left out of her contract/Resolution. An oversight that was acknowledged and fixed in the 7/6/2020 City Council Meeting.

Next questions:

What are the names of Beacon’s female police officers?

What are the names of Beacon’s Black or mixed race officers, or officers who are Hispanic or have origins from South America?

The answer to these questions were: “Please submit a FOIL.”

The next question will be:

“What is Beacon’s Police Chief salary as of 8/17/2020, which is when the new acting Police Chief Frost was appointed. The new Acting Police Chief is paid a portion of that salary. While the proposed 2020 budget had it as $147,733. Time will tell what the answer is when confirmation is requested. FOIL? Or easy email response.

How To Submit A FOIL/FOIA

You visit this website: https://www.justfoia.com/

UPDATE 3/7/2022: You could download this PDF, fill it out, and give it to the City Clerk at City Hall.

As of the writing of this article, Anthony sent over a link to a new place on the City’s website where you can find it as well: UPDATE: 3/7/2022: the new link is: https://beaconny.justfoia.com/publicportal/home/newrequest

There are directions on the page at JustFIOA.com. For police or fire related questions, you’ll choose the "PDFD" form for all requests having to do with the Police or Fire Departments. (** Standard motor vehicle accident reports may be obtained directly from BPD. Please contact 845-831-4111 for further info**). The "Clerk" form is to be used for all other departments.

Keep in mind: Start with the City first. Ask your questions. If you get a “Talk to the FOIL” type response, click those links above. Form your question as precisely as you can. Consider submitting several questions if your question is covering too much ground.

Despite Promise To Publish Police Officer Names On Website (Not Published Yet), Beacon Requires FOIL Submission To Get Names

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If you were wanting to look up the name of a police officer in town, you will need to submit a FOIL request, according to the City Manager, Anthony Ruggiero when A Little Beacon Blog asked for a list of female officers, Black officers, and officers of color. Perhaps we should have rephrased the question to: “Can you send the list of all officers.”

FOIL stands for the Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law, Article 6) and grants members of the public access to the records of government in accordance with its provisions. When asked if the City of Beacon was publishing FOIL requests already received, Anthony answered: “The requested FOIL information is still being compiled. Once complete it will be posted on the website.” Once that is complete, it is not clear how long new requests will take to get published onto the website in an ongoing way.

When asked if Beacon had fulfilled Mayor Kyriacou’s promise of publishing the names of police officers onto the website, that he announced at the July 7, 2020 City Council Meeting, Anthony answered: “This information is being compiled and worked on and when complete it will be posted on the City Website.”

During an interview on ALBB’s sister podcast, “Wait, What Is That?” we asked Mayor Kyriacou if he thought it a good idea to publish names and pictures onto the website, as a way to get to know those in the community providing protection. As not everyone knows who the police officers are, as there are about 36 of them, and most people don’t need the police that often so as to meet each one. Mayor Kyriacou thought it a good idea.

A Little Beacon Blog will submit this FOIL request as requested, and will look forward to learning the names of those serving the community when they are published onto the website. It will be easier to wave “Hello!” when walking by someone on the street.