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.


 

City of Beacon's Mayor Lee Kyriacou Issues Statement In Response To Guilty Verdict In Derek Chauvin Trial

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On Wednesday afternoon, just before the end of the business day, City of Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou issued the following statement in response to the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin Trial:

“Yesterday’s verdict holds accountable a former police officer for the killing of George Floyd, a horrifying act recorded and seen across the globe. I hope the verdict will provide at least some comfort to Mr. Floyd’s family and friends. On a broader level, this verdict provides a measure of justice and is a milestone in promoting healing and change across our nation.

“I continue to believe fervently in Martin Luther King’s words, that ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.’ Mr. Floyd’s death has been and will continue to be a catalyst for change in policing, and more broadly for change on how our country lives up to its ideals, to ensure true justice and equality for all, regardless of race, color, creed, ability, or who you love.”

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?

Episode 4: Lee Kyriacou: About Federal Investigation Of The Beacon Police Department Prior To 2010

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During the second @beacon4blacklives (but largest...they had so much success with the first, they collaborated with other organizations to grow the movement) Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou tried to speak, and in doing so, alluded to his spearheading the Federal Investigation of the Beacon Police Department. During former Mayor Randy Casale’s podcast, this was mentioned also.

Prior to the Black Lives Movement, we actually forgot about this major detail that ended 10 years ago - the investigation, the ridding of a police chief feared by many, as well as his son, also an officer at the time. The investigation is why the department is accredited today - a rarity in these parts. As Beacon talks about police re-imagining, knowing this bit of history is key, as reference points to it are made often.

Episode 3: Randy Casale: His First Coming Out (On The "Wait, What Is That?" Podcast)

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When the bench dedicated to former Mayor Randy Casale’s stepson was in discussions to be moved, he took to social media for the first time since losing his mayoral election for a third term, and flared up a base.

On the “Wait, What Is That?” podcast, we talked to Randy to learn more about the bench, what the thin blue line means to him and police families, and the American flag. We also talked to him about his experience during the end of the Federal Investigation of the Beacon Police Department, before the department was accredited, and why he wanted body cameras on officers. The original interview is 3hrs long, but has been edited to 39 minutes per his attorney’s request, and his desire to not re-ignite the divisive vibes that happened after the bench discussion and Back the Beacon PD rally.

With 50-A Repealed To Improve Police Record Transparency in NY, Beacon To Publish FOIA Requests To Website

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During the July 7, 2020 City Council meeting, where the new Acting Chief William Cornett was appointed for a temporary term of 90 days, Mayor Kyriacou announced, with Councilmember Jodi McCredo’s encouragement, that he and Acting Chief Cornett agreed to publish FOIA (Freedom Of Information Act) requests of police officer inquiries to the City’s website. Said Mayor Kyriacou: “We have received some FOIAs in the past weeks. We are just going to put all of the information online. You can submit a FOIA, but we will put it online.”

The City of Beacon will use the program JustFOIA, a management and publishing platform, that purports requests can come in any form, can be anonymous, and can have the status tracked. Asked for this article if all FOIA requests will be published, the Mayor answered: “Yes, those with respect to public interest.” The location on the City’s website of these requests is to be determined.

Acting Chief William Cornett (who goes by Bill), supported the decision with this followup statement during the meeting: “I don't like surprises. Other than Christmas or my birthday. I don't like secrets that I aint going to keep.”

Senator Sue Serino Voted Against 50-a Repeal For Police Record Transparency, And The Beacon PBA's (Police Union) Position

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Governor Cuomo signed the repeal of 50-a, which now allows for transparency of prior disciplinary records of law enforcement officers. Records can be acquired through a FOIL (Freedom Of Information Law) request. The repeal was part of a broader 'Say Their Name' reform agenda to reduce inequality and reimagine the state's criminal justice system.

The shielding law was originally passed in 1976. Since then, it has been fought against by “advocates, including New Yorkers United for Justice, and legal organizations such as the Legal Aid Society and the New York Civil Liberties Union, have pushed for the repeal of 50-a in the name of transparency,” according The Daily News.

According to the press released issued by Governor Cuomo’s office: “Section 50-a of the New York State Civil Rights Law creates a special right of privacy for the personnel records of police officers, correction officers, and firefighters and paramedics employed by the State or political subdivisions. The current law prevents access to both records of the disciplinary proceedings themselves and the recommendations or outcomes of those proceedings, leading to records of complaints or findings of law enforcement misconduct that did not result in criminal charges against an officer almost entirely inaccessible to the public.”

The vote was passed down party lines, with all Democrats voting for, and all Republicans voting against, including Senator Sue Serino, whose senate district includes the Highlands. As reported in the Highlands Current, she explained: “In a statement on Thursday, Serino said she could not ‘in good faith’ vote to repeal 50-a. While there must be ‘zero tolerance for police brutality, racism, hate or violence,’ she said the bill ‘goes too far in allowing for the release of false accusations, unfounded and unsubstantiated claims.’”

While that possibility exists, reports are made public about citizens who are involved in a dispute, or medical professionals who have their licenses revoked for misconduct, whether made vengefully or not. To have zero indication about someone’s behavior, who has the right to behave physically against your person to to speak rudely to your person, seems like a mis-match. To not be able to learn how it was judged by a review board or investigation does not help anyone who wants to learn more about someone who has a powerful physical and emotional advantage over them - by law.

Senator Anna Kaplan (Monahemi) explained why she voted in favor of repealing 50-a. Senator Kaplan is the first “Iranian-American to be elected to either of New York state's legislative chambers, and she is the first former political refugee to serve in the New York Senate, according to Wikipedia:

 

“I came to this country as a 13 year old girl fleeing the revolution that had overtaken the only home I had ever known because my family, and people like us, were no longer welcome or safe in our own communities. While I can’t compare my experience to that of African Americans living in this country, the emotions on display in recent protests throughout our community resonate with me in a deeply personal way. Being raised in that environment also gave me a profound appreciation for our country’s founding principles that we are all equal in the eyes of the law and none of us are above it, and that all public officials be transparent and accountable to the public they serve.

”When 50-a was enacted decades ago, it carved out our Police and a select few public servants from the same rules and responsibilities that all who serve the public in New York State are accountable to, myself included as an elected official. We place an enormous amount of trust in our law enforcement community to wield enormous power on our behalf, but the public is right to demand an ability to “trust, but verify.” Doing so isn’t an attack on the good work of the vast majority of our law enforcement community who puts on a uniform every day to protect and serve with honor and courage…

“With tensions in many communities beyond the breaking point, now is the time to take meaningful steps to develop a durable relationship of trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, and the only way we do that is by being open and honest with each other. I believe by repealing 50-a, we are taking that first step together towards a safer community for everyone.”

 

During the research for this article, A Little Beacon Blog discovered that police unions, Patrolman’s Benevolent Associations (PBA), tended to not favor the repeal either. We reached out to Beacon’s PBA for comment, and received the following response from Mike Confield, Beacon PBA Vice President:

 

The Beacon PBA disagrees with the Governor’s signing of the repeal of 50-a. We feel that the state legislature and the governor passed and signed this bill without taking the necessary time to properly weigh the pros and cons of releasing officers disciplinary records. The potential release of a disciplinary investigation report, especially when it is unfounded of any wrong doing can still damage the reputation of not only the officer involved, but the department and municipality. We also believe that when an officer needs testify at a trial from now on, the trial focus will move from the defendant to the officer. Therefore attempting to slander the officers name enough so a potentially dangerous criminal can walk and cause more damage to the innocent public.

We also feel that rushing this repeal may cause confidential and personal information to be released that has potential to make good officers, good people and our families subject to targeted harassment and violence.

- Mike Confield, Beacon PBA Vice President,
on behalf of the PBA

 

The bill was sponsored by Jamaal T. Bailey, and co-sponsored by Luis R. Sepúlveda, Alessandra Biaggi, Brian A. Benjamin, and Neil D. Breslin.

The New York Post pointed out here and here that several Republican senators are not seeking reelection next term, including “Sens. John Flanagan, Michael Razenhofer of Buffalo, Betty Little of Queensbury, George Amedore of Kingston and freshman Bob Antonacci of Syracuse. Sen Chris Jacobs (R-Buffalo) is also on his way out, as he’s seeking the vacant seat of disgraced US Rep. Chris Collins in Congressional District 27.”

Beacon's Union (PBA) Publishes Letter To City Council In Response To Stories Told By Public At Scheduled Listening Sessions After Peaceful Protest Marches

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After a series of scheduled story and listening sessions outdoors after peaceful protest marches down Beacon’s Main Street, the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association of Beacon issued a statement via letter published on Facebook on June 19, 2020 in response to one of the stories shared with the public on the stage following one of the marches. The story involves a black man being shot by a police officer in 2006. You can read a picture of the letter here on Facebook, and we have retyped it below for easy access:

To The Beacon City Council,

We feel it necessary to address some issues that could greatly impact this great community. The members of the PBA stand by our previous statement condemning the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis officers. We have also kept our word by setting up a safe environment for each protest and demonstration over the past few weeks.

We have performed our sworn duty to this city with professionalism as we watch police across the nation being villainized, slandered and attacked. Our members have not been exempt from these feelings here in our own city. Thankfully, we are able to keep some kind of morale due to a large of amount of support from the community as well.

Regardless of people’s assumptions, we are listening to the people at the protests, council meetings and general interactions with the community. While we still support the right of free speech, we cannot stand by and allow the truth to be twisted and inaccuracies to be used as the continued rhetoric against police. Many of the incidents as told by speakers of the movement are not accurate. We implore you, as elected leaders of this community to do your due diligence and research the facts of some of these incidents.

We must specifically address the inaccurate story of the police involved shooting that took place on October 26th 2006. The statement that a City of Beacon police office shot a woman’s son for “no reason” is a complete mistruth and dangerous statement for the public to believe. The event in question started with a suspicious vehicle complaint, called into our station by a resident of the city. As a uniformed City of Beacon police officer approached the vehicle to speak with the male occupant, the male occupant immediately fired two shots at that officer through the vehicles window, striking the officer in the chest. If not for the body amour worn by officer, on a Tuesday at 1:45pm, responding to a simple suspicious vehicle call, that officer would have been killed as testified to by a medical expert. If not for the firearm carried, as per department guidelines by his backup officer, that officer would not have been able to return fire, saving his injured partner, himself and possibly another uninvolved innocent person.

It is false allegations, like the public allegations that an innocent man was shot for “no reasons” by a Beacon police officer with no repercussion that creates a greater anger towards and mistrust of the police. This story should have been corrected publicly to the crowd to prevent fear and anger to spread.

We ask that prior to making any statements or decisions regarding your police department that may slander the good, hard working members of the Beacon Police, you do your research. Please seek the truth in regards to allegations used as examples of police brutality, as any misinformation could cause irreversible damage to this city.

Thank you,

The members of the Beacon PBA

EDITOR’S NOTE: That story was published as part of a transcript series on A Little Beacon Blog. The story was told at the first march with the listening session. You can read that story here.

Beacon To Host Online Forum To Hear From Public Regarding Beacon Police Department And Improving Community Relations

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DETAILS:
When: Saturday, June 20, 2020
Time: 10am-12pm
Moderated By: Former City Council Member John Rembert, who served in the United States Army for 27 years, retiring as a First Sergeant in October 2010. He is active member of the American Legion, and is an Ordained Minister of Star Bethlehem Baptist Church on Main Street. Sadé Barksdale is co-moderator, is a 2011 Beacon High School graduate and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist and Educator working at a Community School in the Bronx, New York.

After 4 protests in Beacon against police brutality, 2 of which had platforms on which anyone could speak after each of them (click here to read about the first Saturday protest that involved stories), the City of Beacon has issued a “listening session” to receive input on the Beacon Police Department. The idea for this forum came during the public City Council Meeting call where 3 officers from the Beacon Police Department participated in the call to answer questions about training. This also comes before Governor Cuomo repealed 50-a, which allows police records to be made public, a vote which Senator Sue Serino voted against that initiative.

The press release announcing the listening session is below:

 

Beacon Mayor Lee Kyriacou and the City Council will host a community listening session to receive input on the Beacon Police Department and improving community relations on Saturday, June 20 from 10 am to 12 pm. The community forum is being held in response to the national discussion arising from the killing of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.

This listening session will be moderated by former City Council Member John Rembert and Sadé Barksdale, a 2011 Beacon High School graduate and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist and Educator working at a Community School in the Bronx, New York.

City Residents can access the forum online or by phone:
• Visiting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84751711976 Webinar
ID: 847 5171 1976
• Calling 1-929-205-6099 Webinar
ID: 847 5171 1976

Questions or comments can be submitted ahead of time to cityofbeacon@cityofbeacon.org

 

Letter from the Beacon Police Union, Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, In Response To George Floyd's Murder

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On June 3, 2020, Beacon’s Police Union, known as the Patrolman’s Benevolent Association, Inc. published a letter on Facebook in response to the murder of George Floyd. The letter document itself was not dated, but there is a date indicated on the the social media platform. From a linguistic point of view, the language used in this letter is the strongest used when paired with the Mayor Kyriacou and the Police Chief Kevin Junjulas’ statements, which can be found here.

Mayor Kyriacou began reading this letter aloud during a large protest in Beacon at the riverfront on June 6, 2020, and was interrupted by young adults at the protest, who rejected the letter and felt compelled to share their stories of treatment by the Beacon police. In Facebook, people responded by thanking the police for their service, and for issuing the statement, and noting that there had been silence since the initial rejection of police policy with the nation-wide protests.

 

To Our Beacon Community and Friends,

Since the unconscionable murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers last week we, the members of the Beacon PBA have been struggling to find the words to express our emotions. It should not have to be said, but absolutely needs to be said that each and every member of the Beacon PBA condemns the murder of Mr. Floyd and the actions by all four of the involved officers in Minneapolis.

As police officers we take our oath seriously to protect and serve each and every one of you and your constitutional rights regardless of race, gender, religion, political party, or age. On the much larger scale, as human beings we respect and cherish all life. That is why watching the video and following this incident, it is sickening to all of us to see evil in those that have taken similar oaths.

Please believe that we are proud to serve in the City of Beacon and respect the lives and rights of every single resident, business owner and visitor. We will still stand proud wearing the uniform and patch of the City Beacon Department. We will stand tall and strong with you and protect your rights to express you voices, beliefs and causes in a peaceful and safe setting.

We are a diverse community and with support and respect for each other we will continue to be a strong community.

On behalf of the Beacon PBA, thank you and God bless all of you.

Officer Michael Confield
Beacon PBA Vice President