Dumb and Dumber at RIOC PSD or Just Selective Enforcement?

We suspected selective enforcement when PSD lazily put up barriers in front of a single fire hydrant on Main Street. Was it just knuckle-headed or something worse?

by David Stone

The Roosevelt Island Daily News

Selective Enforcement?

When PSD Chief Kevin Brown was confronted over an ungainly barrier set up in front of Bread & Butter Deli, he admitted that he set it up to prevent parking in front of the fire hydrant.

That’s right. RIOC’s top executive in charge of safety figured that a permanent barrier in front of a fire hydrant was better than an occasional car parking there.

Then, just in case, Brown made the barrier even bigger.

Fact Checking PSD Claims

First, let’s all concede that this is stupid right outa the gate. After all, one thing PSD does really well is write out parking tickets. Why cut off revenue that might cover RIOC’s bloated payroll?

And how does this help anyway, replacing temporary violations with a 24/7 one?

That’s why we wondered about targeting. Does PSD have bug up its butt over something about the popular deli, Main Street’s longest standing business? Bread & Butter Deli is Muslim-owned and managed. Is that a factor in the targeting?

One good way of finding out how selective this is involves checking how other fire hydrants are “protected” in the canyon. Compare like for like. Here is what we found:

At the nearest fire hydrant outside Good Shepherd Plaza, no barrier was found. But a marked RIOC vehicle was illegally parked without interference from Chief Brown’s intrepid enforcers.

And it wasn’t alone.

A private vehicle, not ticketed, joined in the privilege.

Is it selective enforcement, targeted?

That seems clear, but what’s not clear is an honest explanation of why?

More from the Roosevelt Island Daily News

• 
  The US Remains a Grim Leader in Preterm Births. Why? And Can We Fix It?March 22, 2023
  Tamara Etienne’s second pregnancy was freighted with risk and worry from its earliest days — exacerbated by a first pregnancy that had ended in miscarriage. A third-grade teacher at an overcrowded Miami-Dade County public school,
• 
  Common Woodworking Problems and SolutionsMarch 21, 2023
  Professionals and hobbyists understand the woes of woodworking. Fortunately, a few woodworking problems have smart solutions you should know.
• 
  Immobilized Astor Place Cube Slated to Spin Again by SummerMarch 21, 2023
  The iconic Astor Place Cube, which has been immobilized for nearly a year because of structural damage, would be restored to its original free-spinning glory by July 17, under a proposal from the city Department
• 
  Adams faces campaign finance violationsMarch 20, 2023
  (The Center Square) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing tens of thousands of dollars in fines for alleged violations of state campaign finance laws involving his 2022 inaugural fund. The New York City’s Campaign
• 
  Freedom Lover Ron DeSantisMarch 17, 2023
  davidstone1313 See author's posts

davidstone1313

See author's posts