Despite unbelievable assurance from RIOC’s Passive Safety Department (PSD), crime is growing and more violent on Roosevelt Island. Today, another example of the escalation shut down Duane Reade after the string of shoplifting incidents ticked up into vandalism.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
You can take for granted that RIOC will not report this any more than it has the dozens of other shoplifting crimes at Duane Reade. It’s not good for business, and the state agency aligns with real estate developers working hard at keeping rents high.
That claim, pushed by PSD Chief Keven Brown at community “engagement” meetings, is that Roosevelt Island is virtually crime-free. It’s a lie. What once was true isn’t anymore.
More Violent Crime While RIOC Lies About It
An article we posted this week took Chief Brown to task for his repeated and untrue statements about Roosevelt Island crime. Not only did he ignore several recent public incidents, a local mom reminded us of even more.
Two situations at PS/IS 217 seem to have slipped past him. In one incident, one student threatened to shoot another in the head. After a second incident and no help from Brown or the Board of Education, the student’s parents removed their child from the school and enrolled elsewhere.
As implied in today’s crime at Duane Reade, ignoring the problem, pretending it doesn’t exist may help ultra-lazy RIOC feel good, but it won’t stop the crime.
And if nothing is done, it will most likely turn more violent while PSD searches for someone to blame while never looking in the mirror.
Before the Door Closed
The May 14 RIOC board meeting began with public concern over the steam plant and ended with two votes that revealed more than any report could. Some meetings announce themselves by what is said. This one announced itself by what the room permitted to move and what it stopped before it could breathe.
