Tag Archives: NYPD

Protecting Trump Tower cost NY City $24 million from election to inauguration

FILE PHOTO - Police and fire crew stand outside Trump Tower following a report of a suspicious package in Manhattan, New York City, U.S. on December 27, 2016. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

By Gina Cherelus

NEW YORK (Reuters) – It cost New York City about $24 million to provide security at Trump Tower, President Donald Trump’s skyscraper home in Manhattan, from Election Day to Inauguration Day, or $308,000 per day, New York’s police commissioner said on Wednesday.

The revelation prompted renewed calls for Congress to reimburse the city for the cost of protecting Trump’s private residence on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, where his wife and their son continue to reside.

“We are seeking full federal reimbursement for all costs incurred related to security for President Trump and his family at Trump Tower,” Freddi Goldstein, a spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio, wrote in an email to Reuters.

New York City Police Commissioner James O’Neill said in a statement that the Police Department now has a dual role in protecting the first family while also serving and protecting residents in the city.

“Trump Tower itself now presents a target to those who wish to commit acts of terror against our country, further straining our limited counterterrorism resources,” O’Neill said.

Trump’s spokespeople could not be reached immediately for comment.

De Blasio asked the U.S. government in December for up to $35 million to cover security costs for protecting Trump in his home atop the 58-story skyscraper, which is located on Fifth Avenue near Central Park, an area popular with tourists.

At $24 million, the final cost was less than that. Trump spent most of his time from Election Day on Nov. 8 until his inauguration on Jan. 20 at his penthouse apartment in Trump Tower.

In addition to the police protection, the Fire Department incurred $1.7 million in costs during the time period Trump was in New York, according to O’Neill.

On days when first lady Melania Trump and the couple’s son, Barron, are the only ones in the city, security going forward will cost between $127,000 and $145,000 per day, less than when the president is in residence, O’Neill said.

When Trump is in town, the cost of police protection will go back up to $308,000 on average per day, O’Neill said. It will cost about another $4.5 million per year for the New York City Fire Department to protect the building, he said.

“We anticipate these costs will increase significantly whenever the president is in New York City,” he said.

Trump has not been back to Manhattan since his inauguration.

New York Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney said in a statement on Wednesday that the city’s taxpayers should not be forced to pay for a “national security obligation” and that “Congress must provide city taxpayers a full reimbursement.”

(Reporting by Gina Cherelus; Editing by Sharon Bernstein and Leslie Adler)

New York City police to wear body cameras under labor settlement

NYPD now needing cameras

By Hilary Russ

NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York City and its largest police union settled on a tentative five-year labor contract on Tuesday that includes salary increases while also agreeing that all patrol officers will wear body cameras by the end of 2019.

The agreement “is a big step forward for a vision of safety in which police and the community are true partners,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference with union and police officials.

The New York Police Department, the nation’s largest, already has a pilot program with cameras for 1,000 officers. But further rollout was stymied by a lawsuit, which the union agreed to drop as part of the deal.

New York will join other cities requiring their police forces to wear body cameras amid nationwide concerns over use of excessive force by police. Chicago aims to have the devices on all officers by the end of this year.

The contract agreement also removes a potentially expensive uncertainty that was a hold-over from former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who left office at the end of 2013 with every public-sector labor contract long-expired.

Since taking office, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration has chipped away at negotiations with teachers and other unions, but the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association contract was still a major sticking point.

Reached at about 4 a.m. on Tuesday, the agreement will cost the city $530.4 million altogether, most of which will be covered by a labor reserve fund. Including healthcare savings, the net cost to the city is $336.7 million.

The deal, covering nearly 24,000 police officers, includes a 2.25 percent bump in base salary for patrol officers as they shift to a new method of neighborhood policing which focuses more on beat patrols and community interaction.

The increase that patrol officers get will be offset in part by lower starting salaries for new hires, although their maximum salaries will rise. Upon approval by union members, the new contract would go into effect March 15.

The city will also support the union’s efforts to get state lawmakers to provide disability benefits at three-quarters of salary, while the union agreed to drop other lawsuits against the city.

(Reporting by Hilary Russ; Editing by Daniel Bases and Andrew Hay)

New York City police upgrade gear after Texas, Louisiana shootings

Crime scene of Dallas shooting

By Gina Cherelus

(Reuters) – The New York City Police Department has acquired $7 million in military-style protective equipment for patrol officers in response to recent shooting attacks on police in Baton Rouge and Dallas earlier this month, officials said on Monday.

“You name it, we’re buying it,” Police Commissioner William Bratton told a news conference. “There’s not a police department in America that is spending as much money, as much thought and interest on this issue of officer safety.”

Bratton said the NYPD has purchased 20,000 military-style helmets, 6,000 heavy duty bullet-proof vests, trauma kits and ballistic doors and windows for patrol cars.

He said the new bullet-proof vests are capable of stopping rounds fired from the type of weapon used in the Baton Rouge shooting that killed three officers and the Dallas shooting that left five officers dead and seven wounded.

“Obviously all over the country people have been deeply trouble by the attack on our officers,” added Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We made this decision quickly in light of the challenges we face.”

Special units are already equipped with protective gear like the upgraded equipment. Because patrol officers are likely to respond to active shooting situations, they will begin carrying the new equipment starting in September, according to police officials.

In recent weeks, major police departments across the country have been implementing new patrol tactics for officers in the wake of racial tension plaguing various cities.

Nearly half of the police departments in the 30 biggest U.S. cities issued directives after the Dallas attack requiring patrol officers to pair up while on duty.

(Reporting by Gina Cherelus; Editing by Dan Grebler)

Suspect surrenders after tossing fake bomb into police van in Manhattan

SUV where man barricaded himself after bomb scare

By Laila Kearney

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A New York man accused of tossing a fake bomb into a police van in Times Square and later barricading himself inside a vehicle in an hours-long standoff was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation on Thursday after surrendering to police.

Hector Meneses, 52, gave up at about 8 a.m. after forcing police to shut down Columbus Circle, a busy shopping area and major traffic circle north of Times Square, through the morning rush hour, a New York Police Department spokesman said.

Meneses, who wore a red plastic helmet and was from the borough of Queens, was taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, police said.

He was accused of lobbing a makeshift device into a police van in tourist-packed Times Square at about 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday and then fleeing in a gold-colored SUV.

At about 2 a.m., police spotted his vehicle in the Columbus Circle area, which is packed with high-end retail stores. The man barricaded himself inside and said he had explosives inside the car.

Police from a hostage team negotiated with him for about six hours, New York Police Chief of Department James O’Neill told reporters.

Police said in a statement that no explosives were found. Meneses is accused of first-degree reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, first-degree false reporting of an incident and other charges, the statement said.

Immediately after the device was tossed into the van, a sergeant and an officer drove from the crowded area, then inspected the package. It contained a candle, cylindrical object and an electronic device with a flashing light wrapped in white cloth, police said.

“I was nervous, he was nervous,” Sergeant Hameed Armani said as he and Officer Peter Cybulski spoke to reporters. “I said, ‘If it happens, it happens, but I’m not going to stop here.'”

The bomb squad determined the device was a hoax.

(Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Peter Cooney)

NYPD On High Alert After ISIS Calls For Attacks

The New York City Police Department, already on alert because of the murder of officers by black residents over the Eric Garner situation, is on highest alert because of threats from Islamic terrorist group ISIS.

ISIS has called for Muslims within America to “strike police” and after last week’s Paris terror attacks officials are seriously considering the threat.

“Do not let the battle pass you by wherever you may be,” ISIS spokesman Abu Mohamad Al-Adnani declared in an online video. “Strike their police, security and intelligence members, as well as their treacherous agents.  [For those] who don’t have an improvised explosive device or a bullet, [you] can smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car.”

The NYPD’s deputy commissioner for counterterrorism told CBS’s “Face The Nation” that the announcement was a renewal of a call ISIS made in September for attacks on police.

The NYPD sent an e-mail memo to all police.

“If you are assigned to a fixed post, do not sit together in the RMP [police car],” the e-mail, obtained by The New York Post, read. “At least one officer must stand outside the vehicle at all times. Pay attention to your surroundings. Officers must pay close attention to approaching vehicles . . . Pay close attention to people as they approach. Look for their hands.”

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said that the ISIS cyber attacks and threats are “severely disturbing.”

NYPD Finds Arsenal After Capturing Man Who Talked Of Killing Police

A Queens, New York man was arrested after he was overheard talking about killing police.  A witness called the NYPD after hearing 38-year-old Elvin Payamps talking in a TD Bank line about having guns at his house to commit the crime.

“I’m going to kill another cop. We should do it before Christmas. The cop should have been white that was killed. I always have a gun on me,” the witness said Payamps told a friend on a phone call.

The witness called 911 but Payamps left before police arrived at the bank.  He was found getting into a car near the bank.  After finding marijuana in the car, he was arrested.

“They should have killed two white cops instead of the Hispanic and Asian if the guy really wanted to send a message,” Payamps allegedly told police after his arrest.

At Payamps home, officers found a 9mm pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun with serial numbers scratched off them.  He also had two bulletproof vests and a set of brass knuckles.

He is being held on $500,000 bail.

Police praised the witness for reporting the threat.  They called on all New Yorkers to take seriously anyone who talks about killing police officers in the wake of the murder of two officers by someone seeking retribution for Eric Garner and the events of Ferguson, MO.

NYPD Officer Rafael Ramos Remembered As Man of Ministry

Officer Rafael Ramos, murdered at the hands of a madman on Saturday, was remembered as a man with a deep commitment to the church and a passion for ministry.

Ramos, 40, had been working to become a chaplain and was just hours away from completing the New York State Chaplain Task Force at the time of his death.

“Ralph Ramos was a long-standing member of 14 years at Christ Tabernacle. When he was not working, he was highly involved in our church. He served as an usher, was part of our marriage ministry and life group ministry. He and his family are well loved throughout the congregation,” said Rev. Adam Durso of Christ Tabernacle Church.

“Ralph was definitely a family man. He always talked about his kids and how well they were doing athletically and academically. He loved his church and family. He leaves behind his wife, Maritza, and two sons, Justin and Jayden, plus a host of family and friends. This is a tragic loss for us as a church, but we are committed to Maritza, Jayden and Justin to give them what Ralph gave us week in and week out.”

The daughter of Eric Garner, the man who died after a chokehold incident with the NYPD, reached out to the son of Ramos after Jayden Ramos posted a tribute to his father on Facebook.

“It hit my heart because I know what it feels like with this upcoming season and you don’t have your father around,” Emerald Garner wrote to Ramos. “I know firsthand what you’re feeling.”

Murderer Of NYPD Officers Arrested Mutliple Times

The man who ambushed and killed two New York Police officers has been arrested several times for petty crimes and has been described as “violent and suicidal.”

28-year old Ismaaiyl Brainsley also spent two years in prison for firing a stolen gun near a public street in Georgia.

New York Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told NBC that they had discovered the gunman had tried to commit suicide last year.  The mother of the gunman’s ex-girlfriend, who he shot after an argument Saturday morning, told the NYPD that she had been afraid of him.

Friends of the gunman have been telling media that he was a peaceful, “God-fearing” man and they were shocked to hear he had committed the crime.

“This would’ve never crossed my mind for him to do something like this,” friend Jay Romero told the New York Daily News. “It brought tears to my eyes. No human has the right to take any human’s life, that’s wrong. What he did is a cowardly move. I don’t know what he went through, what was on his mind.”

NYPD Officers Ambushed By Protester

A man who was protesting and seeking revenge for Michael Brown and Eric Garner ambushed two police officers in their cruiser on Saturday, shooting them before killing himself after he was trapped in a subway.

Ismaaiyl Abdulla Brinsley walked up from behind the cruiser containing Officers Wenjin Liu and Raphael Ramos, dropped into a shooting stance at the passenger side window and opened fire.  The officers did not even have time to pull their weapons before they were fatally struck.

NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton told reporters at a press conference that the gunman had shot his ex-girlfriend in Baltimore in the morning before driving to New York.

Brinsley had posted online that he was going to be “putting wings on pigs” today.  He added “They take 1 of ours.  Let’s take 2 of theirs. #ShootThePolice #RIPEricGardner #RIPMikeBrown”

His last post said “This may be my final post.  I’m putting pigs in a blanket.”

Baltimore police were alerted by the ex-girlfriend’s mother of the murderer’s intentions but the message did not reach the NYPD until after the killing.

Israeli Student Attacked In New York Synagogue

An Israeli rabbinical student is in critical condition at a New York hospital after a man yelling “kill the Jews” attacked him in a Brooklyn synagogue.

“Levi had his hands up, trying to block the individual with his arms,” Mendy Notik, 22, told the New York Daily News. “He was saying. ‘I will kill you.’ And after Levi, he went towards another young student and he said ‘I will kill the Jews!'”

Peters was approached by members of the NYPD who told him to put down his knife.  Initially, Peters put down the knife and before he picked it up again and charged toward officer Roberto Pagan.  Pagan shot Peters in the stomach.

Rosenblat, 22, was rushed to trauma unit at Kings County Hospital and initially reported in stable condition before it was revealed he was transferred to Bellevue Hospital where he was in critical condition with bleeding on the brain according to police sources.

NYPD officials were quick to dismiss the attack as an act of terrorism, saying that the attacker was only mentally ill.

“We are very, very confident it’s not a terrorist-related act at this stage,” Bratton said. “There’s no indication that the subject … had any affiliation with any terrorist organization.”

Evan Bernstein, New York director of the Anti Defamation League, told USA Headline News that anti-Semitism has been on the rise around the world.

“We have definitely seen a surge in global anti-Semitism really since Operation Protective Edge, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians,” Bernstein said.  “We’ve seen a dramatic uptick, especially in Europe, where instances over previous years is incredibly high.”

The NYPD announced they will have a greater security presence around synagogues with Hanukkah approaching next week.