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| Reverend Rich Rose of the First Baptist Church - Ithaca, NY - holds the Police Report filed, detailing BoA's false accusations of "Harassment" against the Reverend. |
- Ithaca, NY (6-13-12) -
Two months ago, the Bank of America branch office on the Ithaca Commons added a gun to the uniform of its outdoor security guard. The presence of a guard, who was initially unarmed, began last fall during a social movement to rally citizens against Wall Street and the banks that support it. The recent addition of the gun was a step too far for one local minister.
Rev. Rich Rose of the First Baptist Church of Ithaca entered the bank shortly after noticing the weapon. He recalls telling the bank manager, “I’m really concerned about this armed gunman you’ve got out there. I’m deeply concerned that there’s a guy—a security guard employed by Bank of America—with a gun out there on The Commons, in public space. There’s a playground just a few feet from there—my children play on that playground, other children play on the playground. It’s a very public, high-traffic area.” He said that after leaving the bank, he felt the conversation had been both cordial and productive.
Rose says he went to the bank to ask the manager specifically, “What is the issue that has warranted this presence, of this guy with a gun?” Rose says he was shocked by the bank manager’s response. “Without even hesitating, he said protesters,” Rose recalls. This response led Rose to speak at the June 6 Ithaca Common Council meeting. He spoke as a member of the community, as a local reverend and as a local protester. He told the Common Council that he felt the gun was a threat to the public in general. He went on to say, "if a gun is being used to intimidate protesters, then it is an infringement on the right to protest."
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Rev. Rich Rose holds BoA's false claim against him. Ithaca
Police Department still refuses to answer ANY questions on
their involvement - contacting Rose on the Bank's behalf.
The City still refuses to comment on IPD's involvement,
belligerence with this reporter, and lack of accountability to the Public/Press. |
Two days after his initial visit to the bank, Rose was contacted by the Ithaca Police Department. He says that Officer Pape called to follow up on a complaint of harassment made against him by the bank, which is located two blocks from his church. According to Rose, the officer contacted him to warn him about “harassing” anyone at the bank. He said that the officer admitted that no charges could be filed for his encounter at the bank.
Inquiry to Ithaca PD,
Mayor Svante Myrick,
& City Officials
Thus far, only the initial police report regarding Rose’s visit to the bank—just a small part of the current FOIL request—has been released by the City. The FOIL request includes all records regarding the City’s handling of press/public inquiry into the initial story. Neither the mayor nor any members of the Common Council have commented on the specifics of this story, though initial request for comment was made on May 30. Followup communications have also been ignored.
City Attorney, Fourth Floor, City Hall, 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
initial story first reported in Tompkins Weekly
Mayor Svante Myrick,
& City Officials
An inquiry at the Ithaca Police Department (IPD) was made to confirm their involvement in this incident. That press inquiry was met with overt resistance. The IPD, like the bank, refused to answer any questions regarding the incident - though they were involved. First, Sgt. Young refused to answer any questions at all, but suggested contacting the day shift supervisor who was on duty at the time of Officer Pape’s phone call to Rose. The press inquiry was then directed, following Sgt. Young’s instruction, to Supervisor – Sgt. Lawrence.
Sgt. Lawrence refused to answer any questions, only repeating, “I don’t understand what your interest is in this.” She was told no less than 3 times that the purpose of the call was a press inquiry into a matter of public interest between a public business and a public figure. When her verbal bullying did not have any effect on the questions being posed to her, she finally revealed her intent by saying only, “If you want to know anything—FOIL it!” This term refers to the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) - a law designed to help keep public institutions from hiding or otherwise obscuring information from the public.
An official FOIL request was made, but not before contact was made with Ithaca Mayor Myrick, Police Chief Vallely and all members of the Ithaca Common Council for review of the manner in which the IPD and Sgt. Lawrence dealt with public/press inquiry on this story. The mayor requested more information on the matter and Chief Vallely offered a meeting.
After several days and more than one e-mail detailing the issue, Vallely met with this reporter on June 5. He had not yet reviewed the department’s record of the conversation in question - with Sgt. Lawrence. The chief confirmed that the record exists within the department and he agreed to review it and follow up. He said that such behavior involving an officer on his force is outside of the department’s standard operating procedure and that the press and the public have a right to ask questions of their public institutions. The chief has not yet, however, followed through on handling of this incident.
The New York Department of State’s Committee on Open Government provides information on FOIL. The committee’s website (www.dos.ny.gov/coog) cites the New York State Public Officers Law (Article 6) - specifically declaring “that a free society is maintained when government is responsive and responsible to the public, and when the public is aware of governmental actions. The more open a government is with its citizenry, the greater the understanding and participation of the public in government.”
The legislation also states, “The legislature therefore declares that government is the public's business and that the public, individually and collectively and represented by a free press, should have access to the records of government in accordance with the provisions of this article.”
Thus far, only the initial police report regarding Rose’s visit to the bank—just a small part of the current FOIL request—has been released by the City. The FOIL request includes all records regarding the City’s handling of press/public inquiry into the initial story. Neither the mayor nor any members of the Common Council have commented on the specifics of this story, though initial request for comment was made on May 30. Followup communications have also been ignored.
THIS IS YOUR COMMUNITY.
Stand Up - Fight Back!!!
TELL YOUR City Officials, their
old world Secrecy and Paranoia is Stand Up - Fight Back!!!
NOT O.K. in YOUR COMMUNITY:
 Jennifer Dotson, Acting Mayor First Ward 607-351-5458 jdotson@cityofithaca.org Term expires: December 31, 2013 | |
Joseph "Seph" Murtagh,
Second Ward 585-703-2582 jmurtagh@cityofithaca.org Term expires: December 31, 2013 |  Second Ward 607-272-4905 jclairbo@cityofithaca.org Term expires: December 31, 2013 |
 Ellen McCollister, Alternate Acting Mayor Third Ward 607-272-5936 emccollister@cityofithaca.org Term expires: December 31, 2013 | |
 Graham Kerslick, Fourth Ward 607-273-4620 gkerslick@cityofithaca.org Term expires: December 31, 2013 |  Eddie Rooker, Fourth Ward 315-406-0990 erooker@cityofithaca.org Term expires: December 31, 2013 |
 Deborah Mohlenhoff, Fifth Ward 607-351-0047 dmohlenhoff@cityofithaca.org Term expires: December 31, 2013 |
To mail correspondence to the full Common Council: council@cityofithaca.org
Meetings: Common Council: Meets the 1st Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m.
Government Performance and Accountability Committee:
Deb Mohlenhoff, Chair, Seph Murtagh, Ellen McCollister, Eddie Rooker, Chris Proulx
Meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m at City Hall.
Meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m at City Hall.
___________________________________________________
TELL YOUR Police Department that
this kind of behavior is UNACCEPTABLE
in regard to PUBLIC/PRESS Inquiry.
Remind them that they work
for YOUR Public Institution!
CLICK HERE to E-MAIL
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| (Chief)
CLICK HERE to E-MAIL
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CLICK HERE to E-MAIL |
__________________________________________________
TELL the City's Attorney's Office to STOP
OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE - and to RELEASE THE REST
of the DOCUMENTS, now officially requested via F.O.I.L.
City Attorney, Fourth Floor, City Hall, 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
City Attorney: Aaron (Ari) Lavine
Executive Assistant to City Attorney: Jody Andrew
Executive Assistant to City Attorney: Jody Andrew
Assistant City Attorney:
Krin Flaherty
Krin Flaherty
Phone: (607) 274-6504
Fax: (607) 274-6507
e-mail: attorney@cityofithaca.org
e-mail: attorney@cityofithaca.org
__________________________________________________
-TAKE YOUR CITY BACK -
initial story first reported in Tompkins Weekly
