Greenburgh Police Department Issues First Bias Report to Town Board
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
The Greenburgh Police Department issued its first bias report to the Town Board last week. The Town Board requested the report in response to the rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the nation last year and decided to expand it to cover all hate crimes.
“Hate is not acceptable in Greenburgh. And, we will continue our efforts to fight bias against people of different nationalities, religions, disabilities, sexual orientation, race,” Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner said.
In the report submitted by Police Chief Kobie Powell on Jan. 3, three incidents involving acts of bias were reported to Greenburgh Police in 2022, and four in 2021.
The first incident took place on March 24 at 70 Virginia Rd. The incident involved a dispute between a food delivery worker and customer. The delivery worker, a Black woman, responded to headquarters to file a police report immediately after the incident. She reported making a delivery to a white male customer. The order was incomplete and the customer refused to accept partial delivery. The customer allegedly made disparaging remarks about Black people to the woman and then left a negative review with her employer after she left.
The complainant advised that the review alleged she was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time of the delivery, and that it resulted in the termination of her employment. The reporting officer documented that the complainant was not under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the filing of the report so that the complainant could provide it to her employer.
On May 26 at the Bowlero bowling alley at 47 Tarrytown Rd. in White Plains, a white woman described as being intoxicated was making repeated use of racial slurs. A female Black patron approached her and asked her to stop. The perpetrator then punched the woman in the face and bit her on the hand. She then fled the bowling alley before police arrival. An investigation was conducted by detectives. However, the case was closed due to the victim failing to cooperate with the investigation.
On September 18, at 51 Fieldstone Dr., two neighbors with a documented history of disputes with each other getting into a verbal and physical dispute. During the altercation one of the participants allegedly called the other a slur pertaining to one’s sexual orientation. Neither party was charged in that incident.
Meanwhile, in 2021, four bias incidents were reported to police.
On July 6, 2021, a perpetrator contacted WJCS employees in Hartsdale by telephone and made both threatening and anti-Semitic statements. The perpetrator was known to the victims and identified. An arrest was not made because the victims declined to prosecute.
On Sept. 9, 2021, in the parking lot of 969 South Central Ave., a white male initially drew the attention of the victim, a Black female, by screaming at her as she pulled into a parking spot. The victim believed it may have been because the perpetrator’s child was running near where she parked. The victim advised the male to watch his child and the male responded by threatening to shoot her in the head and calling her a racial slur. Officers responded to the scene, interviewed both parties, and placed the perpetrator under arrest for aggravated harassment in the second degree.
On Sept. 29, 2021, at 376 Saw Mill River Rd., a resident verbally abused at Greenburgh Housing Authority employee that was landscaping near her apartment. The resident cursed at the employee, told him to go back to Jamaica, and poked him in his chest. The incident was witnessed by a second Housing Authority employee and stemmed from the resident not wanting him to cut the weeds in front of her apartment.
On Oct. 9, 2021, at 105 Pomander Dr., the victim was hosting a birthday party in her back yard when one of her neighbors interrupted the party by walking into the back yard and screaming and cursing at her and her guests, apparently displeased with the loud music emanating from the party. The perpetrator made statements asserting that the partygoers were in America and that Hispanics do not belong here. She also knocked the birthday cakes to the ground and scratched the victim on the face causing a laceration and swelling under her eye. Officers responded, located the offender, and arrested her. The arrest charges consisted of assault in the third degree and criminal mischief in the third degree.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
