Calls for police watchdog group

A number of North Park residents and an attorney representing one of five men arrested during an altercation with police last month are calling for the creation of a civilian complaint review board, after they said police officers overstepped their bounds and violated the men’s civil rights, accusations that police and some city officials strongly dispute.

At the Dec. 7 City Council meeting, resident Cecil Garrett, head of the Concerned Citizens of North Park, called on the council to create an independent body in which residents could file complaints against the department. A review board composed of civilian members, he said, would be able to investigate and recommend action on complaints against police officers alleged to have used excessive or unnecessary force.

“I believe this is the only fair way to file a complaint against the police department,” he said. “In my opinion, there needs to be an independent way to file a complaint.” The calls for such a board to handle civilian complaints come after the arrests of five men on Nov. 9 during an altercation with police officers, in what police officials described as a riot that left two officers injured and sparked the ire of residents who claimed the men were brutalized by police.

“To ask the police department to serve as the watchdog of their own actions makes it a certainty that the problems will always exist, because they won’t have to answer to anyone but themselves,” said Fred Brewington, an attorney representing one of the men. “A civilian complaint review board … is a lot more likely to really address that issue.”

Police and several city officials strongly disputed allegations of police misconduct, and said that the officers involved acted responsibly.

“I think what’s happening here does not necessitate a civilian complaint review board,” said one high-ranking city official who asked not to be named. “It deflects the actions of these five individuals. Instead of these young men taking responsibility for their actions, they’re blaming the police.”

Charles Evans, 39, Laquann Hodge, 21, Derrick Patten, 18, Devante Patten, 16, and Bruce Rodgers, 19, all of Long Beach, were arrested on charges of first-degree riot, obstruction of governmental administration and resisting arrest. Rodgers and Derrick Patten were also charged with second-degree assault, police said. They have been released on bail, and are due to appear in Nassau County Court on Dec. 21.

Brewington said his client, Derrick Patten, was beaten and abused in his home during the incident, with injuries to his face and head.

“[The police] victimized these five young men — their entry into one of the homes was unauthorized and shows that they have no regard for the people they are supposed to be serving,” Brewington said.

Garrett and others contend that it was far more than a coincidence that the arrests came on the heels of a heated city council meeting on Nov. 3 at which James Hodge — the city’s former animal warden and an uncle to three of the men — and others asked several city officials to resign.

Garrett and others claim that there was an increased police presence in the community as a result of Hodge’s appearance at the meeting, and described it as a police state. Brewington and others said they believe that the arrests were retaliation against Hodge. City Manager Charles Theofan called Brewington’s allegations “absolutely” false.

“Allegations that we stepped up patrols to target people are delusional,” Theofan said. “I doubt that anybody believes that to be true. Obviously, Mr. Hodge and Mr. Brewington have their own agendas, whereas our agenda is to protect the public and the North Park community.”

Police maintain that the officers made a routine stop that turned into a “melee,” in which the officers were the ones being attacked during the incident, after police identified themselves and attempted to question the men on East Pine Street. One of the men, police said, wore a bandanna, and another “tugged at his waistband” as he fled. One man entered a home on East Pine Street, where Hodge and the Pattens live.

When one officer went to the front door of the home with the intention of questioning the man, two other suspects returned and began attacking uniformed officers at the scene, police said. Eventually, police said that 100 or more people eventually crowded the street when the fighting broke out, with some kicking and punching the officers.

Brewington disagreed with the department’s version of events and questioned the validity of the charges. He added that his client’s face was covered the night of the arrest due to a respiratory condition, that police officers called out to his client by name, and that the police had no reason to stop the men. He also claimed that the police officers’ injuries were sustained as a result of “beating” the men.

Theofan and police sources strongly disputed those claims, and said that the police officers were being diligent in the aftermath of a recent robbery in the area a few weeks prior. Theofan said that since the Republican coalition took office in 2004, there has been a strong commitment to addressing issues such as drugs and violence in the

North Park. Theofan also took issue with claims of discrimination, and added that the city has made concerted efforts to diversify its police force.

When asked whether there would be an investigation into the incident by District Attorney Kathleen Rice’s office, Theofan said, “All I know is that the district attorney is proceeding with the criminal prosecution of these individuals.”

A spokesman for Rice said he could not comment on the incident, but confirmed that a complaint has been filed against the Long Beach Police Department in connection to the arrests.

“I think Kathleen Rice’s office has a history of dealing fairly, especially with charges like this,” the city official said. “I think the courts are the ultimate review board.”

City Councilman Len Torres, however, said that a civilian board should be looked into by the city council.

“A civilian review board makes dialogue possible, and neither the police department nor the PBA should feel threatened by it, they should welcome it,” he said. “This part of the community is traumatized by this [incident],” said Torres. “There’s no dialogue right now and that’s creating a rift.”

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