Talk of the Sound has obtained a copy of a message that has been distributed online to “all active members of the New Rochelle PBA” by PBA President Ray Andolina.
As you all know, two NYC Police Officers were executed today in Brooklyn. Immediately upon learning of this horrible, senseless act of cowardice, I first thought of the rally planned for Sunday at City Hall. As the current President of the New Rochelle PBA, I contacted Council member Jared Rice. I told Mr. Rice that he should cancel the rally in light of the events in Brooklyn. I also advised Mr. Rice that it was our position that such a rally would be perceived that a problem exists between the community we serve and our members, which is not the case. Mr. Rice answered that he was not an organizer of the event, and that he wasn’t sure that the event could be canceled in time but would instead suggest a “peace rally.” I reiterated that any event would be inappropriate at this time and asked him to reach out to whomever the organizers are with our request. Mr. Rice agreed and stated he would “make some calls.” A while later Mr. Rice called me back on a conference call with the organizers of tomorrows event. They expressed their deepest condolences to the police community for the murder of the two officers in Brooklyn and stated that they condemn any type of violence in conjunction with getting their message out. The organizers agreed to cancel tomorrows rally but have concerns that the message might not get to everyone who was going to attend. They assured me they were going to work on it tonight, thorough social media. They are also going to show up at City Hall at 12 to “turn back” any who do show up to rally. The tone of the conversation was civil and the organizers wanted our membership to know they were not anti-police. I will be there tomorrow and judge for myself. We shall see. You should also know that I have been in touch with the incoming President, Christopher Greco, who offered very valuable thoughts on how we, as a PBA, are going to move forward regarding these issues.
That Said,
I am requesting and reminding that in light of today’s events in Brooklyn, all active members be diligent in their duties more so now than ever.
1) Don’t bury your heads in the computers or on your cells.
2) When responding to calls, wait for your back up. Also, if you are available, respond to other calls “In Service” Especially adjoining sectors.
3) Back ups on ALL car stops.
4) Don’t be complacent when approaching vehicles. Remember your training!
4) Wear your vests!
Brothers and Sisters, we have to look out for each other, as I said, now more than ever. Please feel free to post any other precautions.
Retired members who are reading this your “wisdom” would be welcome also.
Supervisors, please read at roll call. Thanks
Jared Rice / Noam Bramson Triangulation
The idea of triangulation is you create a dispute between two parties and then attempt to play the middle man, getting the benefit of appearing to be on both sides of the issue.
Let’s clarify a few things.
1. If people in New Rochelle want to demonstrate, march and protest on any subject they should be free to do so.
2. Likewise, if people want to protest against the protest they are free to do that too.
3. Jared Rice has been, by far, the most vocal person in the New Rochelle propounding all manner of anti-police rhetoric on social media and within New Rochelle.
4. Noam Bramson preemptively announced on his web site (without telling fellow council members and without telling the City administration) that he was calling Police Commissioner Carroll to appear before council to address the topics of “training” and “community engagement” in the wake of the Michael Brown and Eric Garner Grand Jury Decisions — an overt attempt to bring the national racial anxiety home to New Rochelle.
5. These two have been for weeks stirring up racial anxiety — despite having for years PRAISED the police, supported MORE OVERTIME for MORE POLICING and never said a word about the entirely white command structure of the NRPD.
6. There is an election coming in 11 months.
7. Jared Rice has been directly involved in organizing not one but two events — one fronted by a couple from Rochelle Heights and another by black churches yet Jared Rice has repeatedly denied that he is involved in organizing these events yet we now can see that he is the person the PBA reached out to, the person who arranged a conference call, the person who insisted on twitter that the event today would go but now be called a “peace rally”.
8. Jared Rice has claimed that the event scheduled for today was not a “march” but a “rally” yet the flyer promoting the event clearly states it is a march.
9. Jared Rice has claimed that the event is not anti-police, and says he cannot understand why the Black Lives Matter movement is considered anti-police even though the Black Lives Matter web site clearly states a series of anti-police “demands” such as reducing funding to police and releasing information about all police officers involved in shooting a black person “so justice can be done” which is an overtly vigilante statements and precisely the sort of rhetoric that the killer of 2 NYPD cops yesterday referenced on social media before carrying out an assassination.
10. Asked by the NRPD PBA to call of the BlackLivesMatter March, Jared Rice claimed that he was not involved but then stated the event would go on as a “Peace Rally”. Well, if he is not involved then what by what authority is he asserting that the event will go on or that it would be re-named a “Peace Rally”. That sounds like someone who is organizing the event. Then there is a conference call among the organizers and the PBA in which it sounds a lot like Jared Rice participated in the call.
11. Meanwhile, silent on recent events is Mayor Noam Bramson.
12. Readers will recall that it was Jared Rice who attacked veterans as racist for hoisting a historically appropriate military flat over the New Rochelle Armory, who claimed he was the person who complained to the City Manager flag when, in fact, it was Noam Bramson who circulated an email to “vote” on the flag and informed the City Manager it was the “will of council” that the flag come down. All of this in the context of Bramson seizing the Democratic nomination for Westchester County Executive from Ken Jenkins. Back then, Bramson used Rice as a tool to raise racial anxiety not just in New Rochelle but Westchester County in an attempt to generate support among a black community that resented Bramson’s tactics in stepping over Jenkins.
So, we have seen this before with Bramson and Rice, where Rice stokes racial anxiety in an attempt to benefit himself politically but more importantly Bramson in an upcoming election all while attempting to mask Bramson’s involvement.
The whole point of “triangulation” is to play both sides against the middle while maintaining plausible deniability.
And that is what is going on here, Bramson with Rice as his agent getting other people to act as the fronts for their own cynical political manipulations.
How many people in New Rochelle know — and would admit — that Bramson has for years called “Friends of Noam” to come down to City Hall to say kind words about some Bramson scheme during Citizens to be Heard? You know who you are are because some of you have told me how Bramson did this to you — and you later realized you had been used.
This is precisely what Bramson did with the Echo Bay development when Greg Merchant, appointed to the New Rochelle Industrial Agency by Bramson (whose wife was appointed to the Historical Landmark Review Board). Time and time again he brought in ringers and shills to tout the Echo Bay project including when Robin Sherman, who works for Greg Merchant made numerous false representations about herself and a stack of petitions she claimed to have obtained but were in fact gathered by the developer, Forest City Ratner, and were replete with all manner of fraud. And of course Bramson was the puppet master for the entire charade in an attempt to protect his political benefactors including the Ratner family.
Again, Rice and Bramson are free to hold anti-police rallies all day long if they want.
But they are not going to get away with using sock-puppets and straw-purchasers to distance themselves from their own events while attempting to reap whatever political advantage they think they can get.
If Bramson and Rice really believe that the NRPD is racist, that New Rochelle is so full of white supremacists that they have to deal with them on a daily basis, that they walk among us, then let them put their cards on the table.
Who are these white supremacists they are talking about? So, far Jared Rice has pointed out a real estate broker and the owner of a successful business, both of whom operate in his Council District.
What “community engagement” issues is Noam talking about?
What training failures can Noam cite to back up his claims?
Put simply, they cannot have it both ways.
Noam and Jared have, in various ways, taken to chest-pounding about their support of police in general and the NRPD in particular.
Jared claims the March he planned is NOT anti-police when then BLACK LIVES MATTER movement is, be definition, anti-police.
Jared and Noam are free to engagement in the sort of race-baiting, anti-police rhetoric if the want — this is America.
What they cannot do is engage in that sort of rhetoric and call it something other than what it is.
In any case, here is how our Mayor and Councilman Rice are ACTUALLY branding New Rochelle — a home of racial intolerance that requires marches, and demonstrations and social media promotion and heated rhetoric to combat institutional racism based on a white supremacists culture (of which they have been silent partners for years).
All I can say to Jared and Noam is this — when you start to go down this road don’t be surprised when others go ALL THE WAY down the road and take your rhetoric to its logical conclusion.
“All Lives Matter”
Noam is indeed the puppet master to Jared. Do I also sense a little of Jeremy Sherber in this? Is this the way Noam and his campaign think they can get the black vote………..BAD DECISION.
And you’re absolutely right, Bob. Just in time for the branding survey, Noam and Jared have presented New Rochelle as a city of racial intolerance with resident white supremacists. To stir up racial animus in the city where it apparently does not exist (between the police and the community) is outrageous.
Being a lifelong resident of New Rochelle, I’m embarrassed by our city leaders.
Its time for a change
We need people on council who celebrate our diversity not use it to divide us. Its time to replace those who want to incite instead of unite.