Crime & Safety

Officers Who Responded to South Slope Sex Assault Reassigned to New Precinct

Due to an investigation into their response to Wednesday's sexual assault on 16th Street near Fourth Avenue, one cop was reassigned to the Bronx; the other to Staten Island.

The two responding officers from the 72nd precinct who handled the were reassigned to other precincts, an NYPD spokesman said.

Police would not reveal where exactly the two cops were reassigned to, but sources say one officer was transferred to a precinct in the Bronx, while the other was sent to Staten Island. 

The two cops from the 72nd precinct will be stripped of their guns and put on desk duty, a police source explained.

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The cops were reassigned to the sexual assault on 16th Street near Fourth Avenue on Wednesday where authorities reviewed surveillance video to determine if the cops handled the situation properly.

According to officers of the 72nd precinct, the victim was not at the scene when police arrived. The person who called 911 said they knew where the victim was and that they would bring her to the police.

Find out what's happening in Park Slopewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The cops reported that they left the scene after waiting "for some time," but were called back a little while later by the same caller. However, the victim was still not present. The officers left again and no arrests have been made.

Since then, police have of the of the groping. 

Councilmember Brad Lander, D-Park Slope, supported the NYPD's handling of the two responding officers.

“We need to ensure that the police are taking any sexual assault in our community seriously," Lander said. "It is good to hear that [the 72nd precinct's Commanding Officer] Captain Grant acted swiftly after the troubling response to Wednesday morning’s attack. The community and the police must remain vigilant against violence in our community.”

 

This report was updated on May 25 at 4:30 p.m. to include Councilmember Brad Lander's quote, as well as the location of the officer's reassignment. 


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