Whitehead was preaching at Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministry on Remsen Ave. And Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes said at the hearing that both defendants were already engaged in plea negotiations.īishop Lamor Whitehead speaking to take to the media after leaving Brooklyn Federal Court on Wednesday. The suspects were tracked down using video and “electronic tracking,” said NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig. Attorney Breon Peace after the joint probe by the NYPD and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “As alleged, the defendants brought guns into a place of worship, stealing from two members of the clergy and terrifying the congregation,” said Brooklyn U.S. The couple’s daughter was sitting on the wife’s lap during the robbery where her jewelry was also snatched, with the bandits double-checking Whitehead to make sure all his bling was gone before fleeing, according to Brooklyn federal prosecutors. Police believed the crooks were strangers and targeted the bishop and his wife because they knew he often wore expensive jewelry in the pulpit, the source added. “I deeply believe in the urgency and importance of technological upgrades for city agencies, especially those doing lifesaving work,” she said in the statement, “but I’m concerned that this administration is once again introducing technology without due consideration to freedom of the press.A source with knowledge of the investigation told The News there was no indication Whitehead played any part in the robbery. The update to the NYPD’s radio system is expected to unfold slowly over the next few years.Īfter the Council hearing, Councilwoman Jennifer Gutierrez, a Brooklyn Democrat and chairwoman of the Technology Committee, issued a statement describing Beltran’s testimony as “laughable” in its insistence that the NYPD is committed to transparency. Gianaris said he hopes to pass the bill during next year’s legislative session, which begins this winter. Most police departments in the state have unencrypted police scanners, and would only be affected if they moved to change their systems, the senator’s office said. Under the bill, law enforcement would be required to maintain press access to police scanners, according to Gianaris’ office. The bill, the Keep Police Radio Public Act, was formally introduced in the Senate on Friday. “We thought that this is simple: We can come up with something that continues to allow for public accountability and transparency while understanding the need for certain protections,” he added. “They were identifying a very specific problem and then proposing a very broad solution to deal with it,” Gianaris said in an interview, referring to the NYPD. Gianaris, a progressive Queens Democrat and the deputy Senate majority leader, said his legislation would thread the needle of press and public safety concerns: allowing credentialed news media to follow the police radio in real time, and letting the public listen in on a 10-minute delay. “Allowing the status quo to continue will unnecessarily put our city at risk.” “The NYPD is the most transparent police force in the country,” Beltran claimed in the hearing. The update has already been launched in sections of Brooklyn, blacking out press access there.īeltran said the outgoing radio system is ripe for abuse by criminal groups who can monitor the communications, or by troublemakers who can interfere with the country’s largest police department by making false reports of officers down, or by simply clogging the frequencies. Michael Gianaris on Monday outlined a bill to preserve the news media’s access to police radio communications, as the New York City Police Department defended its controversial $500 million plan to upgrade and encrypt its radio frequencies.Ī city police official, Chief Ruben Beltran of the Information Technology Bureau, said in a City Council hearing on Monday afternoon that the update to the aging analog communication system is crucial to advance public safety in the city.
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