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Council Member Brewer questions NYC Deputy Sheriffs' Association President about staffing and operational challenges
2:06:02
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Council Member Gale A. Brewer engages in a discussion with Ingrid Simonovic, President of the New York City Deputy Sheriffs' Association, about staffing issues, training challenges, and operational impacts within the Sheriff's Office.
The conversation reveals concerns about the current state of the department under Sheriff Miranda's leadership.
- Simonovic highlights severe understaffing, with only 5 deputies for Richmond County and similar shortages in other boroughs.
- She discusses issues with the academy training program, which has become inconsistent in length and graduation practices.
- The impact of Operation Padlock on other duties, particularly serving orders of protection, is addressed, revealing potential public safety concerns.
Gale A. Brewer
2:06:02
Thank you very much.
2:06:02
Is anybody else testifying or you?
2:06:06
Okay.
2:06:06
Bye.
2:06:07
So thank you so much.
2:06:08
And we've been joined by council member, Joseph.
2:06:10
Thank you very much.
2:06:11
Did you have any questions, council member?
2:06:14
Okay.
2:06:15
Well, I certainly know of your concerns, and we take them very seriously.
2:06:20
There one question I had Do you know for sure that there's a new class that is starting in October?
2:06:28
Have you heard any that was what was reported earlier?
2:06:31
Are you aware of this?
2:06:33
Can you put that?
Ingrid Simonovic
2:06:35
That's not accurate.
2:06:37
I understand we have three people doing background investigation.
2:06:41
We did physical activity tests at the beginning of the year.
2:06:45
They've rushed through a very simple background investigation on this individual Then the 3 individuals that they were doing background investigations, one is auto maternity leave, and another one has been pulled to do investigation, which is basically just to view cameras.
2:07:02
And the other there's only one person doing investigation.
2:07:05
There's no way that she could do a full background investigation on anybody, just one person.
2:07:12
It's about a 100 a 182 people that we need to do backgrounds.
2:07:16
So there's no way The only way that I could see us having an academy in October is if we don't do our due diligence and we just onboard people with our billing fully, fully vested.
Gale A. Brewer
2:07:28
How long is the academy for sheriff?
2:07:30
What how long the program is that?
Ingrid Simonovic
2:07:32
Since Sheriff Miranda got here, there is no real time limit.
2:07:37
Our academy used to be 6 months.
2:07:39
After he came, I know I requested a map label management meeting because our academy started going to 10 weeks.
2:07:47
12 weeks, and then there's no academy.
2:07:50
Since he got here, we only have had 2 graduation.
2:07:54
1 was the academy started before his arrival, and the other academy, he graduated close to a year later, if not a year later.
2:08:03
We have individuals that start an academy after he got here and he have never graduated.
2:08:09
And he doesn't believe
Gale A. Brewer
2:08:11
go ahead.
Ingrid Simonovic
2:08:12
He doesn't believe in graduating the deputies.
2:08:15
He believes that if he doesn't graduate you, you're gonna do as you told when you told.
2:08:20
And that's why he's not having formal graduations.
Gale A. Brewer
2:08:24
Okay.
2:08:24
And you mentioned that 43 have left while only onboarded 26.
2:08:29
That's in the last couple of years.
2:08:30
That was an example of what the challenges are.
Ingrid Simonovic
2:08:34
Yes.
2:08:34
So since he left, we have lost close to 43 members.
2:08:39
The one that have come in, they came before him.
2:08:43
He have only brought in five people.
Gale A. Brewer
2:08:46
Five deputies.
Ingrid Simonovic
2:08:47
Five deputies.
Gale A. Brewer
2:08:48
Okay.
2:08:48
And then the other question I have is, you mentioned the I mean, I'm certainly very familiar with orders of protection.
2:08:54
We work with domestic violence persons in our office every day.
2:09:00
People bring horrible situations.
2:09:03
So you're saying, what would be an example of what's not getting done because of operation padlock?
Ingrid Simonovic
2:09:11
We don't have enough personnel.
2:09:13
I could say you in Richmond County only have 5 deputies for the entire county.
2:09:17
And you're counting about 12, 13 deputies for the entire county.
2:09:22
We supervise or maybe 15.
2:09:25
The bronze is about 24 for the entire county.
2:09:28
The amount of work that we are receiving, we don't have the personnel to do it.
2:09:33
So we're not we're not allowed to do our due diligence, and we may do one attempt to attempt to serve the auto petition and go ahead and close the case and send it back to the court.
2:09:44
And in some occasions, we'll go.
2:09:46
And if the individual is not there, we tell the victim, if you are in such a fear, just like yourself in a room, call the police and have them serve the order protection because we won't be able to come back.
Gale A. Brewer
2:09:58
Okay.
2:09:58
Kelton Member Holden.