Borough Park, NY – The FBI corruption probe of the NYPD continues to widen, with agents investigating an NYPD appreciation banquet that was funded by Community Board 12 to honor members of the local police precinct.
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The dinner, which took place in June 2014 and coincided with the NYPD’s annual Medal Day, honored members of the 66th Precinct, which includes Borough Park and parts of Midwood. During his 28 year tenure with the NYPD, former police chief Philip Banks, who is at the center of the FBI investigation, served as second in command in Patrol Borough Brooklyn South, which includes the 66th Precinct.
The event was catered by a Sheepshead Bay delicatessen and was paid for with taxpayer dollars. It approved only by the board’s district manager, Barry Spitzer The NY Daily News reports.
Former CB 12 board member Aaron Tyk told The Daily News that he had complained about the banquet, which he alleged was intentionally kept secret by Spitzer. Tyk, a lawyer who served on CB 12 for over 20 years, said that his objections resulted in his removal from the board. Tyk’s attempt to sue the board for his ouster was dismissed.
“Something like this, a private party, is unprecedented and problematic,” said Tyk, who noted that the FBI had been contacted him about the party, which cost nearly $3,000.
Spitzer denied any wrongdoing, saying that the event honored members of the local precinct as well as other public servants.
“I signed off on the expenses the same way I do on all of the board’s expenses,” said Spitzer. “Our board’s normal procedure does not include a requirement of documentation of approval by the board on any expense.”
Additionally Spitzer released the following statement this afternoon to VIN:
“The Daily News story is fundamentally false, Community Board 12 is a government agency. Like the other 58 community boards in New York City, the job of Community Board 12 is to regularly interact with the local police precinct. That is literally the Community Board’s job.
The Community Board’s expenditures are regularly reviewed and approved by several city agencies before they are made, to ensure the appropriate checks and balances. That is exactly what happened here.
These ridiculous and untrue allegations were made by a discredited and disgruntled former Board member who was thrown off the Board. The former Board member sued the Community Board, and his lawsuit was recently dismissed by the New York State Supreme Court.”
Stuff is getting real now
I’m tired of these scam, fraudulent voting bloc using my tax dollars.
Spitzer is very tied to David Greenfield for whom he worked for 5 years, in fact Greenfield didn’t like the previous manager Wolf Sender because he was Hikind’s friend and had him thrown off by the board and had his guy get this $95,000 a year patronage hack position.
CB 12 is totally corrupt who take care of their corrupt cronies. All these so called askonim are squirming I their pants now hoping the FBI is not coming knocking on their doors next. If cops haven’t been giving out enough tickets yet in Boro Park and Flatbush think how many they will be giving out now for all the love they feel for us now
Investigations like these etc costs taxpayers tens of Millions of dollars each year.
Stuff like this is the norm in this country.Its called “business as usual”.
Its about nothing and nothing.
#6 try walking through Chinatown in any of the boroughs. they have the streets lined with their boxes and fruits for sale. hmmm someone looking the other way there too?
what is wrong with trying to foster a GOOD relationship with the NYPD.
Do you only look to them for an emergency? I think it is wonderful that there are softball games once or twice a year with the NYPD and feel that all neighborhoods should follow suit with this. Matter of fact, all neighborhoods should play softball or something similar with all members of service that take care of their area. EMS, FDNY and NYPD. Being on good terms with those who put their lives on the line for you is called HAKORAS HATOV….a good thing to do.