NYPD Cancels Community Meeting After Super-Speeder Cop Rattles Staten Island - Streetsblog New York City

Residents in Staten Island sought answers from the NYPD about local officer James Giovansanti, who collected hundreds of speeding tickets and allegedly menaced multiple New Yorkers. The 120th Precinct had scheduled a monthly community council meeting for May 27 at a church in St. George, described as a chance to get updated information and voice concerns. On May 21, the precinct canceled the meeting without rescheduling it, extending the wait by at least another month. An NYPD spokesperson said the meeting conflicted with Idul-Adha Eid. The holiday’s timing depends on lunar calendar conditions and moon visibility, making exact dates uncertain until close to the event. The cancellation raised questions about how the holiday could be cited and whether similar cancellations occurred before.

"For more than a month, spooked Staten Islanders have wanted to ask NYPD about local cop James Giovansanti, who collected hundreds of speeding tickets and menaced multiple New Yorkers with his pickup truck - but they'll need to wait at least another month to get any answers after 120th Precinct officials abruptly canceled an upcoming community meeting."

"The 120th Precinct's monthly community council meeting was scheduled to take place on May 27 at a church in St. George. "It's a great opportunity to get up to date information in and around your community," the precinct wrote in a May 12 post on X, "and to voice any concerns you may have." But it was not to be. Nine days later, on May 21, the 120th quietly and unceremoniously canceled the meeting in another post on X."

"Asked for official comment, an NYPD spokesperson offered the following response: "The community council meeting conflicted with Idul-Adha Eid holiday." Hmm... Idul-Adha Eid, or Eid Al-Adha, is a plausible reason for a conflict. The Islamic calendar is lunar and hinges on the appearance of a crescent moon, whose visibility is affected by meteorological conditions."

"In other words, the NYPD could not have known Idul-Adha Eid would fall on May 27 prior to May 17, when the most recent crescent moon appeared. But wait: How did a religious holiday lead to the cancellation of a highly anticipated community event where local residents would have had the opportunity to confront NYPD personnel about a local cop with more than 500 speeding tickets? What did the holiday have to do with the meeting? Had this happened before?"

Read at Streetsblog New York City