NYC POLICE KEEP THE PUBLIC LOCKED OUT OF CACC BOARD MEETING

8/27/02 - an open memo from the Shelter Reform Action Committee...

Attached is a letter to Fred Patrick, Deputy Police Commissioner for Community Affairs and an ex-officio member of the board of directors the Center for Animal Care & Control (CACC). His recent conduct and the recent conduct of his department is an issue, as is the conduct of the other ex-officio board members who are refusing to engage in a public dialogue about what's wrong at CACC while continuing to endorse the dissemination of false and misleading information to the Mayor and the public about conditions within CACC.

So long as there are four hostile government officials on CACC's board (and that includes Sarah Hobel from the Parks Department), the Shelter Reform Action Committee (SRAC) will continue as an organization and is pledged to garner media attention and file lawsuits and organize opposition to the continued animal cruelty and public abuse that the DOH permits and fosters in this contract.

The Mayor's Alliance and a new executive director will not solve the problem of careless and arrogant government officials sitting on this board who are interfering with CACC's ability to carry out its mission humanely. City Hall is the fly in the ointment irrespective of who is the mayor. We intend to pursue our legal remedies to protect the people and animals from this unholy alliance. And that includes the squandering of scare funds by a morally bankrupt management and timid city officials who look the other way. Not only are they endorsing animal cruelty, but they are violating citizens' rights and are breaching a fiduciary duty -- and we intend to go to court, if necessary, to protect animals and taxpayers, and to recover any misspent tax money.

The harder a line the government takes, the more strengthened is our resolve to oppose the status quo. There is a robust and widespread community of humane advocates and activists that support these sentiments and are ready to mobilize. We simply won't accept this callous, irresponsible and undemocratic treatment any longer.

SHELTER REFORM ACTION COMMITTEE
P.O. Box 268 - Gracie Station
New York, NY 10028
visit our website: http://www.ShelterReform.org

BY FAX

August 27, 2002

Dep. Cmmsr. Fred Patrick
NYC Police Department
One Police Plaza
New York, NY 10007

Re: Center for Animal Care & Control

Dear Deputy Commissioner Patrick:

We telephoned you a week ago and followed up with three more calls to your office. To date, we have not received a call back, and at this point we believe it is fair to infer that you do not intend to do so.

If your m.o. is to be disrespectful and careless regarding your obligations to the public as well as your position as a member of the board of directors of the country's largest animal shelter system, then we will respond accordingly by making your conduct a matter of public scrutiny.

At the last CACC board meeting held on August 16, 2002, at One Police Plaza, your department prevented members of the public from coming upstairs to the second floor meeting room on the false pretense that the room was full and that they "were expecting a demonstration."

As both you and I were in the room, we know very well that there were plenty of more seats available for more people to attend, and as for a "demonstration," it seems that your people are either paranoid or liars, as there was no demonstration that I know of planned, nor did one actually take place.

The actions of your department clearly violate the Open Meetings Law and we object to both your conduct and the conduct of your people at the front entrance. If this occurs again, we will bring a lawsuit against your department, the City and the CACC seeking injunctive relief and punitive damages.

It is both disheartening and disgusting to once again see the police acting badly.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Gary Kaskel, co-chair

cc: Michael Bloomberg
Marc Shaw
Christine Quinn
Betsy Gotbaum