Civilian Patrol Leader, Joe Thompson.
A week after The Forum was both lauded and lambasted online for an opinion piece (“Don’t Believe What you Read—Sometimes…”) on the Howard Beach Civilian Observation Patrol, Inc. and the dangers of misinformation that appeared in the April 30 print and web editions, the newspaper has obtained information regarding the organization’s president that has shocked some civic leaders and elected officials.
Joseph Thompson, the founder and president of HBCOP, has a criminal background, according to court records. In April 2001, Thompson was arrested and charged with one count each of enterprise corruption and third-degree promoting prostitution, class B and D felonies, respectively, in New York. According to court documents, Thompson pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution in the third-degree in April 2002, and was sentenced to a conditional discharge in February 2003.
New York Penal Law states that enterprise corruption involves, in part, “having knowledge of the existence of a criminal enterprise and the nature of its activities, and being employed by or associated with such enterprise, he: (A) intentionally conducts or participates in the affairs of an enterprise by participating in a pattern of criminal activity; or (B) intentionally acquires or maintains any interest in or control of an enterprise by participating in a pattern of criminal activity; or (C) participates in a pattern of criminal activity and knowingly invests any proceeds derived from that conduct, or any proceeds derived from the investment or use of those proceeds, in an enterprise.”
Promoting prostitution in the third degree, as defined by the state, involves a person who “knowingly: 1. Advances or profits from prostitution by managing, supervising, controlling or owning, either alone or in association with others, a house of prostitution or a prostitution business or enterprise involving prostitution activity by two or more prostitutes, or a business that sells travel-related services knowing that such services include or are intended to facilitate travel for the purpose of patronizing a prostitute, including to a foreign jurisdiction and regardless of the legality of prostitution in said foreign jurisdiction; or 2. Advances or profits from prostitution of a person less than nineteen years old.”
When asked by The Forum if a background check would yield a clean record, Thompson initially responded, “I think it will.” When pressed on the issue, Thompson, who indicated that he also has been an auxiliary police officer in the 61st and 70th precincts, said, “I’m not talking about me personally anymore.” Minutes later he hung up while a reporter was in the middle of asking a question.
The organization, which Thompson has stated is “a state-certified nonprofit” and that its “501(c)(3) [tax designation] should be approved any day now,” accepts donations online.
However, HBCOP, which was founded in August 2014, has not been officially vetted by the 106th Precinct, according to Deputy Inspector Jeff Schiff, the commanding officer. This process involves each member being fingerprinted and having their backgrounds checked.
“Nothing has been submitted to us formally,” Schiff said on Wednesday. “We have spoken to Joe on a number of occasions, told him what was required, and we haven’t heard back from him.”
Thompson said that he has turned in applications to Officer Brenda Reddick of the Community Affairs division of the command.
“My initial thought was, ‘Is this why he hasn’t gone through the proper channels to get certified by the precinct?’ This explains a lot,” Howard Beach-Lindenwood Civic President Joann Ariola said when informed of Thompson’s court information. “I think that he has portrayed himself to be something that he isn’t to a community that was in a very vulnerable situation with crime at the time of his organizing.”
Ariola went on to say that the civic had spoken to Thompson and even attended some of HBCOP’s organizing meetings, assuming he would “get the proper documents.”
“We were willing to work with them,” she said. “They did make promises but never followed through.”
Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) said, “based on the information that I have been provided with in regard to this criminal conviction, I have serious concerns about whether this is the most appropriate leadership for this group.” Goldfeder said he would encourage any group who wants to pursue this type of volunteer work to do so by following the established guidelines issued by the NYPD.
Reached late Wednesday night for comment, City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) said he was “deeply disturbed” by the story. “The NYPD does a tremendous job keeping our neighborhoods safe,” Ulrich said. “While they also rely upon the cooperation of concerned citizens to fight and deter crime, the department simply cannot work with local community organizations that are not above reproach. This news is deeply disturbing and has created a cloud of controversy.”
Thompson said that community leaders should focus on helping the organization.
“The community supports our civilian patrol,” he said.
Ariola indicated that the damage may have already been done.
“There’s nothing worse than betraying the public’s trust,” she said.
By Michael V. Cusenza with contribution from Patricia L. Adams michael@theforumnewsgroup.com & pat@theforumnewsgroup.com
