The Official Response

Two months ago, when people online and off were mobilizing in response to the brutal, senseless and still as yet unsolved murder of 19 year old Rashawn Brazell, I posted some things that I felt we could all do to raise public awareness and put pressure on law enforcement and political officials to take the case seriously. I suggested then we write to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, and I included a copy of the letter I wrote to both.

In a matter of just a few weeks, Kelly’s office responded with a form they wanted me to fill out if I wanted public information on an on-going criminal matter. It required me to know the case number and state my reasons for wanting this information. I didn’t reply.

I didn’t hear from the Mayor’s office until today.

In my snail mail was the following letter dated May 9, from John Feinblatt, Mayor Bloomberg’s Criminal Justice Coordinator:

Mayor Bloomberg has asked me to respond to your email, in which you express your hope that the murder of Rashawn Brazell is receiving the police attention it deserves. Please excused [sic] this delayed response; given the volume of mail the Mayor receives on a daily basis, it is sometimes difficult to reply promptly.

Please understand that the Mayor does not have the authority to intervene in or comment on criminal investigations or prosecutions as these matters are within the sole discretion of the District Attorney, who is an elected official. An attorney in my office, Elisabeth Youngclaus, took the liberty of speaking to Detective Andrew St. John, the detective assigned to the case. Detective St. John informed Ms. Youngclaus that he knows of no witnesses at this time, but that he and other detectives in his office are doing everything they can to find evidence leading to the person responsible for this terrible and tragic death.

Thank you for writing to the Mayor.

I appreciate that someone from the Mayor’s office actually took the time to respond to my email. This is still the largest city in America and his office does have many such requests and demands. But they were not being entirely accurate with their information.

This Mayor, and most certainly his predecessor Rudy Giuliani, have often commented on active criminal cases and no doubt will again in the future. I wasn’t asking him to order the police or the DA to solve the case. No one can do that. I was asking him to make it clear that the lives of Black gay New Yorkers are every bit as important as anyone else’s when we are the victims of violent crime. I wanted his assurance that we will receive the same protection and service from law enforcement officials. That is within his authority and it is my right to expect that as a taxpayer.

An organized community and at least one media outlet, continues to watch what happens with this investigation. I will also keep an eye on what this Mayor–and those who want to be Mayor in this election year–says and does.