The head of New York City’s buildings department wants to grant inspectors the power to make arrests and even carry guns following complaints from agency staffers who say they’ve been attacked on the job, according to an email obtained by Gothamist.
Department of Buildings Commissioner James Oddo is pushing for state legislation that would allow the agency to designate inspectors and other employees as “peace officers,” a civil service title that would give them certain law enforcement capabilities.
Building inspectors routinely enter private residences and construction sites to check safety conditions and issue violations, at times facing the wrath of angry property owners or site managers. The agency currently instructs inspectors to immediately leave the area and report assaults to the police, or “aggressive” confrontations to a supervisor.
In an email to staff Tuesday, Oddo provided an update on a bill introduced last month by State Sen. Jennifer Scarcella-Spanton (D-Staten Island) that could allow inspectors to “make arrests, use physical force in the course of fulfilling their duties, and carry firearms provided they have the appropriate license.” Oddo said he called Scarcella-Spanton and she agreed to introduce the measure, according to the email shared with Gothamist.
The bill would also make assaulting a DOB employee a felony. Oddo said in his email to staff that he heard from inspectors who were “physically attacked by members of the public, simply for doing their jobs.”
“We all agree that situations like that are unacceptable, and more must be done to protect the safety of DOB employees out in the field,” Oddo wrote.
Scarcella-Spanton said her bill would allow inspectors to “protect themselves should a harrowing situation arise.”
DOB spokesperson Andrew Rudansky said, despite Oddo’s emails to staff, the agency does not intend to arm staff if the peace officer bill is approved by state lawmakers.
Rudansky did not provide details…
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