M E D I A   R E L E A S E For Immediate Release March 15, 2005 In Wake of Dismemberment Murder of 19 Year-Old Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project Calls for Meeting with NYPD Official AVP Reps Say Communication Between NYPD and Community Has Been Lacking New York – Representatives from the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP) today announced today that they have requested an emergency meeting with George A. Grasso, First Deputy Commissioner of the New York Police Department to discuss AVP's displeasure with the level of communication between the NYPD and the agency in the wake of last month's gruesome murder of Rashawn Brazell. Parts of 19 year-old Brazell's dismembered body were found in the "A" train subway tunnel in Brooklyn on February 17. Additional body parts were subsequently found in a garbage transfer station used by the Metropolitan Transit Authority in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. "Despite weeks of reaching out to the investigators working on the Rashawn's murder, we have primarily been the recipient of unreturned calls, and unmet promises of information and community alert and information materials related to the case," said Richard Haymes, AVP's executive director. "In recent years, the NYPD had come to acknowledge the importance of collaborating with and engaging AVP as a community-based organization that has more direct connections to the City's lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual communities than the NYPD could ever have," continued Haymes. "Unfortunately, on this case in particular, we have experienced somewhat of a retrograde attitude in the NYPD's attitude towards actively engaging the LGBT community with respect to a horrible murder in its midst," said Haymes. "In what is without a doubt the most gruesome and alarming murder of a young gay man in New York City since the discovery of 19 year-old Steen Fenrich's dismembered body in March 2000, we believe that the NYPD has tragically failed in its duty to provide information to the community about this investigation, and also failed to utilize all of the resources that may be available at the community level to solve the crime, and that is simply unacceptable. We trust that Commissioner Grasso will acknowledge the import of our meeting request and agree to meet as soon as possible so that we can address these issues before it is absolutely too late," concluded Haymes. "By meeting with Commissioner Grasso, we hope to mitigate the problems of communication between the community and the NYPD around this and other cases, as well as get information out to the community that may begin to answer some of the questions that people rightfully have about this case," said Clarence Patton, AVP's Director of Community Organizing and Public Advocacy. "We understand that sometimes there is no useful information the police may have on a given case, but even in those situations, letting the community know that is also helpful. The fact is that this murder is on the minds of many - particularly in LGBT communities of color and people want information and ultimately answers not silence from the NYPD," said Patton. In 2004, AVP served over 2,000 victims of violence. AVP’s annual reports on hate and domestic violence can be accessed online at www.avp.org. The New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP) is the nation's largest service agency for victims of bias crimes against the lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and HIV-affected communities. For nearly twenty-five years, AVP has provided counseling and advocacy for thousands of victims of bias-motivated violence as well as for survivors of domestic violence, rape and sexual assault, HIV-related violence, and police misconduct. AVP documents incidents of violence against and within LGTB communities, educates the public about the effects of violence, against or within our communities, and works to reform public policies impacting all lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and HIV-affected people. AVP provides free and confidential assistance to crime victims through our 24-hour bilingual hotline (212-714-1141).