Binghamton Police Chief Joseph Zikuski is on administrative leave, as an investigation continues into his role in an altercation involving his girlfriend in Johnson City.
A video posted to social media earlier this month showed Zikuski’s girlfriend, Susan Rice, arguing with and punching two neighbors, one of whom was a minor. Rice says “we are the police,” and asks the two teens “What do you do, Section 8?”
After Rice hits the two teenagers, she is hit by someone behind the camera on the porch. She falls to the floor at which point, Zikuski comes onto the porch and tries to lift her up and carry her away.
Rice was not arrested at the time of the incident on Friday. She went to the Johnson City Police station on Monday where she was interviewed, arrested and charged.
She faces three charges: endangering the welfare of a child, harassment, and trespass in the second degree.
Zikuski was off-duty at the time.
Some residents call for Zikuski’s removal
Around 15 residents showed up to the Binghamton City Council’s business meeting Wednesday night. Some called for the city to permanently remove Zikuski from office.
“What Zikuski’s girlfriend said was ‘we are the police.’ But that's not really the heart of the issue,” Binghamton community organizer Marcia Gates said during the public comment period. “The heart of the issue is that he's created a culture in which she didn't think twice about saying that.”
Andy Pragacz, an activist with Justice and Unity for the Southern Tier (JUST), said firing Zikuski “is a critical step in addressing the harm caused by the city of Binghamton during his tenure.”
Pragacz said the Binghamton police department also suffers from a larger culture that permits racial profiling and bias, adding that over 30 percent of people incarcerated in the Broome County Jail are Black.
“The city government and police should, at the very least, take the problem of racialized policing into consideration and work to address it,” Pragacz said. “Their long-term failure to address racist policing is unacceptable. Even worse, both the mayor's office and the city police have just flatly ignored the issue whenever possible."
Third-party investigation continues
On July 20, two days after the altercation, Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham announced Zikuski had been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.
He said in a statement that he was “troubled” by Rice’s language and “the implication that she is in any way above the law because of a personal association with a member of law enforcement.”
On July 25, the city of Binghamton retained attorney Karl J. Sleight of law firm Lippes Mathias LLP to conduct an investigation into whether any violations of police department policy or misconduct occurred. Sleight previously served as Executive Director of the New York State Ethics Commission.
“I'm very much looking forward to the results of this independent review,” Kraham told WSKG. “I want that to happen swiftly, but also thoroughly. And we'll make a decision as the appointing authority and Commissioner of Public Safety following the results of that review.”
On Monday, Binghamton resident Olamni Porter, who served on the city council for a year before resigning in January, submitted a request for legislation asking the council to recommend the mayor “pursue swift and permanent action to relieve the Chief of Police of all duties.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, Council Member Rebecca Rathmell said the city council does not have the authority to discipline or terminate the police chief.
“If misconduct is identified, it is absolutely the council's position that charges should be brought swiftly,” Rathmell said. “But the final authority for deciding whether or not to bring charges or impose disciplinary action rests with the mayor.”
Rathmell said if misconduct is identified, the city should give residents and members of the community an opportunity to weigh in on next steps.
The investigation is expected to take 30 days. City officials say it will be made public.
