Park Slope Top Cop MIA In Dog Death Investigation, Officer Tells Times

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — The commanding officer of Park Slope's 78th Precinct is missing in action when it comes to the search for a Prospect Park dog killer, the lieutenant in charge of the search told the New York Times.

Lt. Kamala Roper has yet to receive clear instructions from Capitan Frantz Souffrant— the precinct head she accused in a recent lawsuit of deliberately undermining her authority as a form of retaliation and discrimination— on how to manage Jessica Chrustic's case, the frustrated officer reportedly said.

“In the precinct, all we’ve been talking about is that there’s no directives there by the C.O.,” Roper told the New York Times. "If we encounter this guy in the park, nobody says how to proceed."”

Read Patch's complete coverage of the investigation into the Moose's death here.

Patch reached out to the NYPD for comment Friday but did not receive an immediate response.

Roper's accusations come after a charged 78th Precinct community meeting last week when Souffrant told angry Park Slope residents that he and his officers "dropped the ball."

Souffrant tried to explain why officers failed to respond quickly to Chrustic's calls for help when attacked a second time by the man she said killed her dog and has yet to be captured.

"It should not have taken three months and being physically assaulted twice and left out like bait for 40 minutes on Friday for their response to turn into something productive,” Chrustic told Patch. “It should not have to come to this.”

In response, Souffrant, in an interview last week with Patch, said he would rethink the investigation.

"We all want justice," Souffrant said. "That is our main goal: to find this perpetrator and bring them to custody."

But Roper said there has been no communication internally over the case and 78th Precinct officers are forced to read local news for updates, according to the Times.

“That’s how I get information,” Roper said in the Times report. “Call any police officer and ask them what’s going on with the dog incident. I’m going to be embarrassed, because they don’t know.”

This isn't the first time Roper has raised concerns about her commanding officer. In September, the lieutenant filed suit against Souffrant, who she said punished her for pushing back against discrimination by refusing to engage with her in emergency situations.

The lawsuit contends, as an example, that Souffrant ignored Roper last May as she responded to a series of bomb threats throughout Brooklyn.

Roper's lawyer, John Scola, argues the police department's failure to reprimand Souffrant over past lapses in professional conduct has lead to anxiety and fear in Park Slope.

"The NYPD has continued to turn a blind eye to the insidious culture throughout the 78th precinct which is now adversely impacting the community," Scola said in a statement to Patch.

"The NYPD now must decided whether the safety of the community or protecting a connected Commanding Officer is more important."

Roper told the Times that morale has plummeted at the precinct because of Souffrant's management style.

“The officers are stressed out. They’re being bullied every single day," she said to the Times. “Somebody’s going to get hurt.”