GREENPOINT — The 94th Precinct commanding officer who was blasted by women's rights activists, the mayor's office, and even top brass at the NYPD last week for comments he made at a public meeting about an increase in acquaintance rapes in the neighborhood, apologized publicly on Twitter Monday afternoon.
"I would like to take this opportunity to offer my apology for comment that I made at the 94 Precinct Community Council meeting. I deeply regret the statements I made last week about rape," Captain Peter Rose wrote. "I failed to communicate accurately how I respond to reports of rape, and the actions the Department takes as a whole."
"My comments were not meant to minimize the seriousness of sexual assault. Every rape whether it is perpetrated by a stranger or someone known to them is fully investigated. We make no distinction in our response."
My sincerest apologies for the comments I've made. pic.twitter.com/TL4yC8JChq
— NYPD 94th Precinct (@NYPD94Pct) January 9, 2017
The apology comes after Rose made remarks about rape while explaining the 62 percent increase in rapes in the 94th Precinct in 2016. There were 13 reported sex attacks — and just three arrests made — in 2016, up from eight rapes the year before. Most of those were acquaintance rapes.
When asked about the increase in sex attacks Rose said, "It's not a trend that we're too worried about because out of 13 [sex attacks], only two were true stranger rapes."
He later elaborated at a public meeting last week that most of the rapes were coworkers, or Tinder dates and said, "they're not total-abomination rapes where strangers are being dragged off the streets."
Rose's comments, first reported by DNAinfo New York, triggered mass outrage from politicians, women's rights activists and social media users.
Activists planned to protest in front of the precinct Tuesday afternoon, while others have called for the captain to be fired in a petition that's garnered more than 45,000 signatures.
NYPD officials who interviewed Captain Rose determined that he misspoke and will most likely keep his job because of his otherwise solid track record, police sources said.
