Can you help identify this NYPD official? Update: Identified!

Posted on October 17, 2011

UPDATE: This individual has been identified as Lt. Dan Albano, a top lawyer in the NYPD Legal Affairs Bureau.

I first encountered this NYPD official on October 8, near the perimeter of Washington Square Park. He was conferencing with a number of other plain-clothes officials, presumably in preparation for that day’s Occupy Wall Street march, which had left from Liberty Plaza and was headed towards the park. When I asked this man if he was with the NYPD, he replied — derisively, of course — “I’m the plumber.”

According to NYPD patrol guide procedure 203-09 (PDF), effective June 27, 2003, all “members of the service” are required to “Courteously and clearly state [their] rank, name, shield number and command, or otherwise provide them, to anyone who requests [they] do so. [They also must] allow the person ample time to note this information.”

The following day, on October 9, I saw this man again at Liberty Plaza. When I attempted to take his photo, he tried to cover his face with a newspaper:

Luckily, I was able to snap another photo of him:

Then, this past Saturday afternoon, I saw the man again. He was walking ahead of a #OWS march north from Washington Square Park to Times Square. I attempted to take a photo of him with my smartphone. When the man observed this, he approached me, pressed me into a wall with his stomach, and threatened me with violence if I continued to document his activities. Here are two eye-witnesses describing what they saw, immediately following the incident:

NYPD plumber 2

I then spoke with a member of the National Lawyer’s Guild, who approached the man and requested his name. He again refused to provide it, in violation of NYPD patrol guide procedure 203-09. Here is video:

NYPD plumber 3

This individual has been repeatedly observed in police-only areas, and speaking regularly with uniformed police officers. He was also observed holding a badge. If you know this individual’s name, or know how to retrieve his name, please email me: mtracey8 at gmail

Thanks.

Category: Journalism, News, Photography