A Brooklyn official is calling for action after NYPD officers seemingly removed personal protective equipment and voter information from a table at a Red Hook polling site.
A video shows officers removing items from a table that had masks, gloves and a green box with papers on top of it with voter information. Officers placed the items into a police vehicle and can even be seen dismantling the table.
Councilmember Carlos Menchaca, who was present at the scene, tweeted a video of the incident saying, "On the first day of early voting in Red Hook, @NYPD76Pct officers confronted community activists handing out PPE in front of an early polling site and then seized it. This is unacceptable, the NYPD must issue clear guidelines and not escalate situations at the polls."
The NYPD responded, saying in a tweet, "At the request of election officials, officers asked these individuals repeatedly to comply with election rules. After refusing to comply their property was removed."
According to New York state law, no one is allowed to do any electioneering at a polling site or within 100 feet from the designated entrances by the inspector of the election.