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*provides “public safety” for a “private university”*
(one which is allegedly ”open to the public’ until otherwise notified)
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200 elm drive
princeton NJ
08544
(609)258-1000
pominsky@princeton.edu
(to appeal a PNG)
stefkarp@princeton.edu
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*SPRING 2013*
(ordered out of ‘frist campus center’ for playing guitar to a group of ‘undergraduate girls’)
(on a monday evening)
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.
in reflecting upon last night’s encounter with the princeton campus police, i couldn’t help but draw several parallels with the november 2012 “public intoxication” arrest in austin…
in both cases, i was only mildly “intoxicated”
(since i hadn’t drank for several hours in each instance)
in both cases, i was successfully completing some sort of semi-complicated “quest”
(both requiring a certain level of concentration)
(whether it be boarding an airplane or promoting my music)
in both cases, i was in exalted spirits prior to the encounter
(whether it be completion of the film or positive feedback from the impromptu performance)
in both cases, i was in the process of successful flirtation with women i’d just met
(whether fellow passengers or princeton students)
in both cases, i was “flying solo”
(with no one to defend me)
in both cases, i was approached by two cops
(the jerky young white male coming first and the friendly old white male coming next)
(the young one taking charge and the old one sticking to the sidelines)
in both cases, i gave up all my identifying information without any charge being brought against me…i figured that even though i probably wasn’t legally required to answer any questions, i’d just comply with the cops to make my life easier…
in both cases, i was assured that i wasn’t in any sort of trouble before the cops began to change their minds and decide to pursue the flimsy “case”
(whether it be “suspicion of intoxication with no subsequent medical test to verify this suspicion” or being “suspicious-looking / old”)
(in that case, i could’ve been a graduate student or visiting professor!)
(my real “crime” in both cases was being an alpha male basking in female adulation…)
(i’m beginning to suspect that in the austin case, it was the girl’s boyfriend who reported me to american airlines…)
in both cases, i was extremely polite with the cops…
(in both cases, i had done no physical / emotional harm to anyone else
(although somehow i was “reported” by some “concerned citizen”)
.
*8 DECEMBER 2015*
(issued a PNG)
(for a “suspicious person” complaint)
(sent an email appeal:)
I am appealing the PNG notice I was issued on 8 december 2015 @ 4:09AM by Officer W. Gutierrez.
I am a Lawrence resident who works as a tutor + musician in the Princeton area. I normally take the 605 bus back to the quaker bridge mall and I missed the last 10:17pm bus from Palmer Square. I walked to Frist Campus Center and introduced myself to members of the Princeton rugby team who had a tent set up in front of the center in order to raise money for a trip to Dublin. There was a team member riding an exercise bike every hour. I offered to perform cover songs on acoustic guitar in order to attract people to the tent and help raise money for them and spent several successful hours in this endeavor. Since there would be someone stationed there into the morning, I decided I’d stick around until the nassau streets starbucks opened at 5AM and then catch the earliest bus back to Lawrence.
At 4AM, 3 campus security officers approached me and said they had received a report of a “suspicious person” on campus that matched my description. I gave them my driver’s license and they found that I had received a prior PNG and so they had to follow protocol and issue me another PNG. As a professional musician not affiliated with the University, I have nonetheless gained many new fans of my music through performances at eating clubs. When I moved to Princeton in September 2012, I began performing songs on an acoustic guitar and found that lots of students enjoyed the music:
I had no run-ins with campus security until spring 2013. I was playing guitar inside frist campus center on a monday evening to a group of undergraduates who were requesting songs. I believed that due to the presence of pianos inside the building that music-making would be permitted (as long as it wasn’t amplified). I was approached by two campus security officers who said they had received a report of a “suspicious person” on campus that matched my description. I gave them my driver’s license and they said that was all they needed from me and i was allowed to stay on campus. When i sat back down, the first officer changed his mind and suggested i leave (without issuing a PNG). So i complied.
In October 2014, I was in frist on a Saturday evening planning on playing music. I ran into an undergraduate student named “Dina Debenedetti” and said hello. I had met her and her friends the previous spring and she seemed to enjoy the music. So I wrote her a FB message telling her that I was hurt by the subsequent brush-off. The message was not harassing nor threatening and I did not contact her after that. Instead of responding to me, she reported me to campus security. The driver’s license that i had given campus security had my parents’ address on it so they were mailed a letter saying that I had been issued a PNG. When they informed me of this, I called up the (609)258-1000 # to figure how why this was issued. They had no other information except for an “alarming” message on a social networking site. So I sent an email to this address (pominsky@princeton.edu) and got a return email saying that this was a non-working email address. With no other method of appeal, I abided by the 90-day ban.
In November 2014, I was in frist with a friend who played bongo drums. I had seen a band performing with a drumset the night before in the cafeteria and so we decided to play a quieter acoustic guitar / bongo set in the cafeteria. It was sparsely populated as it was the Tuesday before thanksgiving but several students listened and gave complimentary feedback. As we were packing up around 8PM, campus security officers approached us and said there was a noise complaint. When I gave the officer my ID, he looked me up and saw I had a prior PNG so he told me he had no other choice but to issue me (and my drummer friend) another PNG. I complied with this PNG.
On 26 april 2015, I was playing outside frist campus center on a saturday night to a sizeable crowd. At 2:18pm, captain brian melnick and his young male assistant officer informed me there was a “noise complaint” (though the crowd of students was far louder than my solo acoustic guitar + voice) and I gave him my ID. Just like in November, he saw there was a prior PNG issued and informed me he had to issue me another PNG. He told me “you’ve been issued half a dozen PNGs” which was obviously not the case as he had access to the fact that there had been exactly two PNGs issued. Sensing that I was being unfairly treated after this statement, I offered to leave campus without incident but he said that he had a right to detain me or he would call the cops on me and accuse me of “disorderly conduct” (when all i had been doing was sitting in one spot and playing guitar without a case open to collect money but rather to promote my online music). I complied with this PNG.I apologize for the lengthy email but I wanted to have a chance to clear my name and continue to play music for Princeton students. I have been offered a date to perform at the Terrace club this winter and I would like to know how to avoid getting these PNGs (other than the obvious suggestion not to play at frist). I’m not soliciting students for monetary donations nor engaging with any student who doesn’t approach me playing first. But it seems that the pattern has been established where I start playing, attract a crowd, and then the campus security officer will either tell me of an unspecified “noise complaint” or an unspecified “suspicious person” complaint.Last Monday night, the campus security officer “Shane” who approached me was very friendly and professional. Not wanting to be defiant but wondering what my rights were in this situation, he explained that if i remained on campus after the PNG was issued then I would be charged with “defiant trespassing”. I contacted the Princeton Police Department asking what the protocol was for these complaints. I assumed that if I remained on campus that the Police Department would be summoned and I would be immediately arrested. They informed me that this wasn’t the case and that campus security would issue the criminal complaint themselves and I would appear before a judge. In order to avoid this, I’d like to appeal to you and perhaps schedule a meeting where we can establish some rules for me coming on campus. In all but 1 of the 4 PNGs issued over the past 2 years, I did not know who was making a complaint against me. In the case of the FB message to dina over 2 years ago, I have since apologized and cleared the air with her. I have many student friends on campus who I believe would vouch for my character.Thank you,
Joseph J. Gatti(908)210-6648jogajungle@gmail.com
(if the ban stays intact)
(i’ll have to wait until 7 march 2016 to return)
Good Evening Mr. Gatti,
Public Safety has received your request to appeal the Person Non Grata (PNG) notice that was issued to you on December 8, 2015.
I will review your matter and be back in touch with you next week.
Regards,
Stef
Stefanie R. Karp
Director of Operations
Department of Public Safety
Princeton University
200 Elm Drive
Princeton, NJ 08544
Tel: (609) 258-3133
Fax: (609) 258-9773
E-mail: stefkarp@princeton.edu
Psafe:We are Community Caretakers!
Visit us at: http://www.princeton.edu/publicsafety
Emergency: 9-1-1 on campus or (609) 258-3333 off campus or cell phones
Non-emergencies: (609) 258-1000
This electronic communication, including any attached documents, may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. The information is intended only for use by the recipient(s) named above. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the communication and any attachments.
.
*26 APRIL 2015*
(2:18AM)
“captain” brian melnick and his young male assistance issued gonzo and i a 90-day PNG on saturday night –> sunday morning…
i was performing on acoustic guitar outside frist campus center (as usual) and getting a decent response…gonzo was filming me…
the security guards approached me and told me that there was a “noise complaint”…i had sensed a bit of jeering while i was playing (i had already been on for ~15-20 minutes)…i was in good form…he smelled booze on my breath (i had been drinking cheap vodka all day)…i had also taken 40 robo gels that afternoon (and thrown up)…but i felt fine…i never made it into NYC because karina decided to go back to jersey…i offered to leave the campus without getting a PNG but he had to check us for outstanding warrants…now he knows that i live at the mount’s motel…”is lawrenceville police department familiar with you?”…he knew exactly who i was and alluded to people feeling “uncomfortable” around me (everest + dina + ruffa + their male admirers?)…”you’ve been issued half a dozen PNGs”…”no i haven’t i’ve been issued two”…he said that i was “lucky” he didn’t call in the princeton police and have them arrest me for public intoxication + disorderly conduct…???…i never bothered protesting the ruling…now i’ll miss out on all the reunion party fun…
(until 26 july 2015)
(unless they decided to issue a permanent ban)
NOVEMBER 2014:
playing with arv in frist campus center dining hall on a monday evening 9:30pm…we were both issued a 90-day-ban when someone made a noise complaint…an asian student studying in the dining hall?…why study in a fucking noisy dining hall anyway?…we had seen drums / bass / electric guitar blasting away badly on a weeknight last week with a packed dining hall…we decided to give it a go…
27 OCTOBER 2013:
then my old man texted me ’round 8pm…it seems the “princeton public safety office” sent a letter to my parents…informing them that i had been issued a “PNG” (‘persona non grata’)…my facebook messages have apparently caught up to me…i was reported on friday @ noon for “annoying and alarming behavior” via facebook…and i suppose that they’ve registered my address back in april 2013 after i was “reported” for playing acoustic guitar @ the frist campus center (on a monday night @ 7pm)…they also had my phone # but they didn’t bother calling…
i demanded that the female clerk tell me who filed the complaint…it was “alvin flanders”…(609)258-3705…i left an assertive voicemail but he never called back…then i got in touch with the “captain”…”kevin creegan”…(609)258-7098…he called me back within the half hour…he told me i had “72 hours” to appeal the decision to “ban me from the princeton campus for 90 days” (or january 27th)…will i even be living in princeton by then?…he was “generous enough” to allow the 72-hour (3-day period) to begin from the moment we had our conversation…meaning i have until tuesday night…whatever…at least the old man was somewhat sympathetic…
so i attempted to appeal the decision based on the e-mail given in the letter
(retrieved from the old man)
the “paul pominsky” email doesn’t exist…i tried e-mailing him @ midnight and received an “undeliverable” response…now what? do they expect me to write a letter to the motherfucker?
so i shot off one more angry phone call to the clerk…she couldn’t help me…oh well…
JUNE 2013:
i was reprimanded by princeton campus security for entering a reunion party without a wristband…the authorities at the checkpoints had not checked me for a wristband…i went home alone that night…
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*👨🔬🕵️♀️🙇♀️*SKETCHES*🙇♂️👩🔬🕵️♂️*
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📚📖|/\-*WIKI-LINK*-/\|📖📚
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👈👈👈☜*“PRINCETON UNIVERSITY”* ☞ 👉👉👉
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💕💝💖💓🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤❤️💚💛🧡❣️💞💔💘❣️🧡💛💚❤️🖤💜🖤💙🖤💙🖤💗💖💝💘
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*🌈✨ *TABLE OF CONTENTS* ✨🌷*
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🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥*we won the war* 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥