Bailey case unsolved, but not forgotten

Close to a month shy of the one-year anniversary of the shooting death of 22-year-old UAlbany senior Richard Bailey, and no major advances have been made in the investigation; there are no suspects in the case.

But to say nothing has changed since that unfortunate Monday night of Oct. 20 would be far from the truth.

The Long Island native was shot in the head while walking home on the corner of South Lake Avenue and Yates Street in the Pine Hills section of downtown Albany. The next day at Albany Medical Center, Bailey was taken off life support.

Since Bailey's slaying, several events have occurred: an endowed scholarship was created, a Crime Solvers reward initiative was established and the chief of the Albany Police Department abruptly retired. His retirement has been linked to his usage of a racial slur the night of Bailey's death.

The Richard Bailey Memorial Fund was started shortly after his death and was the focus of the UAlbany 2009 Class Gift, and had a goal of raising $25,000. Many of his peers have since graduated but the intention of the fund is to keep Bailey's memory alive for future classes.

Bailey himself, a sociology major and criminal justice minor with aspirations of becoming a police officer, was posthumously awarded his bachelor's degree and named an honorary member of the University Police Department.

The degree, however, was "not honorary but reflects Bailey's true accomplishments and credits earned," according to the university. His father, James, accepted the degree on behalf of his son last December at UAlbany's Winter Commencement ceremony.

Earlier this summer, the Albany Police Department offered up a $20,000 reward for any information on the Bailey case. This cash reward was the first of a new Crime Solvers program that plans to reward individuals for giving authorities useful information in connection with a violent crime.

In a statement posted on Albany Mayor Gerald D. Jennings' blog regarding the program, he said cases like Bailey's "drew outrage from the community, but also elicited overwhelming support and contributions from many concerned citizens who wanted to fund a reward to bring those responsible to justice."

Modeled after New York City's Crime Stoppers program, APD plans to give up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest or conviction.

According to the Web site for the New York Police Department Foundation, who provide funds for the Crime Stoppers program, information from callers have helped solve "over 5,000 crimes including over 1,100 murders and attempted murders," and nearly "$1.3 million in rewards" has been given out.

The discussion of both the Albany Police Department and Richard Bailey has been in the news of late with the sudden retirement of Albany Police Chief James Tuffey, who had served within the department for 24 years, four of those years serving as chief.

In an anonymous letter sent to the Times Union and addressed to Mayor Jennings, a "Coalition against Racism and Bigotry" consisting of black and write Albany police officers said that Tuffey made a racially insensitive comment to Assistant Chief Anthony Bruno after the murder of Bailey.

Tuffey allegedly told Bruno, "What's wrong, what's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong Tony! This wasn't just some spook that was killed."

Tuffey has not yet responded to the allegations that he retired because of the letter.

APD spokesperson Detective James Miller said the chief would not be available for comment at the time this article was written.

In a letter sent by Miller, a statement from Tuffey read, "It has been an honor and privilege to serve the great City of Albany and its citizens. I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished during my tenure and I was extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to lead such a professional and dedicated organization. I thank everyone who has supported me and I look forward to my future endeavors."

Setting aside that authorities have not made any arrests in the case, UAlbany has been taking steps in making the downtown area safer for the student body.

Last year, UAlbany held a safety forum at the Campus Center, to raise awareness of violent crimes and discuss safety procedures the day after Bailey was killed.

Issues that were discussed ranged from more UPD officers patrolling the downtown campus to providing students with more educational programs about such topics.

Keeping up with these promises, UAlbany, along with APD and members of the Pine Hills and Beverwyck Neighborhood Associations, are holding a program this week focusing on "safety, personal responsibility and guidelines for good neighborhood behavior," according to university officials.

The program, which will be held on Sept. 14, will focus on "late-night, high-risk behavior in midtown areas that are home to restaurants, bars and students."

"By educating our student body on ways to improve positive behavior and their safety off campus, we're taking a proactive approach," Director of UAlbany's Office of Personal Safety and Off-Campus Affairs Thomas Gebhardt said. "With exceptional cooperation among UAlbany, other area colleges, local businesses, taverns, government agencies, neighborhood associations, law enforcement and our neighbors in Albany, we can continue to offer positive initiatives and keep students and the public well-informed about these issues."