Pols React to Cop Indictment
As news broke yesterday afternoon that a Kings County grand jury returned an indictment of manslaughter and other charges of rookie police officer Peter Liang, 27, for the fatal shooting of unarmed Akai Gurley in the darkened stairwell at the Louis H. Pink Houses in East New York, several Brooklyn and citywide officials put out statements. They include:
Mayor Bill de Blasio: “It has been reported that a Brooklyn grand jury has acted in this case. No matter the specific charges, this case is an unspeakable tragedy for the Gurley family. We urge everyone to respect the judicial process as it unfolds.”
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries: “The effort to strengthen the relationship between the police and the community necessarily involves holding an officer accountable when an innocent life is taken and a law is broken. The indictment is a meaningful step in the right direction in the march toward justice for the family of Akai Gurley. District Attorney Thompson should be commended for proceeding with this case on the basis of the law and the facts.”
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams: “First and foremost, I continue to extend prayers to the family of Akai Gurley, which continues to cope with the terrible tragedy of this fatal shooting. An indictment in this case allows the judicial process to move forward, a process that should be fair and transparent. An indictment helps to restore public confidence in our legal system, a confidence that was thoroughly shaken following the outcome of the Eric Garner case in Staten Island. It is my continued hope that the death of Akai Gurley will give life to much-needed reforms that will make the community and law enforcement alike safer.”
City Councilman Jumaane Williams: “First and foremost, my continued prayers for comfort and healing go out to Akai Gurley’s family and friends, including those who witnessed this tragedy unfold. I applaud Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson and the grand jury for indicting Officer Liang, but feel conflicted that such praise should be made since it was clear that an unarmed, innocent life was lost. In a case like this, an indictment should be the norm, not the exception. No matter what ones profession may be, all Americans must be held accountable for killing an innocent person, even if the person who is held accountable is an officer of the law– even if it was unintentional.
“I still, however, I question why the rookie officer was assigned to patrol the ‘high crime’ area with another rookie officer. A ‘dimly lit’ staircase leading to an ‘accident’ exemplifies all that is wrong with our public safety system: a systemic problem within the department’s culture, poor police-community relations in Black and Brown neighborhoods and an overly zealous ethos for excessive force. These are things we must continue to question and discuss as we move forward. We must also remember that this is simply an indictment and does not guarantee that accountability will prevail. It is my hope that our Administration immediately implements real and clear policy changes to improve how NYPD operates on the ground.”
Lander Bill For Increased BRT Sails Through Committee
Park Slope City Councilman Brad Lander‘s proposed bill requiring the city’s Department of Transportation to develop a plan for a citywide network of bus rapid transit (BRT) lines stretching across the boroughs received wide support at yesterday’s Transportation Committee hearing on the subject.
The bill requires that DOT identify the areas of the city most in need of BRT, feasible corridors for routes, features of the planned BRT system, strategies for integration with existing transit systems, and anticipated capital and operating costs over the next 10 years.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is an innovative transit solution that combines the performance, speed, and reliability of rail, with the flexibility and substantially lower cost of buses. The most robust BRT systems are characterized by features including a bus-only lane separated by a center median, elevated boarding stations, pre-payment systems, and specially timed traffic lights.
“Expansion of a robust, citywide Bus Rapid Transit network would quickly improve transportation access in the parts of NYC that need it most, at a cost we can easily afford” said Lander. “Low-income New Yorkers and communities of color have disproportionally long commute times. Meanwhile, jobs are growing in the outer boroughs, in parts of our city least equipped with the transportation infrastructure to sustain that growth. Adding new subway lines would take decades and cost billions of dollars. Fortunately, a citywide BRT network – with more of the features like protected lanes, center medians, and stations that characterize the best BRT – is something we can afford and must implement rapidly.”
Also supporting the measure were City Council Members Stephen Levin, Antonio Reynoso, Donovan Richards, James Vacca, Jimmy Van Bramer, Debi Rose, Ritchie Torres, Mark Levine, Helen Rosenthal and Corey Johnson.
Full-featured BRT systems have radically improved city transportation systems in Cleveland, Ohio; Eugene, Oregon; and major international hubs like Mexico City, Mexico; Bogota, Colombia; Guangzhou, China, and Curitiba, Brazil.
Deutsch Offers Free Legal Counseling
Sheepshead Bay Council Member Chaim Deutsch is offering his constituents free legal counseling services to all community residents in need of legal consultations, counsel and advice. These services are being provided by the CUNY School of Law’s Community Legal Resource Network.
The attorney has a range of expertise including in real estate and foreclosure proceedings, immigration, landlord-tenant issues, eldercare planning, will drafting, health care proxy/directives and living will
To obtain an appointment for a one-hour session at the Council Member’s District Office, please call 718-368-9176.
