Golden, Colton In Solidarity With Chinese Protest
Bay Ridge State Sen. Marty Golden and Bensonhurst/Bath Beach Assembly Member Bill Colton both showed solidarity with the 10,000 Chinese that rallied in Downtown Brooklyn’s Cadman Plaza Saturday to support former NYPD Officer Peter Liang, following his manslaughter conviction in the November 2014 incident at the Pink Houses in East New York.
“Today, I join with my fellow New Yorkers in recognizing that the accidental death of Akai Gurley was a horrible tragedy which has devastated all involved. The rallies taking place throughout our City and Nation are bringing the voices of many Asian-Americans to the front lines of the debate around justice in America,” said Golden a former NYPD officer..
“The conviction of former Police Officer Peter Liang has created widespread frustration among many, including myself, who question the outcome based on the evidence. There are many citizens standing in
solidarity with Peter Liang, his family and his quest for justice as apparent by the turnout at the rallies.”
Colton who actively helped organize and participated in the rally, said while everyone at the rally has the deepest condolences to the family of Akai Gurley, they are equally saddened and deeply concerned by the selective and unjust prosecution of Peter Liang, a NYPD officer, who is made the scapegoat of politics as well as is the victim of selective prosecution which fails to resolve the long-standing distrust and tension between the minority community and law enforcement force.
“Peter Liang, a rookie police officer full of aspirations to make New York City a better and safer place was deployed to patrol a highly dangerous area without adequate supervision, training and support. Evidence showed that the shooting of Akai Gurley was a tragic accident, not the intention act of Liang,” said Colton.
“Looking back in history for similar cases where African Americans were killed by police officers, we see hardly any prosecution. Liang is not a criminal! Sacrificing Liang is not the correct way to resolve systematic problems which undermine the values of our government and the general public. Justice is not served by finding a scapegoat. Selective prosecution is not in line with the spirit of this great country.”
Mosley Sponsors Justice Reform Measure On Eve Of State Of District Speech
Fort Greene/Clinton Hill Assembly Member Walter T. Mosley announced Friday he has co-sponsored legislation with State Senator Michael Gianaris (D Queens) which will make it easier for youths to understand their rights while being detained by the police.
“It is a fact that youths misunderstand their Miranda rights all too often while being arrested at an alarming rate,” said Mosley.
“Under the amended law, officers would be required to use the simplified wording for any suspects arrested who are under 18 years of age. This law is only one step in the push for criminal justice reforms. I will continue to work with my colleagues to implement new initiatives to reduce the school to prison pipeline in order to make New York State a leader in the nation for juvenile justice reforms,” he added.
The proposed measure comes as Mosley is set to deliver his annual State of the District speech slated for 6-8 p.m., tonight at St. Joseph College, 245 Clinton Avenue between Willoughby and DeKalb avenues in Clinton Hill.
Harris Valentines For Vets Program A Resounding Success
Coney Island/Bay Ridge Assembly Member Pamela Harris announced that she collected more than 1,000 Valentine’s Day cards crafted by local students and delivered them to area veterans as part of her “Valentines for Vets” program.
“A big thank you from the bottom of my heart to our local students, along with their teachers and administrators, for taking part in this program and showing appreciation for the sacrifice and services of our community’s heroes,” said Harris.
“Our Veterans were very touched by the wonderful cards created by school children and brought to be distributed to patients at the hospital. Veterans value these efforts to make them feel appreciated and we all thank you,” said Claudie Benjamin, Public Affairs Specialist VA New York Harbor Healthcare System.
Last Tuesday, Harris and her staff personally delivered the cards to local veterans. Below is a list of elementary and middle schools that participated:
- P.S. 127 McKinley Park
- P.S. 185 Walter Kassenbrock
- P.S. 264 Bay Ridge Elementary School for the Arts
- P.S. 90 Edna Cohen School
- P.S. 188 Michael E. Berdy
- P.S. 288 The Shirley Tanyhill
- P.S. 329 Surfside
- P.S. K771
- Coney Island Preparatory Public Charter Elementary School
Williams Committee To Hear Testimony of Four Proposed Bills
Flatlands City Councilman Jumaane Williams, chair of the Council’s Committee on Housing and Buildings, said the committee will hear testimony on a package of four bills designed to strengthen the city’s tool-kit for preserving existing affordable housing.
The preservation-focused hearing comes in the midst of negotiations with the de Blasio administration on both the Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning, and Zoning for Quality and Affordability proposals.
The Committee expects to hear testimony from the Department of Buildings (DOB), The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), housing advocates, legal services providers, members of the real estate industry and housing advocates.
Int. 152 – Sponsored by Council Member Lander would require a certificate of no harassment for the demolition or material alteration of residential buildings.
Int. 543 – Sponsored by Council Member Torres, addresses the issuance of orders to correct underlying conditions.
Int. 1015 – Sponsored by Council Member Kallos would establish a housing portal.
Int. 1044 – Sponsored by Public Advocate James would deny building permits where a residential building has an excessive number of violations.
The hearing is slated for 10 a.m., today in the City Hall Chambers.
Walker Holds Meeting on ConEd Management Program
Brownsville Assembly Member Latrice Walker will hold a meeting tomorrow night on ConEd’s Brooklyn-Queens Demand Management Program.
The meeting comes as Walker continues to hear many concerns about nonworking elevators in NYCHA developments as well as a decrease in street lighting.
“What we didn’t realize is that often during the summer months, Con Edison is forced to turned down electricity wattage flowing into East Brooklyn because of the demand on its load. Con Edison is predicting a possible brown out by 2018. Because of the overloads ConEd is financially committed to over $250 million via the Brooklyn-Queens Demand Management program, or BQDM. Come out and hear what they have planned and voice your concerns,” said Walker.
The meeting is slated for between 6-8 p.m., tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 23 at the Brownsville Ascend Charter School, 1501 Pitkin Avenue on Saratoga Avenue between Pitkin and New York avenues.
