Greenfield’s School Security Program Gets De Blasio Greenlight
Mayor Bill de Blasio last week officially authorized Borough Park/Midwood City Councilman David G. Greenfield‘s school security program to begin in the 2016-17 academic year.
The law, which for the first time ever will provide security guards for New York schoolchildren attending non-public schools including yeshivas and Catholic schools, will have highly-trained, licensed security guards protecting students by September.
Any non-public school with at least 300 students will be eligible for a security guard. Schools with more than 500 students will be eligible for two security guards, with an additional guard authorized for every additional 500 students.
“I am thrilled that after years of fighting for security in all of our schools, it’s finally official. Starting this September, parents who send their children to yeshivas, Catholic schools, and other non-public schools will have peace of mind knowing that their children have trained security officers in those schools,” Greenfield said.
Parents who want to know whether their children’s schools will participate in the program should reach out directly to the school administrators. Non-public schools are currently being contacted by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services with information about the enrollment process for this historic security guard program.
Colton Calls For Mistrial In Liang Court Case
Bensonhurst/Bath Beach Assemblyman William Colton yesterday called for a mistrial in the case of former Rookie NYPD Officer Peter Liang who faces 15 years in jail after being convicted of manslaughter in the shooting death of Akai Gurley in a darkened East New York public housing stairwell.
Colton’s call comes after it was revealed yesterday that one of the jurors now admits his father was convicted and served jail time in a case he claimed was accidental – a fact he withheld while being picked as a juror.
“If the facts show a juror on the Peter Liang jury concealed from the Court that his father had once been convicted and served years in prison for a shooting which he claimed was an accident, it is crystal clear the verdict in the case of Peter Liang must be set aside and a mistrial declared. A juror who conceals such a background to get on the Liang jury clearly cannot be impartial. The presence of such partiality on the jury may very well explain why the jury reached its surprising verdict,” said Colton.
“All people of good faith should protect this fundamental right over any political or social bias and clearly over any desire to obtain revenge for an ill perceived “justice” over the loss of an innocent victim. This disclosure presents an opportunity for the Judge, the District Attorney and all persons to come together and stand for this basic principle of our Constitution. All divisive talk of violence must end and we must all speak up for and protect this important right,” he added.
Richardson Applauds State SNUG Funding
Assemblymember Diana Richardson (Crown Heights/Lefferts Gardens) yesterday applauded the allocation of $600,000 from the recently completed FY2016-17 state budget to go towards SNUG (guns spelled backwards) to fight violence in her district and throughout Central Brooklyn.
Richardson, thanked Brooklyn Assembly Members Walter Mosley (Fort Greene/Clinton Hill) and Joseph Lentol (Williamsburg) for help in securing the funds and noted it marks the first time Brooklyn has had its own funding line of SNUG funds. According to NYPD data research, Brooklyn contains the most dangerous neighborhoods, subsequently, this monumental step forward remains vital to the community.
“We must stand up and show the world that we will not tolerate violent activity and that we are willing to stand together to save lives,” said Richardson.
To learn more about New York’s State’s SNUG initiatives and Cure Violence programs, please [CLICK HERE].. I want to give special recognition to Saving Our Streets (S.O.S.) – Crown Heights the 43rd Assembly District Cure Violence program, to the northern end of our district. It is my hope to expand programs like these to other areas of the community that are in need. To learn more about the work of S.O.S. Crown Heights, please[CLICK HERE].
Adams, Treyger Team Up On College Savings Legislation
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams yesterday touted a legislative proposal to help new parents in New York City save money for their children’s college education, as part of the launch of his third annual Financial Education Empowerment Month.
Working with Coney Island City Council Member Mark Treyger, Adams will be introducing a measure for the City to help raise awareness by informing parents of newborns about the state’s 529 College Savings Program. The program helps families invest in their child’s postsecondary education through informational packets and forms, which would be presented with birth packets and translated into a variety of languages.
“College tuition is one of the greatest components of our consumer debt burden, which is why planning must begin at the earliest stage possible,” said Adams. “New parents must be prepared to save for college once their child is born so that their future scholar has a solid foundation on which to fund their educational pursuits. With higher education an increasing necessity in our job market, and college debt an increasing weight dragging down our overall economy, it is prudent for government to do what it can to educate families on their savings options as part of our overall focus on raising financial literacy.”
“As a former educator, I believe strongly that every child deserves to have every educational avenue available to them, but the costs of higher education today can be prohibitive, even as postsecondary education degrees have never been more integral in the path toward career advancement,” said Treyger. “Parents may not be thinking about their newborn’s college education right away, but saving early is extremely important. I would like to thank Borough President Adams for working together to ensure that children are afforded every opportunity toward getting a full education, and that their parents are better prepared to help.”
Adams, Menchaca, Ortiz Funding For Industry City Bears Fruit
Sunset Park’s Industry City today – together with its non-profit partners and local elected officials – will launch an integrated employment and entrepreneur development center providing access to good-paying jobs and economic opportunities in the city’s technology, creative and manufacturing sectors.
Funding for the program came through the offices of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Assembly Member Felix Ortiz and City Council Member Carlos Menchaca.
The Innovation Lab will offer local community members a wide range of services, including job training and job placement, and technical support for nascent entrepreneurs.
The launch is slated for between 10:15 – 11:30 a.m.at Industry City, 87 35th Street, 2nd Floor (between 3rd and 2nd Avenues) in Sunset Park.
Dilan Troubled By Lack Of Transparency In State Budget
Senator Martin Malavé Dilan (Bushwick,Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Cypress Hills, City-Line, East New York, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville) yesterday said while he is proud of several measures enacted in the recently approved 2016-17 State Budget, the final product fell short in attempts to include ethics reforms, which were rejected soon after debate opened late on March 31.
“This year was marked by a troubling lack of transparency, much more so than the three men in a room negotiations of the past. Whoever was included in talks and where ever they did it, was far from the public and press corps’ reach,” said Dilan. “When 600 or so page budget bills began showing up moments before they were to be acted on, only then did I see that some things I had been advocated for years were included in some form.”
Dilan and conference colleagues’ priorities inclusion in this year’s budget is proof that measures like an increased wage floor and paid family leave are widely supported in New York.
However, if final negotiations had been open to Democratic Leader Stewart-Cousins and conference colleagues, “ethics reforms, a more immediate indexed minimum wage, and additional resources to affordable housing efforts and enforcement would have been strongly pressed,” Dilan said.
