Felder Wants Second Look At Police Reforms
State Sen. Simcha Felder (Midwood, Flatbush, Borough Park, Kensington, Sunset Park, Bensonhurst) yesterday called for the re-institution of tough stop-and-frisk measures and a roll back in other recently instituted police reforms in reaction to the recent bombing in New York City, the discovery of pipe bombs in Elizabeth, New Jersey and the subsequent capture of suspects in Brooklyn and New Jersey.
Felder, a newly appointed member of the Senate Majority Task Force on Counter Terrorism and Public Protection, complimented law enforcement on their work in the incidents, but had strong words condemning not just the acts of terrorism but the curtailing of law enforcement that allows terrorists to thrive.
“The elimination of stop-and-frisk; the removal of permission to monitor facilities and gatherings where terrorists are likely to congregate—these were mistakes that should be corrected,” said Felder. “New York will remain a principal target for terrorism; however the practical and psychological beat down of our police is a recipe for disaster. Taking away tools that are proven effective weakens professional law enforcement’s ability to limit crime.”
The senate’s Majority Task Force on Counter Terrorism and Public Protection’s mission is to review and report on the counter terrorism / public protection activities that have occurred since September 11, 2001, and to make findings and recommendations—including proposing future legislative and administrative actions—that will promote the improved public safety of all New Yorkers.
Clarke Congratulates Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Brooklyn Museum on Being Awarded Grants
Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (Crown Heights, Flatbush, East Flatbush, Sheepshead Bay) on Friday congratulated both the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Brooklyn Museum on earning Museums for America grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The grants will provide $150,000 to support Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s partnership with the Brooklyn Academy for Science and the Environment in Crown Heights, $76,563 for maintenance and repair of the Brooklyn Museum’s Visible Storage Study Center in the Luce Center for American Art, and a $150,000 contribution to “Shifting Focus: Looking Feminist at the Brooklyn Museum,” an examination of how feminism informs our daily experiences and our perspective on the world.
“On behalf of the people of central Brooklyn, I am proud and pleased to receive word that the Institute of Museum and Library Services has announced that three of their Museums for America grants have been awarded to two great cultural institutions in New York’s 9th Congressional district. Since the days of my childhood, I have enjoyed visiting the Brooklyn Museum, a place where the families and children of Brooklyn have an opportunity to discover and experience the artwork and artifacts of ancient and contemporary cultures from around the World,” said Clarke.
“The support for this institution from both elected officials and the public demonstrates its importance and significance to the communities we share. Likewise our beloved Brooklyn Botanic Garden offers a beautiful place of respite for all who visit. Their excellence in horticultural design and diversity has been award-worthy for generations and will continue to be so for generations to come. Know that these institutions are truly worthy of such recognition and we in central Brooklyn are thrilled that what we have always known as Brooklynites has been acknowledged through such a prestigious award. I congratulate the Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Garden, as well as their leadership and staff, on being selected for such recognition.”
Pierre Throws Hillary Fundraiser
Newly elected Flatbush Democratic District Leader Josue Pierre, along with Caroline and Steve Cohen are throwing a Hillary Clinton fundraiser this weekend in a family-friendly event featuring live Bluegrass music from a great local band, and some good barbecue.
The funds raised will go directly to the Hillary Victory fund to help in her Democratic Party run against Republican Donald Trump in November.
The event is slated for 2 p.m., this Saturday, Sept. 24 at 2011 Glenwood Road in Flatbush. Tickets start at a $25. RSVP promptly at carolinepiela@yahoo.com or www.hillaryclinton.com/events.
Kings County Democratic County Committee Meeting Tomorrow
The Kings County Democratic County Committee will meet tomorrow to decide on who it will support for several Supreme Court judge seat vacancies in the November general election.
Prospective candidates have been lobbying Democratic District leader, a.k.a. county committee members, for their support for several week. Additionally, some progressive Democratic Clubs led by the New Kings Democrats, have been lobbying for reforms to the judicial naming process, and will likely put up some kind of protest at the meeting.
Almost all the judicial candidates were at yesterday’s Democratic Party annual breakfast at Junior’s Restaurant in Downtown Brooklyn, which saw a large gathering of citywide and borough elected officials and district leaders.
The meeting is slated for 8 p.m., tomorrow, Sept. 21 in Founders Hall, St. Francis College, 180-182 Remsen Street (between Clinton and Court Street) in Brooklyn Heights.
De Blasio Releases Mayor’s Management Report
The administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio yesterday released the Mayor’s Management Report (MMR) for fiscal year 2016, an analysis of City agencies’ performance from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.
The MMR presents more than 2,000 metrics from City agencies, showing the City’s performance in providing services to New Yorkers, and must be delivered twice a year as per the City Charter.
Among the key improvements in city services include:
Key Improvements Include:
- NYPD: Murder and non-negligent manslaughter decreased 2% (from 348 to 341); murder related to domestic violence decreased 13.1% (from 61 to 53); major felony crimes in schools decreased 13.4% (from 614 to 532); other criminal activities in schools decreased 2.9% (from 2,286 to 2,219); and burglary decreased 8.6% (from 15,828 to 14,463). End-to-end average response time decreased for all crimes in progress by 23 seconds (from 10:58 to 10:35); for critical crimes in progress by 20 seconds from (7:29 to 7:09); and for serious crimes in progress by 14 seconds (from 9:38 to 9:24)
- DOT: Citywide traffic fatalities decreased 5.2% (from 249 to 236); traffic fatalities of motorists and passengers decreased 6.7% (from 90 to 84); lane miles resurfaced citywide, in-house plus contracted, is 1,281 – the largest number of lane miles resurfaced citywide in more than 25 years; Staten Island Ferry ridership increased from 21,911,000 to 23,067,000, a change of 5.3%; Citi Bike trips increased 39.6% (from 8,765,000 to 12,234,000); annual Select Bus Service ridership increased 27.8% (from 45,200,000 to 57,762,000).
- DOE: The four-year graduation rate in School Year 2015 rose two percentage points to 70.5%; English results increased in each of the City’s 32 Community School Districts across all five boroughs; students in grades 3 to 8 meeting/exceeding standards in Math increased 1.2 percentage points (from 35.2% to 36.4%) and meeting/exceeding standards in English increased 7.6 percentage points (from 30.4% to 38%); students in grades 3 to 8 scoring below standards and progressing into a higher level in English increased 8.8 percentage points (from 29.5% to 38.3%); students in grades 3 to 8 progressing from below standards to meeting standards in English increased 6.2 percentage points (from 12.2% to 18.4%); parents attending parent-teacher conferences increased 3.8% (from 1,910,000 to 1,983,000).
“From increases in the number of IDNYC cards and graduation rates, to decreases in murders and emergency response times, we’re seeing improvements across the board in key areas,” said de Blasio. “This MMR highlights all of the hard work we’ve done to lift up all New Yorkers and make this city a stronger and more equitable place to live.”
See full report here: http://www.nyc.gov/mmr.
Bichotte, Stringer Shed Spotlight On Banning Discrimination In Procurement of Government Contracts
City Comptroller Scott Stringer and Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte (Flatbush, Ditmas Park) are leading the charge in creating joint city and state legislation to prevent discrimination against companies owned by minorities, women, or LGBTQ individuals as they bid on city government contracts.
Each year, the City spends close to $14 billion purchasing everything from paperclips to firetrucks, but recent reports from Stringer have shown that the City has failed to fully include Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) in the procurement process. In 2015, only $725 million – just 5.3 percent of total procurement spending – went to M/WBEs, seriously hurting business owners’ ability to grow their companies, hire more New Yorkers, and drive our local economy.
“Current law prohibits discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations, but fails to address contracting with the City or State. Our laws must reflect our values, and it’s time to enact new legislation that ensures everyone has an equal opportunity to bid on government contracts,” said Stringer.
Although the New York State Human Rights Law and New York City Human Rights Law are designed to protect minority, women, and LGBTQ New Yorkers from discriminatory business practices, a legal analysis by the Comptroller’s Office found that these laws do not apply to the government contract process.
“As someone who advocates on behalf of small businesses, and MWBEs throughout the State, I chose to support and introduce this legislation because it acts to protect businesses that have historically experienced discrimination.” said Bichotte, who chairs the Assembly’s Subcommittee on the Oversight of Minority and Women –Owned Business Enterprises.
