Savino Exposes Shocking Statistics on ‘Subway Grinders’; Demands Stiffer Penalties
Senator Diane Savino (D-Coney Island/Staten Island) is demanding stiffer penalties for sex crime perpetrators on the subway, known as “grinders.”
In a report released yesterday by Savino, “Perverted Justice: How Subway Grinders Continue to Victimize New Yorkers,” that examines the alarming increase in sex crimes reported on the city’s subway system since 2014, grinding is on the rise by over 51.7 percent over a three year period.
Savino’s proposed legislation would make forcible touching on public transportation a Class-D felony punishable by up to one-to-seven years imprisonment. This crime currently carries an impotent misdemeanor penalty of one-year in prison and most offenders wind up with little to no jail time. Another provision of the legislation would make the penalty for an act of public lewdness on public transportation increase from three-months to one-year in prison.
The report found an increase in reports since 2014 when victims reported 620 sex crimes, followed by 738 in 2015 and 941 in 2016.
“Subway grinding and lewdness are serious sex crimes meant to threaten and humiliate victims. While we pass my legislation over and over again, it’s horrifying these disgusting crimes are not met with appropriate punishment because the Assembly fails to protect straphangers. Without tougher penalties in place, serial offenders will continue to victimize passengers on the train and this issue must be taken seriously,” said Savino
BP Adams Announces 2nd Annual Central Brooklyn Arts & Culture Weekend
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams announced his second annual Central Brooklyn Arts & Culture Weekend yesterday.
The family-friendly festival will be headlined by a “Welcome Back to Brooklyn” ceremony that will honor Brooklyn’s own multi-platinum hip-hop start Fabolous and abstract/neo-expressionist artist Jean-Michel Basquiat with “keys to Brooklyn.”
The second annual Central Brooklyn Arts & Culture Weekend was designed by Adams to be a block party-style celebration to commemorate the extraordinary creativity and spirit of Brooklynites whose work excites the imagination and brings the borough’s residents closer together as One Brooklyn.
“Fabolous and Jean-Michel Basquiat have shown the world the best of Brooklyn — the sheer genius of their respective music and art broke ground and touched countless lives around the world. What better way to celebrate their many contributions, and the wonderful artistic and cultural offerings of central Brooklyn than by placing their names on the famed Celebrity Path? Each paver is encircled by the phrase, ‘The Greatness of Brooklyn Is Its People.’ This is the essential spirit of One Brooklyn, and the spirit of our Central Brooklyn Arts & Culture Weekend will embody that as well,” said Adams.
The event is slated to start at 6 p.m. this Saturday, June 10 and go through Sunday, June 11 along the stretch of Eastern Parkway from Grand Army Plaza to Washington Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Eugene Providing Immigration Services To Haitians With TPS Status
City Council Member Mathieu Eugene (D-Lefferts Gardens, Flatbush, Ditmas Park) is providing immigration services to Haitian immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
Eugene will hold a TPS Haiti Forum this week that will provide critical information on the designation of TPS, including the meaning of Temporary Protected Status, the new registration information, immigration fraud and other issues.
Last month, Homeland Security Secretary, John Kelly extended TPS status for Haitians by only six months, from July 23, 2017 to January 22, 2018, a marked difference from the usual 18 months given.
The event is slated for 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 8 at Holy Cross RC Church, 2530 Church Avenue (between Rogers & Bedford Avenues) in Prospect-Lefferts-Gardens, Brooklyn.
Davila Passes Criminal Justice Reform Bill
Assemblymember Maritza Davila (D-South Williamsburg, Bushwick) ) sponsored and passed legislation (A.7605) that will permit parolees who are gainfully employed to attend required programs outside of work hours.
The bill that passed yesterday requires NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) to allow employed parolees to take required substance abuse treatment and other rehabilitative programs during non-working hours.
Parolees have a difficult time securing employment due to their past criminal records. Moreover, when parolees finally obtain a job, most of them are paid hourly, which makes it crucial for them to meet their weekly hours in order to provide for themselves. In some cases, lack of meeting job priorities has resulted in parolees contributing to the recidivism rate.
According to the Corrections and Community Supervision 2017 Fact Sheet, parole violations in New York State are up by 33.6%. In addition, the high rate of opioid addiction currently spreading across the nation, has made drug treatment programs vital in lowering the recidivism rate.
“Parolees should not have to choose between seeking and keeping a job or getting the services they need to be productive members of society. We must ensure that each parolee that secures gainful employment can be confidant about fulfilling their responsibilities. This bill provides previously incarcerated individuals with flexibility to maintain their employment while prioritizing on their treatment,” said Davila.
Squadron Has Busy Day In Albany
State Senator Daniel Squadron (D-Northern Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan) had a busy day in Albany passing legislation establishing a New York State Service Corps (S.146/A.8201-Niou) and passing Kalief’s Law’ to address the state’s speedy trial crisis.
Bill S.146/A.8201-Niou would expand state service programs and pair them with tuition and loan repayment support. President Trump’s recent budget proposal includes elimination of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which houses AmeriCorps and other service programs.
“A stronger state Service Corps has the ability to create a path to opportunity for New Yorkers across the state, as well as help address student loan debt, provide job training, and encourage the next generation of service and engagement. Goals that are more important than ever in the face of short-sighted federal proposals to eliminate AmeriCorps,” said Squadron.
Kalief’s Law will reduce undue delay by requiring the court to approve exclusions to the speedy trial clock. The bill will also ensure that a statement of “readiness” by the People is real by tying it to discovery, requiring the People to present evidence that they are in fact ready for trial, while allowing flexibility when the facts merit additional time.
The current system based on the New York ready rule, enacted in 1972, designates the allowable time that a prosecutor has to be ready for trial from the time of arraignment, for felony charges within six months and for misdemeanors within 30-90 days. However, the law only requires that prosecutors declare “readiness” to go to trial. As a result, prosecutors can start and stop the speedy trial clock by alternating between a state of “ready” and “not ready,” while asking for adjournments in between. This leads to exceedingly long pre-trail detentions and a lack of speedy trial protections.
“Far too often, New Yorkers’ right to a speedy trial is undermined by a failed process that is a relic of the Rockefeller era. The Codes Committee’s passage of this bill to address timely criminal trial scheduling is a first step toward fixing New York’s speedy trial crisis. With support on all sides of the aisle, the Codes Committee has affirmed that this is an issue everyone can and should support, regardless of party or power,” said Squadron.
Hikind Outraged As Sears Sells Anti-Israel Items
Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Borough Park) is demanding major retailer Sears desist from their current political opposition to the State of Israel.
Hikind was outraged to find Sears selling shirts that deny the existence of the State of Israel yesterday, with calls to “end Israeli occupation” and a variety of “Free Palestine” items available online.
Sears has the items available online via a third-party merchant Spreadshirt, Inc., which pays Sears a commission for each item sold.
“This is beyond outrageous. With these messages, SEARS Holding Corp, a publicly traded company, is taking a position against the State of Israel.SEARS has decided to sell themselves and make a quick buck by promoting divisiveness. When a company permits someone to sell divisive material from their business, and they profit from it, then they are endorsing that sentiment.”
Hikind went on to state, “Telling people now that the Jewish State does not exist will not exactly endear them to people in my community, and I dare say in many other communities as well.”
“I am calling on SEARS to do the right thing and desist from selling these offensive products immediately,” said Hikind.
