Walker, Williams Applaud Mayor’s Record Low Jail Population
Assembly member Latrice Walker (D-Brownsville) and City Council member Jumaane Williams (D-Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood) applauded Mayor Bill de Blasio‘s announcement that the city’s jail population has fallen to record lows for the first time in 35 years yesterday.
On Wednesday, the Mayor announced that the New York City jail population has fallen below 9,000, and the City is on track for a monthly jail population below 9,000 for the first time in more than three decades. Currently, the average daily population for December is 8,980, and yesterday’s population was 8,783.
In March,De Blasio announced the City’s plan to close Rikers and replace it with a borough-based jail system that is smaller, safer and fairer. Achieving that goal will require the census be reduced to 5,000. The current jail population is down 58 percent from its peak of 21,674 in 1991 and has fallen more than 20 percent since the Mayor took office. Additionally, the jail population has fallen about 5 percent (roughly 400 beds) compared to this time last year. The reduction of the jail population is driven by a number of factors including reduced crime and greatly expanded alternatives to incarceration as well as a citywide alternative to bail program and increased diversion programs.
“Today, New York City has the lowest incarceration rate of all large U.S. cities and crime rates continue to fall, proving that a large city can have small jails and safe communities. We’ve been carrying out a multi-pronged effort over the course of my first term to shrink our jail population, and today we see the results: a jail population lower than it’s been in 35 years,” said de Blasio.
“Today marks a significant milestone in the journey to decrease mass incarceration and to eventually close Rikers Island. The City’s jail population is in records low which is a positive reflection of our law enforcement and our judiciary system. Together we all are doing our part to make New York City one of the largest and safest city in the United States,” said Walker.
“There is immense work yet to be done to revolutionize our criminal justice system, but it is critical to acknowledge and celebrate the gains we are making. This is a milestone worthy of recognition, and evidence that the broad reforms we have fought for are having a measurable impact on our incarcerated population. This achievement should serve as validation of our efforts and motivation to push forward,” said Williams.
Deutsch Hails Passage of Senior Safety Bill
City Council member Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest) proudly hailed the passage of his legislation Intro 1185, a Senior safety bill yesterday.
The bill will require the Department for the Aging to inform seniors who rely on life-sustaining equipment about the importance of registering their home address with their utility company.
In the event of a power outage, information about registered homes is shared among the electrical company and emergency service providers. This triggers a wellness check of the customer. The new measure will mandate widespread education and outreach to senior centers and Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities in multiple languages. It also requires information to be posted prominently on the Department for the Aging website.
“In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, many residents of my district were left without electrical service. They had no access to phones to contact first responders and alert them to their reliance on life-sustaining equipment. In situations like this, registering with an electrical provider can mean the difference between life and death. I’m proud that my bill passed the City Council unanimously, underscoring the importance of outreach to raise awareness among our more vulnerable population,” said Deutsch.
BP Adams Spotlights December’s “Heroes of The Month”
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams spotlighted a special set of his “Heroes of the Month” for the holiday season yesterday.
The monthly honor was bestowed upon an array of heroic police officers and a pair of local brothers providing support to homeless New Yorkers.
Mike and Nick Fiorito from Bay Ridge were honored for their Blankets of Hope program, which raises money for blankets with handwritten inspirational notes that they hand out to the less fortunate.
Additionally, New York Police Department (NYPD) Detectives Philip Facenda and Thomas Pisano were honored at the event for successfully apprehending the murderers of two young mothers outside a public housing development in Bedford-Stuyvesant alongside NYPD Officers John Hasiotis, Kevin McGinn, Ryan Nash, and Michael Welsome, whose courageous actions protected Brooklynites and others in harm’s way from last month’s Lower Manhattan terror attack.
