Cumbo, Mosley Hosts Youth Summer Resource Fair
City Council Majority Leader Laurie A. Cumbo (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights) and Assembly Member Walter T. Mosley (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights) in conjunction with community-based partnerships, will host the Second Annual Summer Youth Resource Fair this week.
Hundreds of youth, of all ages and backgrounds, will have the opportunity to explore seasonal and year-round opportunities for employment and arts programs that will help nurture personal, academic, and professional development.
The event is slated for 12-noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, March 10, at University Settlement Ingersoll Community Center, at 177 Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene.
Treyger Applauds Passage of Bill Prohibiting Police Sexual Misconduct
City Council member Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst, Gravesend) applauded the passage of his resolution changing the penal code for New York Police Department (NYPD) officers when interacting with individuals in their custody yesterday.
Treyger’s resolution calls on the New York State Legislature to amend the Penal Code to explicitly state that individuals in police custody are categorically incapable of consenting to sexual conduct with a police officer. The measure passed the City Council on Wednesday after it was unanimously approved by the Council’s Committee on Public Safety.
Laws currently exist that explicitly state that inmates are incapable of giving sexual consent to corrections officers and prison workers, and parolees are incapable of giving consent to parole officers; however, there are no such provisions that apply to those in the custody of police or peace officers.
Treyger introduced the resolution, as well as a separate bill, Intro. 0571, that would amend the City’s administrative code to explicitly prohibit sexual contact between law enforcement officials and individuals in their custody after two narcotics detectives raped a teenager in their custody last September, and tried to claim the encounter was “consensual.” The detectives, who have since resigned from the force, were indicted on charges including rape, kidnapping, and bribery in early November by the office of Kings County District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
“There can be no consent given free from coercion when an individual is in the custody of a law enforcement official. Our state penal code recognizes this disparate power dynamic for sexual contact between corrections officers and prisoners and parole officers and those under their supervision. My resolution calls on the state to recognize that the same dynamic exists when individuals are in the custody of law enforcement officials,” said Treyger.
Cornegy Demands NYCHA Urgently Institute State of Emergency
City Council member Robert Cornegy Jr. (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) continued his push for the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to institute a State of Emergency yesterday.
Last month, Cornegy began calling for Governor Andrew Cuomo to declare a state of emergency on NYCHA as a first step towards taking charge of the troubled authority from the city. Cornegy’s call came after receiving a number of complaints of little or no heat or hot water this winter from some of the roughly 4,000 residents in the sprawling Marcy Houses bordered by Flushing, Marcy, Nostrand and Myrtle Avenues in his district.
Earlier this week, public housing residents filed suit against NYCHA alleging “years of neglect” and “systemic violations of the law,” according to reports. NYCHA has been fighting multiple controversies in recent months related to fraudulent lead inspections and a heating crisis that left some 320,000 of the 390,000 public housing residents without heat or hot water during the Winter.
“Last week, NYCHA residents made clear that the time to act is now when they sued the City for basic necessities that every home should have, such as heat and hot water. We have stated repeatedly that extraordinary relief is needed and on an emergency basis afforded by the State,” said Cornegy.
“The Governor’s Counsel has provided positive first steps that we believe need to be taken at once: an emergency declaration from the State that will allow a private contractor to come in and provide the services necessary to NYCHA residents now. Along with the State, the City Council, the Mayor and affected NYCHA residents can and should have a role in the selection of and ongoing review by the monitor. We need to take emergency action now for the benefit of these residents,” added Cornegy.
Espinal Announces First-Ever NYC Nightlife Mayor
City Council member Rafael Espinal (D-Bushwick, East New York, Cypress Hills) alongside Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the appointment of Ariel Palitz as the city’s first-ever Senior Executive Director of the Office of Nightlife, also known as the Nightlife Mayor, yesterday.
The Office of Nightlife was created as a result of legislation sponsored by Espinal to bring nightlife out of the bureaucratic shadows and address quality of life issues in local communities. The legislation passed the full council on August 24, 2017 and was signed into law by the Mayor last September.
The Office of Nightlife will be housed under the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and will be under the oversight of the Council’s Committee on Consumer Affairs, Chaired by Espinal.
“It is exciting to learn that NYC’s first Nightlife Mayor is a female with a strong background in nightlife and community advocacy,” said Espinal.
“I believe the nightlife community will have a well-rounded voice in Ariel Palitz and the administration will have a unique perspective on nightlife issues. There is a lot of work to do and I look forward to working with Ariel as I continue advocating for the independent venues and DIY community that desperately needs the city’s support to come out of the bureaucratic shadows,” added Espinal.
Simon, Kavanagh Applaud Assembly Passage of Gun Violence Prevention Bills
Assembly member Jo Anne Simon (D-Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus, Park Slope, Boerum Hill, DUMBO) and Senator Brian Kavanagh (D-Northern Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan) applauded the passage of the Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) bill on Tuesday.
The legislation, sponsored by Simon and Kavanagh passed the Assembly with support from both Republicans and Democrats. The new measure (A8976/S7133) would create a new type of court-issued order of protection that temporarily prohibits individuals from purchasing or possessing guns if a family member or law enforcement officer petitions a court and the court finds that the individual is likely to engage in conduct that would harm themselves or others.
In addition, the Assembly passed a number of other gun violence prevention bills, including measures that ensure comprehensive background checks (A.2406), prevent domestic violence abusers from having access to weapons (A.5025), ban bump stocks (A.9958), and close a loophole which prevents law enforcement from checking mental health records for people who live in other states, but have residences here in New York, while conducting background checks (A.9978).
“Too often, we are able to see the warning signs that an individual close to us poses a risk of serious harm to themselves or to others, but lack a mechanism to prevent unthinkable tragedies such as interpersonal gun violence or suicide. This legislation empowers families and law enforcement to help prevent these needless gun tragedies by applying to a court to temporarily restrict an individual’s access to firearms,” said Simon.
“In addition to the bipartisan vote in the Assembly today, the bill has 28 Senate sponsors, and is supported by a broad and growing coalition of experts, advocates, and other New Yorkers who understand that we can and should do more to keep guns out of the hands of people who are likely to harm themselves or others,” said Senator Brian Kavanagh, who sponsors the bill in the Senate. “I am calling once again for the Senate to bring this bill to the floor promptly and to pass it,” said Kavanagh.
Clarke Introduces Hardest Hit Housing Act of 2018
Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-Crown Heights, Flatbush, East Flatbush, Brownsville, Sheepshead Bay), alongside Representatives José E. Serrano (D-Bronx) and Gregory W. Meeks (D-Queens), introduced a comprehensive housing bill yesterday.
The legislation, known as the Hardest Hit Housing Act of 2018, will provide public housing, foreclosure mitigation, and rental assistance grants through the United States Housing and Urban Development agency (HUD) with supplemental funding for state public housing authorities to ensure Americans have access to affordable housing.
The legislation will allocate $4 billion a year in supplemental funding to the Public Housing Capital Fund Grant Program for public housing authorities that own or manage more than 10,000 units. It will also supply 15 states with the highest foreclosure rates, with foreclosure mitigation and assistance grants with $5 million per year for five years. Finally, the bill will authorize rental assistance grants to fund 100,000 incremental housing choice vouchers for housing authorities at a rate of 20,000 units per year over five years.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump unveiled a budget proposal cutting federal programs that provide low-income families housing stability by completely eliminating two block grant programs. Trump’s proposal also aims to cut the Public Housing Capital Fund, a $2 billion annual fund that’s used to renovate or maintain the condition of public housing units.
“We’re in the midst of the worst housing crisis in generations. Home prices and rents are hitting new all-time highs, pricing low and middle-income families out of the market. Donald Trump’s 2019 budget proposal includes the same draconian and unpopular cuts to affordable housing programs that failed in Congress last year. The federal government should be doing more, not less to relieve the housing crisis in America. Congress must pass the Hardest Hit Housing Act right away,” said Clarke.
Golden Announces Passage of Bill Deterring Individuals From Fleeing Police
State Senator Martin J. Golden (R-C-I,Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach) announced that legislation he sponsored, S.1741, was approved by the New York State Senate, by a vote of 57-3, earlier this week.
The measure will increase penalties for individuals who unlawfully flee a police officer including such offenses as:
*The unlawful fleeing from a police officer in a motor vehicle in the 3rd degree from a Class A Misdemeanor to a Class E Felony;
*The unlawful fleeing from a police officer in a motor vehicle in the 2nd degree, when an officer or third person is seriously injured, from a Class E Felony to a Class D Felony; and
*The unlawful fleeing from a police officer in the 1st degree in which an officer or a third person is killed, from a Class D Felony to a Class C Felony.
The legislation has been sent to the Assembly where Assembly member Joseph Lentol (D-Greenpoint, Williamsburg) is the sponsor of A. 5478.
“We must do something to amend the current lenient penalties on the books here in New York State that invites an evasion of justice and often sparks a police chase. Experience has shown that these often high-speed pursuits can create dangerous situations which many times lead to innocent people, or law enforcement officers, suffering personal injury or death. Stricter penalties will help put the brakes on this irresponsible behavior and at the same time protect our officers and improve roadway safety.”
