Adams, Deutsch Decry Assassination Attempts On NYPD
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and City Council Member Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest, Midwood) yesterday both strongly denounced this weekends assassination attempt on the lives of the New York City Police Department officers in the Bronx that saw two cops wounded by the gunfire.
“Last night and this morning, officers in the 41st Precinct were deliberately targeted in assassination attempts that injured two of New York’s Finest. My heart goes out to the families of those who were attacked, and I pray for a speedy recovery of the officers currently in the hospital. As a proud member of our law enforcement family, I stand shoulder to shoulder with the public servants on duty today and in the days ahead, amid this challenging time for our city,” said Adams, a retired NYPD Captain.
“Let’s be clear: These blatant and brazen assassination attempts are tantamount to an assassination of our symbol of public safety. I have said consistently for the last couple years that we cannot allow the actions of a hate-minded few undo the hard-fought public safety gains won by the many in this city. We also cannot dismantle the tools that helped make New York City the safest big city in America. We must be tireless in pursuit of justice for these heinous attacks, and we thank the brave men and women of the NYPD, who put their lives on the line for us every day to keep us safe,” he added.
Deutsch noted that despite being members of the most scrutinized agency in the city, NYPD officers go out each and every day and protect their fellow New Yorkers.
“They aren’t making the big bucks, they don’t get amazing benefits, and they certainly aren’t treated well – but they do it anyway, because they believe in doing the right thing. To see them attacked, shot at, and injured just for simply wearing their uniform and doing their job is heartbreaking. Every day, we see police officers being verbally attacked by the very people they are sworn to protect. It’s demoralizing and it incites violence against them,” said Deutsch.
“I am praying for the two officers who were injured in the two shootings that occurred in the Bronx during this weekend. I am praying for and will continue to stand up for every member of the NYPD and law enforcement – may they be safe and protected as they go about their job,” he added.
Cumbo, Adams Present Tribute To American Jazz Legends
City Council Majority Leader Laurie A. Cumbo (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights), the Office of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and the Jamel Gaines’ Creative Outlet this week will present Remembering A Tribute To American Jazz Legends.
Jamel Gaines’ Creative Outlet (JGCO) kicks off its 25th Anniversary season with their annual Black History Presentation, REMEMBERING – a multimedia production exploring the historical accounts of the Middle Passage, Slavery and Emancipation.
REMEMBERING is American history told by African Voices, lacing contemporary and African dance with audio-visual elements including spoken word, music and African drumming.
The remaining shows are at 12 noon, Wednesday, Feb. 12; and at 10 a.m. and 12 noon, Friday, Feb. 14. There will also be a Special Evening Public Presentation at 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 13 at the Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, 212 Tompkins Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant. For tickets, you can purchase online or contact Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet! Email: info@creativeoutlet.org. Text/Call: (917)-500-8774. www.jgcodance.org. Purchase tickets online here.
Wright, Montgomery Laud Work To Reopen Subway Entrances
State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery (D-Fort Greene, Boerum Hill, Red Hook, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Sunset Park, Gowanus, Park Slope) and Assemblywomen Tremaine Wright (D-Brownsville, Northern Crown Heights) on Friday lauded the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s (MTA) announcement that it is beginning construction work to reopen the closed Bedford Avenue entrances to the Nostrand Av AC subway station in Brooklyn by the end of the year.
The entrances will provide the station with a direct connection to the northbound B44 Select Bus Service, reduce crowding as trains depart from the station, provide a free in-station transfer between the northbound and southbound platforms, and better connect the station with destinations west of Arlington Place.
The entrances, at the northeast corner and southeast corner of Bedford Avenue and Fulton Street, are more than 1,000 feet to the west of the currently open entrances at the corners of Fulton Street and Nostrand Avenue, or nearly a quarter-mile.
“I am delighted to stand with the MTA, Senator Montgomery and our community partners to announce the much-anticipated re-opening of the second exit at the Nostrand Avenue AC train station,” said Wright. “Every day, more than 36,000 people pass through this station and the re-opening of this passageway will alleviate much of the congestion. We are certain that this will improve the daily experience of subway users as well as enhance safety.”
“This reopening has been a long time coming. The remaining entrances at the Nostrand Avenue A/C station have become severely overcrowded and impossible to navigate during rush hours. I thank Assemblywoman Wright for her leadership on this issue and for spearheading the campaign to secure state funding to address this public safety issue. I look forward to our continued partnership with the New York City Transit Authority to address public transportation concerns in our district,” said Montgomery.
Menchaca, Advocates Rally To Defend Asylum For Immigrants
City Councilmember Carlos Menchaca (D-Sunset Park, Red Hook) today will join immigration advocates to rally to defend and grant asylum protections for survivors of domestic and gang-related violence.
The rally follows the June 2018 decision of former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions overturning a Board of Immigration Appeals decision, undermining asylum protections for individuals seeking to escape domestic or gang-related violence.
Following a federal court decision upholding these protections in initial asylum screenings, the federal government is pursuing an appeal.
In the meantime, Menchaca has introduced a resolution for the city council to support an amicus brief submitted by New York State and 19 other states, as well as the District of Columbia, in the appeal. The rally will call on the U.S. government to maintain the availability of asylum protections for survivors of domestic or gang-related violence.
The rally is slated for 12 noon, today, Feb. 10 on the steps of City Hall in Lower Manhattan.
Brooklyn DA Gonzalez to Host Town Hall on Deed Fraud
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez will host a Town Hall on Deed Fraud tomorrow to help homeowners, family members, and guardians remain vigilant against property and financial schemes.
“As our borough continues to be a highly sought-after destination, we must protect our long time residents from losing their homes by nefarious means. By educating our residents on how to spot red-flags from scammers, unlicensed individuals offering financial assistance and unlawful deed transfers, we can ensure that families don’t lose their homes to opportunists willing to exploit homeowners for a profit,” said Gonzalez.
The event, which is free and open to the public, is slated for 6-8 p.m., tomorrow, Feb. 11 at W.H. Maxwell Career & Technical Education High School, 145 Pennsylvania Avenue in East New York.
Nadler, Maloney, Velázquez Urge Adoption Of Helicopter Safety Rules
U.S. Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-Brooklyn, Manhattan), Carolyn B. Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn), and Nydia Velázquez (D-Brooklyn, Queens, Lower Manhattan) on Friday urged Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Stephen Dickson to adopt all of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations for doors-off helicopter sightseeing tours.
The urging was borne from the Board’s investigation of the March 11, 2018 crash of an Airbus AS350 helicopter in the East River that caused the deaths of all five passengers. The congress members than introduced the Improving Helicopter Safety Act of 2019 on October 28, 2019 to address recent deadly helicopter incidents in the city.
In their letter to Administrator Dickson, the members note, “The NTSB investigation has cast light on several unacceptable oversights by the FAA that must be addressed in order to better ensure the safety of passengers, pilots, and innocent bystanders. The NTSB made ten recommendations to the FAA to address and correct those oversights in its final report on this accident, which was released in January 2020.[1] We strongly urge you to adopt the NTSB recommendations.”
They also requested “information about the steps FAA is taking to better ensure that when it discovers dangerous or unauthorized operations, such as those found with the Liberty, Inc./NYONAir doors-off sightseeing tours, they are immediately reported to the proper authorities.”
