STATE ASSEMBLYWOMAN JENIFER RAJKUMAR'S STATEMENT ON QUEENS CB9 PUBLIC SAFETY TOWN HALL

 

I commend Queens Community Board 9, under the leadership of Chairwoman Sherry Algredo, Albert Gamarra, and James McClelland, for bringing the community together last night for a Town Hall addressing the public safety concerns of my constituents in Woodhaven, Ozone Park, and Richmond Hill.

I am taking all the issues raised by my constituents last night to Mayor Adams, NYPD Commissioner Caban, and DOT Commissioner Rodriguez.

Community members raised concerns over a number of quality of life issues such as reckless driving and e-bike use, illegal smoke shops, noise, gun violence, package theft, street merchants, illegal parking, and trash dumping. Someone brought up this week’s stabbing at the Jamaica-Van Wyck Subway station. Attendees called for more lighting, pedestrian safety upgrades, and more police officers to respond to incidents.

In the coming weeks, I will work with the Department of Transportation to implement safety upgrades at our most troublesome intersections—such as 108th St. and Jamaica Ave., 107th St., and 109th St. and 85th Ave.—and add more lighting to the neighborhood. I am also working on shutting down the illegal flea market and car wash at 107th St. I have already partnered with DOT to add safety upgrades at multiple intersections in my district and repair four street lights on Woodhaven Boulevard.

Public safety is the top priority of my Office. I passed the SMOKEOUT Act this year to empower New York City to close all the illegal smoke shops breeding crime, and already we have closed over 750 shops. I also introduced Priscilla’s Law to require license plates, insurance, and inspections of e-bikes to crack down on reckless cyclists and unsafe batteries. My other work includes passing bills to develop solutions to anti-AAPI hate crimes and provide aid to crime victims; as well as introducing bills to review Subway security, create interventions for at-risk youth, crack down on cyberattacks, and tackle ghost guns.

Working together with stakeholders, we have made tremendous progress in public safety, with overall crime decreasing every month for six consecutive months, as well as double digit decreases in Subway crime. I will continue until everyone in my district is safe and secure.