MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES RECORD NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOMES CREATED IN 2023, MAKES URGENT CASE FOR ALBANY ACTION AS PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION SLOWS

 

City Financed Record Number of New Affordable Homes Last Year, With Majority Benefitting From Expired 421-a Affordable Housing Tax Incentive    

 

80 Percent Increase in Financing for New Construction and Preservation of Affordable Homes From 2022 

 

City Also Set Record in 2023 for Most New Supportive Homes and Homes for Formerly Homeless New Yorkers  

 

As New Yorkers Continue to Struggle With High Rents, City Needs Tools From Albany to Build Homes for New Yorkers  

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that his administration has once again broken records for producing much-needed affordable housing amid a severe housing shortage in the five boroughs. As private construction activity slows following the expiration of a critical affordable housing creation tool, Mayor Adams reiterated an urgent call for state lawmakers in Albany to partner with New York Governor Kathy Hochul and provide the city with critical tools — including a new affordable housing tax incentive, a pathway to make basement and cellar apartments safe and legal, a tax incentive to turn empty office buildings into affordable homes, and the lifting of a cap on density for new construction — to create the new housing New Yorkers need. 

  

“When we came into office two years ago, we had a mission: protect public safety, revitalize the economy, and make this city more livable for hardworking New Yorkers, and making our city more livable means building more affordable housing for more people,” said Mayor Adams. “We are proud of our administration’s progress building a record number of affordable homes last year, but New York City cannot solve this affordable housing crisis alone. We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her leadership on this issue and are optimistic that with the support of labor, industry, and lawmakers across the state, we can help ease the pain New Yorkers are feeling every day as we continue to make real progress against this crisis.” 

  

“Making good on our administration’s promise to increase affordable housing and tackle the city’s housing crisis once and for all, we accomplished record housing production for the last calendar year,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “I congratulate HPD and HDC on financing historic numbers of newly created housing, including record amounts for homeless New Yorkers and those in need of supportive services, and look forward to working with our state colleagues to unlock more housing to reach our need of creating 500,000 new homes in the next decade.” 

 

“Each record number we report and celebrate today is an investment in our future — representing new, safe, affordable homes where New Yorkers will be able to live out their lives and pursue their aspirations in the greatest city in the world.” said New York City Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “I am proud of our agency staff and our partners at HDC for their tireless work to produce so many homes across the five boroughs. Now, more than ever, we need our state partners in Albany to lean in and help us do even more to address this housing crisis and keep our city competitive.” 

  

“Last year’s record-breaking production numbers reflect this administration’s tireless commitment to expanding our city’s affordable housing supply,” said New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Eric Enderlin. “While we continue to make strides towards building new supply and preserving our existing affordable and public housing stock, more must be done to tackle the growing housing crisis. It is crucial that we receive the federal resources needed to effectively meet the urgent housing needs of New Yorkers.” 

  

HPD also directly connected more New Yorkers to homes than ever before, bringing nearly 13,000 households into affordable units this calendar year. Nearly 10,000 of those connections were through Housing Connect lotteries and 3,000 households left shelter to move into HPD homeless set aside units, an increase of more than 30 percent from 2022 to 2023. Late last year, the administration announced that permanent housing placements from shelter using CityFHEPS vouchers increased 10 percent during the first three months of Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) compared to the first three months of FY23. 

  

Overall, HPD and HDC financed a total 27,911 units in calendar year 2023 through new construction and preservation deals, and increase of 80 percent from 2022, fueled by a 47 percent increase in the financing of new affordable homes. The Adams administration additionally continued to prioritize new homes for the most vulnerable New Yorkers — setting records by creating 3,926 new homes for New Yorkers who formerly experienced homelessness and 1,670 new supportive homes with restricted rents and social services. 

 

To accelerate housing production and deliver relief to New Yorkers, the Adams administration has advanced a number of creative solutions, including an office conversation accelerator, new proposed rules to streamline approvals for sustainable housing, a “Housing-at-Risk Task Force,” and several pilot programs to help fund the creation of accessory dwelling units, help move New Yorkers out of shelters and into renovated apartments, and fuel mixed-income development in neighborhoods across the city, among other innovative efforts.  

  

Lifting the city’s impressive 2023 numbers are major development projects closed by the Adams administration over the last year, including new housing projects at Willets Point, the JFK Hilton Hotel Conversion, The Peninsula in Hunts Point, and more. The administration also advanced several robust neighborhood planning efforts to deliver more housing and economic opportunities and investments to Central Brooklyn, Midtown South, South Richmond, Long Island City, Jamaica, and the Metro North station area in the Bronx, among others. 

  

The city’s accelerated new housing production in 2023 stands in contrast to the private housing market where construction slowed, driven in part by the loss of the 421-a incentive program and the absence of action in Albany to replace it.  According to the New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Housing Database, new unit permits dropped by approximately 84 percent between the first six months of 2023 and the first six months of 2022.  

 

“Affordable housing continues to be an absolutely critical resource for New Yorkers,” said New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “NYCHA extends its appreciation and ongoing support of the Adams administration's continued dedication to the preservation and creation of new affordable housing in New York City.” 

  

“This administration continues to do everything in its power to deliver the housing that New Yorkers need, from financing income-restricted affordable housing to advancing zoning changes and streamlining environmental review for much-needed housing,” said DCP Chair and City Planning Commission Chair Dan Garodnick. “We need action from our partners in Albany to pass comprehensive housing policy that supports housing opportunity in New York and across the state.” 

  

“The New York City Department of Buildings is making it easier than ever to build in our city by removing outdated regulations and streamlining the development process, but without legislation from our partners in Albany, private developers will not build the houses we need in the numbers we need them,” said New York City Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo. “The simple fact of the matter is greater flexibility and incentives will help jumpstart housing production across the state.”  

  

“Creating new, affordable, stable housing opportunities across our neighborhoods and preserving the affordability of homes that our fellow New Yorkers live in are critical steps to ensuring our city remains a diverse and thriving place to call home,” said New York City Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. “I’m proud of the hustle and commitment that our housing agencies — with partners across the public and private sectors — have demonstrated through these numbers; each becoming a home that not only chips away at our housing supply and affordability challenges, but that serves as a platform for greater security for our neighbors.” 

  

The administration’s record-breaking production numbers also show New York City’s resilience in the face of difficult trends slowing the creation of new multifamily housing throughout the city and the nation. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, new construction of multifamily housing from January to October 2023 decreased 34 percent compared to the same period in 2022. 

  

As Mayor Adams has continued his advocacy for Albany to give New York City the tools it needs, he has committed $24 billion to affordable housing — the most in New York City’s history — and taken significant steps towards the “moonshot” goal of his “Get Stuff Built” plan to meet the need for 500,000 new homes over the next decade. Mayor Adams has also proposed the most pro-housing changes in the history of the city’s zoning code through his “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” plan to create “a little more housing in every neighborhood” of the city. 

Former Law Enforcement Union Officials Sentenced To Prison For Defrauding Union’s Annuity Fund

 

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that KENNETH WYNDER Jr., a former New York State Trooper and the president of the Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association (“LEEBA”), a labor union for law enforcement officers employed by the City of New York (the “City”), was sentenced to 40 months in prison, and ANDREW BROWN, a/k/a “Drew Brown,” the former financial advisor for LEEBA, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, for defrauding union members by misappropriating money from LEEBA’s Annuity Fund.  WYNDER was also sentenced for personal income tax evasion and conspiring to evade federal taxes, including payroll taxes owed by LEEBA and its employees.  WYNDER and BROWN were convicted after a five-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel, who imposed this sentence.  In addition, STEVEN WHITTICK, LEEBA’s former treasurer and a former police officer for New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”), previously pled guilty to conspiring to commit tax evasion and making false statements to law enforcement and was sentenced to 28 months in prison.      

U.S. Attorney Damian William said: “Kenneth Wynder and Andrew Brown raided union-sponsored retirement accounts for years, placing their self interest over the hard-working public servants they represented as the president and financial advisor of the union, respectively.  Wynder also evaded taxes on cash, checks, and other income he obtained from the union, including as a product of their theft from the union members’ retirement accounts.  Union officials and advisors who violate their duties to the union members they represent will face serious consequences for their abuse of trust.” 

According to the Indictment, Superseding Indictment, the underlying complaints filed in this case, as well as other publicly available information, prior court filings, and evidence presented during the trial in Manhattan federal court:

Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association and the Annuity Fund

LEEBA is a labor union that has acted as the collective bargaining representative principally for law enforce­ment personnel at various City agencies and has entered into agreements on behalf of those law enforcement employees, including agreements for insurance and retirement benefits.  The City agencies whose employees LEEBA represented included, at various times, DEP, the Department of Sanitation (“Sanitation”), and the Department of Transporta­tion (“Transportation”).

The Annuity Fund is a LEEBA fund that received monthly contributions from the City for the benefit of LEEBA’s members and maintained separate accounts for each fund member.  These accounts were functionally similar to employer-sponsored 401(k) retirement accounts.  WYNDER was a Trustee of the Annuity Fund and signatory to agreements that governed the fund, and BROWN was a Plan Administrator and Financial Advisor of the Annuity Fund.  Under the relevant agreements and plans, the money in the Annuity Fund could be used for no purpose other than funding individual members’ retirement accounts and defraying reasonable administra­tive expenses of the Annuity Fund itself.

WYNDER

WYNDER, a former New York State Trooper, is the founder and former President of LEEBA and a former member of LEEBA’s board of directors.  WYNDER also formerly served as the Fund Administrator of the Annuity Fund and as a member of the board of trustees of the Annuity Fund, pursuant to which he owed a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the Annuity Fund and its account holders.  WYNDER also was on the board of trustees of the LEEBA Welfare Fund (the “Welfare Fund,” and collectively with the Annuity Fund, the “LEEBA Funds”), which provided supplemental insurance benefits to its members.  While occupying those positions, WYNDER centralized and controlled major decision-making authority for LEEBA and the LEEBA Funds, often acting without the proper approval of their respective boards of directors or trustees.  WYNDER’s de facto dominance of LEEBA and the LEEBA Funds enabled him to make decisions in his own self-interest and contrary to the interests of the Annuity Fund and individual members.

BROWN

BROWN, the founder of a Westchester-based financial services company, is the former Benefits Administrator and insurance broker for LEEBA and the LEEBA Funds.  As a LEEBA Annuity Fund Plan Administrator and Financial Advisor, BROWN helped manage the investments in the Annuity Fund, receiving a commission for his services, and had a responsibi­lity to act in the best interest of LEEBA’s members.

            WYNDER’s and BROWN’s Fraud Scheme

From at least in or about 2012 up to and including 2020, WYNDER and BROWN participated in a scheme to steal, embezzle, and misappropriate money from the Annuity Fund and individual members’ retirement accounts.  Specifically, WYNDER and BROWN made hundreds of thousands of dollars of fraudulent transfers from the Annuity Fund to LEEBA’s operating account, which WYNDER controlled, and WYNDER regularly used the funds, once transferred from the Annuity Fund, to enrich himself at union members’ expense, including through unauthorized and excessive checks to himself and cash withdrawals for his own benefit and to pay insurance benefits for which BROWN received commissions.  In addition, WYNDER caused the union to pay for various personal expenses such as the purchase of a Lexus automobile, travel expenses to Dallas to watch a Dallas Cowboys football game, and a sailing trip, all paid for by the union, and none of which were contemporaneously reported to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), as required.           

To accomplish this fraudulent scheme, WYNDER and BROWN, acting in their capacity as the Annuity Fund’s Plan Administrators, repeatedly made false and misleading statements to a third-party retirement plan manager that served as the custodian for the Annuity Fund and the retirement accounts of individual union members, including through emails and faxes that WYNDER and BROWN used to withdraw increasingly large sums of money from the Annuity Fund, effectively causing such withdrawals to be made from the retirement accounts of individual members.  From in or about 2014 through in or about 2019, WYNDER and BROWN caused the withdrawal of more than $500,000 from the individual retirement accounts that constitute the Annuity Fund, thereby wiping out the entire balance of certain members’ accounts.  Without these improper withdrawals from the Annuity Fund, the LEEBA operating account would have been insolvent and would have had insufficient funds to pay for WYNDER’s excessive checks to himself and cash withdrawals and the personal expenses he caused to be charged to that account, as well as to pay for benefits for which BROWN made commissions as an insurance broker.

In addition, throughout the duration of this scheme, WYNDER and BROWN repeatedly made and approved false and misleading statements to LEEBA’s members and prospective members about how they were purportedly using and protecting their retirement accounts and the LEEBA Annuity Fund.  WYNDER further concealed the scheme by causing LEEBA to fail to timely file mandatory reports and financial disclosures with the City and public reports to the Annuity Fund’s members and by making false statements to the Annuity Fund’s auditors and accountants.

            WYNDER’s and WHITTICK’s Tax Evasion Scheme

From at least in or about 2015 through 2019, WYNDER participated in a conspiracy with LEEBA’s then-Treasurer, WHITTICK, to cause LEEBA to make payments to WYNDER and WHITTICK, by check and in cash, and to conceal those payments from the IRS.  WYNDER and WHITTICK further conspired to ensure that such payments were made outside of LEEBA’s payroll processor.  WYNDER and WHITTICK then concealed these payments from the IRS — including off-the-books payments to WYNDER of more than $400,000 — in order to evade their own personal income taxes and to evade the payroll taxes that were owed by LEEBA and certain LEEBA employees.

WHITTICK’s False Statements to Federal Agents

In or about October 2019, while serving as LEEBA’s Treasurer and after learning of a federal investigation into LEEBA’s finances – including the investigation of an alleged embezzlement scheme that ultimately resulted in wire fraud charges against WYNDER – WHITTICK repeatedly lied to federal agents in an effort to obstruct that investigation.  WHITTICK did so despite personal involvement in some of the financial improprieties with which WYNDER was convicted.  For example, on at least two occasions, on or about February 1, 2018, and March 30, 2018, WHITTICK withdrew $16,000 in cash from a LEEBA bank account and on each occasion deposited $15,000 cash into Wynder’s personal bank account and $1,000 cash into WHITTICK’s own personal bank account.

After the FBI executed a search warrant of LEEBA’s offices in September 2019, WHITTICK attempted to obstruct and to influence the ongoing federal investigation by making, in two different interviews with law enforcement agents, false statements about, among other subjects, cash withdrawals he made from LEEBA’s bank accounts, unauthorized withdrawals from LEEBA’s Annuity Fund and from the individual retirement accounts of Fund participants, and LEEBA’s payment for certain travel and entertainment expenses for union officers, including WHITTICK and WYNDER.

In addition to his prison term, WYNDER, 60, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was ordered to forfeit $529,000 and to pay $838,683 in restitution. 

In addition to his prison term, BROWN, 56, of Putnam Valley, New York, was ordered to forfeit $3,049 and to pay $529,000 in restitution.   

On November 17, 2021, WHITTICK, 54, of Kingston, New York, was sentenced to 28 months in prison and ordered to pay $179,766 in restitution.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Labor Office of Labor-Management Standards, and IRS, Criminal Investigation.  Mr. Williams also thanked the New York City Comptroller’s Office and the New York City Department of Investigation for their assistance.

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS IN PRISON FOR FATALLY SHOOTING TWO MEN TO AVENGE HIS BROTHER’S KILLING

 

Defendant Pleaded Guilty to Manslaughter; Shooting Happened Hours After His Brother Was Shot Walking Down Street with Daughter

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for fatally shooting two men and for wounding another inside a building hallway in Claremont, in retaliation for the killing of his brother. 

District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant killed two men and wounded another a few hours after his brother had been fatally shot while walking down the street with his 6-year-old daughter. This occurred in the summer of 2020, when the Bronx experienced a barrage of gunfire, much of it retaliatory. Revenge is not the answer. Justice must be attained the right way. Only then can our community be safe. This man lost his brother and now he will spend many years in prison.” 

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Kalvin Robinson, 32, of 305 East 153rd Street, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree Manslaughter and second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon on November 30, 2023. He was sentenced today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Margaret Clancy to 25 years in prison and five years post-release supervision on each of the Manslaughter counts, to run concurrently to each other, and 15 years in prison and five years post release supervision on the weapon charge, to run concurrently with the Manslaughter sentence. A co-defendant, Nasir Greene, also pleaded to the charges and awaits sentencing. 

According to the investigation, at 8:00 p.m. on July 5, 2020, inside 306 East 171st Street, the defendants fired multiple shots at Eghosa Imafidon, 26, Joel Baba, 22, and Mohammed Baba, 29. Imafidon was struck multiple times in the neck, head and arm, and Joel Baba was struck multiple times in the torso, arm, and leg. Both died. Mohammed Baba was shot in the arm.                      

District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Mark Konecni, formerly of the 44th Precinct, NYPD Detective Dominic Robinson of the Bronx Homicide Squad and NYPD Detective Vincent Figueroa of the 44th Precinct for their work in the case.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - Community Resources & Updates

Dear Neighbor,

Thank you for joining us for another week in review.

January is National Blood Donor Month, and we are experiencing a blood shortage citywide that could impact thousands of New Yorkers. We are urging our neighbors to join us this Monday at Borough Hall for our Blood Drive in partnership with the New York Blood Center to donate blood and potentially save a life.

 

Nervous about donating? Here are the facts:

62% of the U.S. is eligible to donate, yet only 3% do.

Donating blood only takes about an hour.

To make an appointment or if you are unsure, you can donate blood, call 1-800-933-2566 or visit nybc.org.

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 718-590-3500 or email us at webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.

 

In partnership,

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

The Adams administration announced they were restoring funding to the FDNY, NYPD, the NYC Department of Sanitation, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the New York City Department of Education`s Community Schools, and the Summer Rising initiative.

While supporting these restorations, we are calling on the administration to reconsider any proposed cuts to the Department of Buildings. Last week’s collapse of a 150-foot retaining wall in the Mount Hope neighborhood and last month’s partial collapse at 1915 Billingsley Terrace in Morris Heights underscores the importance of our City agencies and why we must not haphazardly reduce their operating budgets.

Any cuts to an agency tasked with the responsibility of overseeing our city’s infrastructure potentially puts our families at risk and is something we cannot afford to do.

Below is the full statement we released last Friday in response to the Mayor`s announcement.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Thank you to Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church, our guest speakers, my colleagues in government, and everyone else who joined us as we celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. King.

Dr. King dreamed of a better world and fought tirelessly to achieve that dream. He was a pioneer and trailblazer whose shoulders we proudly stand on, and over 50 years later, we are continuing his fight for racial equity and justice for all.

In the Bronx, we are doing this by dismantling barriers to care that disproportionately affect New Yorkers of color, fighting for truly affordable housing, increasing access to employment, and creating opportunities for our youth to have pathways to future careers.

It is a new day in the Bronx!

Today, we unveiled new signage for Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point. This name change shows the rest of the world that our borough means business and we are ready to chart a new course. Thank you Bally’s for joining us as a community partner and we look forward to building on this relationship in the pursuit of a better Bronx.

In her 2024 State of the State address, Governor Kathy Hochul outlined a bold agenda with initiatives that align with the priorities put forth in our strategic policy statement to build a better and stronger Bronx.

From healthcare to housing discrimination, employment for historically marginalized New Yorkers, public safety, swimming access, and so much more that will help eliminate barriers that have often affected our most at-risk residents.

Some Highlights:

The first-in-the-nation statewide paid prenatal leave and expanding access to doula services.

Incentives for the construction of affordable housing and increased protections for low-income New Yorkers with Section 8 vouchers.

Flood resiliency plans for our homeowners as the prevalence of coastal storms increases.

Investments in gender-affirming care.

Improving health services for our veterans.

January is Scholarship Month in New York City. We are proud to join NYC Kids RISE to promote this important college savings program for eligible public school scholars between Kindergarten and the 2nd Grade. Citywide $30M across 200 schools have already participated. Thanks to Chancellor Banks, NYC Public Schools, NYC Kids RISE, the Gray Foundation, and PS 85 The Great Expectations School in CSD10 for hosting us. $93,000 in college savings alone at PS85. Let’s continue to promote this important program that invests in our scholars' futures! 

UPCOMING EVENTS

RESOURCES

News, updates and more from NYC Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Jr.

 

DISCUSSION OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT WITH STUDENTS OF DR. RICHARD IZQUIERDO HEALTH AND SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL

 

Never underestimate the power of Youth! 

Great conversation with the US Government students at Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health & Science Charter School on the importance of Civic Engagement + ways that they can get involved in local Bronx politics.

BALLY’S GOLF LINKS RENAMING CEREMONY!

 

Great morning with my City and State colleagues at the newly-named Bally's Golf Links at Ferry Point - another step towards rebranding a business in the Borough of the Bronx. 

Thank you Bally's Corporation for your continued commitment to investing in the Bronx!

MEETINGS IN THE DISTRICT
 

In the District:

 Conducted a walkthrough with a constituent regarding sanitation and public safety issues

 Met with Staff from The HOPE Program regarding ways to better serve the South Bronx community and how we can work together to build a sustainable future

 Held an introductory meeting with Captain Ashraf, the new NYPD 41 Precinct Captain

REMEMBERING LUCIEL BOLES-WILSON
 

REMEMBERING LUCIEL BOLES-WILSONThe Bronx has lost one of its most passionate daughters. I am deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Luciel Boles-Wilson - a powerful force within our community. Rain or shine, I could always be certain that Luciel would show up at one of my events, dressed to the nines and ready to dance the night away. To know her was to know pure joy and an unquenchable zest for life. 

Dear Luciel, thank you for all of the laughs and wonderful memories. Rest in power 

 

The Bronx has lost one of its most passionate daughters. I am deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Luciel Boles-Wilson - a powerful force within our community. Rain or shine, I could always be certain that Luciel would show up at one of my events, dressed to the nines and ready to dance the night away. To know her was to know pure joy and an unquenchable zest for life. 

Dear Luciel, thank you for all of the laughs and wonderful memories. Rest in power 

REMEMBERING SARAH B. WYNN
 

The losses felt in our community will never be forgotten. It is with a heavy heart that I share news of the passing of another daughter of the Bronx, Sarah B. Wynn. As we pause to honor Sarah’s legacy, we also send deepest condolences to all of her loved ones mourning her loss.

A memorial of her life will be held at Fellowship Covenant Church this Tuesday, January 16th at 11am, preceded by a viewing from 9:30-11am.

Rest in power, Sarah 

Visit our District Office at: 
1070 Southern Boulevard
Bronx, New York 10459
(718) 402-6130
salamanca@council.nyc.gov

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE URGES MAYOR TO READ THE ‘HOW MANY STOPS’ ACT AND THE NYPD PATROL GUIDE AMID MISINFORMATION

 

As misinformation continues to circulate about the ‘How Many Stops’ Act to provide basic policing transparency, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams today urged Mayor Adams and detractors of the legislation to read the text of the bill, which runs counter to the claims made in opposition. “The bill which the mayor and others have spoken out against bears no resemblance to the bill we actually passed,” said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. “This may be the most flagrant misinformation campaign I have seen from any administration in my time in office, misleading both the public and the police. I urge both the mayor and the public to read the actual text of the bill, which should correct what are at best misconceptions and at worst lies, which, unlike this basic transparency bill, will undermine public safety.” In particular, the Public Advocate highlighted specific language from the bill excluding the kind of casual interactions with the public from reporting requirements, contrary to the bad-faith attacks on the legislation. The bill reads: “Investigative encounter. The term “investigative encounter” means an interaction between a member of the department and a member of the public for a law enforcement or investigative purpose. The term does not include a casual conversation or interaction between a member of the department and a member of the public unless such conversation or interaction is based on or, in the course of such conversation or interaction, an officer develops: an objective credible reason to approach; a founded suspicion that such member of the public has engaged in or will engage in criminal activity; a reasonable suspicion that such member of the public has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a crime; or a reasonable cause to believe that an offense is being or has been committed.” Additionally, the Public Advocate pointed to language from the NYPD patrol guide which  indicates that officers should already be logging some information on Level 1 and 2 stops related to Body-Worn-Camera recordings, contradicting the hyperbolic statements about this level of reporting. The guide reads:

Intro 586-A and the other component of the ‘How Many Stops’ Act passed the City Council with a veto-proof majority last month. The information documented. through this bill is critical to prevent the practices that led to the abuse of stop, question, and frisk prior to passage of the Community Safety Act in 2013. The Public Advocate has repeatedly responded to the administration’s misinformation about the bill and its impact, while emphasizing that the priority should be collaborating on implementing this essential legislation.

DiNapoli Urges New Yorkers to Spend Holiday Gift Cards

 

Over $27 Million in Unused Gift Cards Recovered by DiNapoli’s Office in 2023

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli is urging New Yorkers to keep track of the gift cards they received during the holidays. Unused gift card balances can be turned over to the Comptroller’s Office of Unclaimed Funds (OUF) after five years of inactivity. In 2023, the Office recovered over $27 million from gift cards. For this reason, everyone should check for unclaimed funds.

“Many people don’t realize that after 5 years, unused gift card balances are turned over to the Comptroller’s Office of Unclaimed Funds,” DiNapoli said. “Now is a great time to check for unclaimed funds and use those gift cards you received over the holidays to avoid possible inactivity fees or having the money turned over to my office.”

Statewide, New York City residents are owed the most in unclaimed funds stemming from gift cards, totaling nearly $40 million, followed by Long Island residents at $10.8 million and Hudson Valley residents at $7.4 million.

DiNapoli’s office returns an average of $1.5 million in unclaimed funds every day and works with retailers to identify the owners of unused gift cards. Retailers can provide OUF with a name if the person registers the gift card online, if they have been issued a refund, or if the card was purchased with an existing store account. If the owner’s information is not known to a New York retailer, it will report the card details, such as card number and balance, which can be used by the recipient to claim the balance. The Comptroller’s office also sends letters to newly reported owners of unclaimed funds.

DiNapoli reminds gift card recipients to read the fine print on the card for details about any fees and expiration dates, and to consider registering the card with the retailer.

DiNapoli’s office has more than $18.4 billion in unclaimed funds.