MAYOR ADAMS DELIVERS PUBLIC SAFETY WINS FOR NEW YORKERS OVER FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE

 

Touts Double-Digit Decreases in Shootings and Homicides in 2022

Major Crime Down in November for First Time in 16 Months

 

November Also Saw Reduction in Subway Crimes

 

Corrections Facilities See Fewer Slashings and Increased Recovery of Contraband in Jails

 

More New Yorkers Being Educated About Fire Safety

 

Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities Down

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and senior leaders of the Adams administration’s public safety team today highlighted key public safety achievements made during Mayor Adams’ first year in office. While acknowledging that more work must be done to make all New Yorkers safe, Mayor Adams pointed to key indicators of progress, including double-digit decreases in shootings and homicides; a recent downtick in major crimes, both on the streets and in the subways; an increase in weapons found in jails; increasing fire safety training; and a reduction in pedestrian deaths; among other items.

 

“It’s been almost a year since I took office as mayor, and thanks to Deputy Mayor Banks, Police Commissioner Sewell, the multitude of commissioners in our administration focused on public safety, and all their teams, we are making our city safer every day,” said Mayor Adams. “Murders and shootings are down by double digits this year, and, more recently, major crimes are down both on the streets and in the subways. We’re also making great strides through all of our different public safety agencies. We knew these changes wouldn’t happen overnight, but, every day, we continue to dam the many rivers that feed the sea of violence in our city with investments in both intervention and prevention. We’ll continue to engage New Yorkers at every level on the issue of public safety and make sure 2023 is even safer.”

 

Gun Violence – During year one of the Adams administration, the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) strategies to address gun violence have had made a significant impact:

• 6,985 guns have been seized citywide, and gun arrests citywide are at a 27-year high;
• These seizures include 430 ghost guns, which marks a 73-percent increase compared with the same period in 2021 and is the highest number in city history; and
• Year to date, shootings have declined by 17.5 percent, and shooting victims have decreased by 16.5 percent, which means 302 fewer people have been victims of gun violence this year as compared to last year and that lives have been saved, families kept intact, and neighborhoods made safer across all five boroughs.

Subway Safety – In February, Mayor Adams announced phase 1 of his Subway Safety Plan to reduce crime in the subway system. In addition to efforts address transit crime, the administration made comprehensive investments to provide shelter to more than 3,000 New Yorkers experiencing homelessness in New York City subways. In October, Mayor Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a surge of 1,200 additional overtime NYPD shifts in New York City subways to increase patrols on platforms and trains each day. The NYPD alone has completed more than 1 million subway station inspections in 2022, resulting in real progress in the transit system, including:

• A 12.8-percent reduction in transit crime during the month of November;
• Over 27,200 people removed from the system for breaking transit rules; and
• Over 8,600 arrests in the subway system for breaking the law.

Neighborhood Safety Teams – The Neighborhood Safety Teams employ focused crime reduction strategies, precision policing, and enhanced supervision to effectively improve quality of life, increase trust, and reduce gun violence in New York City:

• Assigned to 30 commands and four public safety areas, the teams made more than 2,000 arrests in 2022 — including 494 gun arrests — and seized 414 guns.

Corrections – The New York City Department of Correction (DOC) has made significant progress addressing staff shortages and investing in its workforce, upgrading jails infrastructure, and taking steps to reduce violence behind bars:

• In January 2022, approximately 2,600 uniform staff were out sick. As of the end of November, DOC was averaging under 800 daily sick absences — an approximately 70-percent decrease.
• DOC staff have recovered more than 5,000 weapons and over 1,300 items of drug contraband year to date, resulting in safer jails. More weapons were recovered during the first 10 months of 2022 than in the yearly totals for each year between 2018 and 2021.
• DOC also launched a new tablet program for people in custody, providing them with access to a variety of free programming and services, including educational services, digital law library access, e-books, and the largest expansion of free phone accessibility in DOC history.
• In Fiscal Year 2023 to date, DOC has seen a decrease in slashings and stabbings by 5 percent department-wide and a 60-percent reduction at the Robert N. Davoren Center, which houses young adults.

Fire Safety and Emergency Management – In 2022, the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) made a concentrated effort to educate New Yorkers about fire safety and enhance emergency preparedness:

• FDNY trained more than 258,500 New Yorkers in fire safety education — including nearly 140,000 students — and held over 2,000 fire safety presentations.
• The city’s “Keeping Homes Fire Safe” campaign reached over 60,000 New Yorkers with life-saving fire safety information.
• FDNY distributed or installed more than 13,000 smoke alarms and trained more than 25,600 people in CPR training, including more than 7,000 high school students.
• New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) signed up 1 million New Yorkers for emergency alerts from Notify NYC in 13 languages and doubled the number of grassroots emergency networks that completed NYCEM’s Strengthening Community program.

Traffic Safety – New York City is reducing traffic violence — bucking trends being experienced in the rest of the nation, which has seen pedestrian fatality rates reach a four-decade high:

• In partnership with New York State, 24/7 speed camera operations began in August 2022 and are already having a dramatic effect — reducing speeding in camera zones by 25 percent.
• In August, cameras recorded more than 755,000 speeding violations — a number that has continued to drop month after month, with approximately 661,000 violations in September, 586,000 in October, and 565,000 in November.
• New York City is on pace to end this year with fewer traffic fatalities, stopping the rise in traffic fatalities that began in 2019. Pedestrian deaths are down 7.5 percent this year, with the current total the third lowest in the city’s recorded history. Overall traffic fatalities are also down 7.6 percent from 2021.

“We call it the ‘public safety ecosystem’ – all of the city’s public safety agencies are working together as one toward our common goal of keeping New York City safe,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III. “Each piece of that puzzle is critical to the health of the entire system. While there is certainly more work to be done, the results are clear that this strategy is working. Making sure the public feels safe and is safe remains our top priority, and we will continue to tackle public safety challenges head-on in a comprehensive way to protect New Yorkers.”

 

“The NYPD is confident about the future of our department, our city, and all the people we serve,” said NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “Our team is in place; we are forward-facing, innovative, and prepared for success in 2023 and beyond. This is our opportunity to work even harder to rise, meet, and overcome every challenge — because the women and men of the NYPD will never stop fighting for New Yorkers.”

 

“Fire safety education is critical to public safety in our city,” said FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh. “Our members engage with every neighborhood, working with schools, community groups, religious leaders, elected officials, and our fellow city agencies to distribute and install smoke alarms and bring lifesaving information in multiple languages to New Yorkers. We are pleased to stand with Mayor Adams to spread the message of fire safety to all New Yorkers.”

 

“We are proud of the work we have done so far in the first year of the Adams administration,” said DOC Commissioner Louis A. Molina. “We are working every day to rebuild our agency from decades of neglect and create a sustainable, safer, and more humane correctional system for everyone who works and lives here. We will continue to use a commonsense approach to implement best correctional practices to ‘Get Stuff Done,’ and we thank Mayor Adams for his unwavering support and leadership.”

 

“Throughout the year, the Sheriff’s Office led several new public safety initiatives to address community concerns and take significant action against a host of illegal activities,” said New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda. “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, we are removing ghost cars and vehicles with illegal paper license plates from our streets, we are preventing ghost guns from spreading violence in our communities, and we are taking new enforcement actions to address illegal businesses that are creating a public safety and public health crisis by selling dangerous and unregulated products. We will continue to work tirelessly in the new year to build upon these efforts and more in order to fulfill the mayor’s vision for a safer city.”

 

“Public safety and emergency preparedness go hand in hand when it comes to educating New Yorkers on how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies,” said NYCEM Commissioner Zach Iscol. “One of our core missions is to provide New Yorkers with information and resources for emergencies, no matter what the hazard. Under the umbrella of Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, we have increased our outreach through programs such as Notify NYC and Strengthening Communities, which supports local volunteer networks because public safety cannot thrive without community support.”

 

“Mayor Adams has said that traffic safety is public safety, and we have strong evidence this year that this administration’s Vision Zero priorities — in enforcement, education, and street redesign — made a difference and saved lives,” said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “While one fatality is one too many, we can be grateful that fatalities have declined overall and that we are defying national trends with the near-lowest levels of pedestrian fatalities in the city’s history. This is, at least in part, due to our success in securing 24/7 speed camera operation — driving an incredible 25-percent decrease in speeding citywide since that critical new law took effect in August.”

 

“Under Mayor Adams’ leadership, we have strengthened citywide collaboration between the courts, prosecutors, indigent defense providers, and our extensive network of external partners that provide vital services to all New Yorkers impacted by the criminal justice system,” said Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice Director Deanna Logan. “This collaboration resulted in the announcements from the mayor today but also a significant number of individuals seeing their criminal cases resolved, such that we are ending this year with fewer cases than last year pending in the courts despite a 12-percent increase in new cases filed. We look forward to continuing this collaboration in 2023 and working with our partners on public safety solutions that result in healthier communities, enhanced fairness, and a safer city for all New Yorkers.”

 

Mayor Adams today provided a preview of plans to announce additional strategies for improving public safety in the weeks ahead, including in his upcoming State of the City address next year:

• The NYPD will be expanding Neighborhood Safety Teams to additional neighborhoods, while some commands that have higher gun violence levels will receive additional teams to supplement their current deployment;
• Holding citywide CompStat Community Forums that connect the NYPD with members of the communities they serve to review community-specific crime trends and quality of life concerns and collaboratively identify solutions to keep New York City communities safe;
• Expanding Community Response Teams to the borough level to address quality-of-life conditions, such as ghost cars and illegal paper plates, illegal street racing, ATV and dirt bike use on city streets, and towing operations against illegal cannabis vendors; and
• Working with Albany to increase accountability for repeat dangerous drivers and make it easier to take them off the roads.

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

 

Dear Neighbor,

 

Thank you for joining us for another week in review.

Yesterday, my colleagues Mayor Eric Adams and Congressman Ritchie Torres kicked-off a two-year study that will re-imagine the Cross-Bronx Expressway (CBE). The study, expected to be completed in 2024, will engage community groups to reimagine the expressway and neighborhoods along the Cross Bronx corridor from the Harlem River to the Hutchinson River Parkway. 

The Cross-Bronx Expressway has contributed to decades of ruination, disinvestment and health inequities in our Borough. When it was constructed in 1948, it bulldozed several major Bronx neighborhoods and the end result was a fractured Borough, dense air pollution and much more.

I want to thank my colleagues in government who continue to push for equity and justice for our residents and families.

 

Last week, we celebrated the holiday season with our Veterans Toy Giveaway at the Bronx Zoo. Thank you to our partners who helped make this event possible. Our Veterans and their families sacrifice so much for our nation. In this season of celebration, we give back to them in appreciation for all they have done for us.

 

The holiday festivities will continue in the coming days with our Bronx Chanukah Celebration on Wednesday, December 21st from 10AM-11AM at the Riverdale Y. Join us as we light the menorah, sing songs and gather in celebration. 

 

Lastly, as we gear up for the holiday season, we encourage everyone to be safe. COVID-19, RSV and flu cases are on the rise. If you have not done so already, get your booster shot and get tested for COVID-19 before gathering with friends and family. Vaccinations save lives and can also keep your loved ones safe. 

 

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

Allow me to introduce The Bronx Tourism Council’s new Executive Director, Sulma Arzu-Brown!

Sulma is the former Director of Operations with the New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of the Garífuna Coalition. She’s also the author of the award-winning books, “Bad Hair Does Not Exist! Pelo Malo No Existe!” and “My Hair Comes with Me - Shifting the Paradigm of What Success Looks Like!”

We are so blessed to have Sulma join us as we create a new vision for tourism in our borough. Welcome to the Team!

Watch the BronxNet interview, here.

Attorney General James Announces Plan to Preserve and Revitalize the American Irish Historical Society

 

Organization Will Appoint an Interim Executive Director and Interim Board of Directors to Oversee Financial Revitalization, Will Maintain Ownership of Fifth Avenue Townhouse

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a plan to revitalize the American Irish Historical Society (AIHS) and preserve the organization’s historic townhouse headquarters in New York City. The AIHS had fallen into financial hardship which was only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and beginning in March 2021, the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Charities Bureau worked with AIHS to develop a financial plan to preserve the nonprofit organization. As part of that plan, a new interim Executive Director and interim Board of Directors were appointed to guide AIHS through a six-month period of transition. In addition, the Consulate General of Ireland in New York (Consulate General of Ireland) has agreed to support the transition to a new governance structure during this period.

The new interim leadership will work with OAG and members of the American Irish community, supported by the Consulate General of Ireland, to revitalize AIHS and provide a transparent process for the selection of a new permanent board.

“Irish Americans have contributed so much to New York’s past and present,” said Attorney General James. “For decades, the American Irish Historical Society has been a home for the Irish American community to celebrate and honor their culture and traditions. The new interim Executive Director and Board of Directors will bring critical oversight to help restore this important organization and ensure it thrives for generations to come.”

The AIHS was founded in 1897. In 1940, AIHS purchased a townhouse on Fifth Avenue, which has since served as the organization’s headquarters and represents its primary asset.

In the spring of 2021, AIHS was in poor financial and operational condition that had been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior leadership had listed the townhouse headquarters for sale, intending to use the proceeds to address the organization’s financial obligations. As the regulatory body overseeing charities in New York, OAG is responsible for reviewing the sale of any property owned by a charity. Following the news that the townhouse was up for sale, OAG received a petition with more than 40,000 signatures opposing the sale, many citing the townhouse’s central importance to both the organization and the community. The OAG and AIHS then began working together on a restructuring plan to allow AIHS to keep the townhouse headquarters and continue serving the Irish and Irish American communities.

Under the leadership of the new interim Executive Director and Board of Directors and with oversight from OAG, AIHS will enter a six-month period of transition and revitalization. This period will include an open and transparent selection process to appoint a permanent board, which will stabilize the organization and safeguard its assets. Once selected, the permanent board will work with OAG and other stakeholders, including the Consulate General of Ireland, to develop a strategic plan for the future of AIHS.

The members of the interim leadership team for the transition period are:

•   John Keefe, an expert in nonprofit rehabilitation, as interim Executive Director;
•   Elizabeth Stack, Executive Director of the Irish American Heritage Museum in Albany, New York and former Associate Director of the Fordham University Center for Irish Studies, as an interim member of the Board of Directors;
•   John MacIntosh, Managing Partner at SeaChange Capital Partners, an organization that helps nonprofits work through complex challenges, as an interim member of the Board of Directors; and
•   Gregory P. Pressman, Of Counsel at Schulte Roth and Zabel, as an interim member of the Board of Directors.

The interim members of the Board of Directors are serving in a voluntary capacity without compensation.

The OAG thanks the Consulate General of Ireland, SeaChange Capital Partners, and the interim members of the Board of Directors for their support and cooperation. Additional thanks to Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP for providing pro bono legal representation to AIHS.

Immigration Attorney And CEO Of Immigration Services Company Convicted At Trial Of Conspiring To Commit Immigration Fraud

 

Defendants Prepared Fraudulent Asylum Affidavits and Coached Clients to Lie Under Oath During Immigration Proceedings

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ULADZIMIR DANSKOI, the CEO of an immigration services firm, and JULIA GREENBERG, an immigration attorney, were found guilty yesterday in Manhattan federal court of conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit immigration fraud following a two-week trial before United States District Judge J. Paul Oetken.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Asylum is an incredibly important benefit designed to protect the world’s most vulnerable people.  The defendants, a CEO of an immigration services firm with offices in both Manhattan and Brooklyn and a licensed attorney, exploited that system for financial gain by knowingly peddling false claims and coaching clients to lie under oath.  A unanimous jury convicted them both for these crimes.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment and evidence presented at trial:

A New York City immigration services firm, “Russian America,” worked with clients – primarily aliens from Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States – seeking visas, asylum, citizenship, and other forms of legal status in the United States.  Among other things, Russian America advised certain of their clients in the manner in which they were most likely to obtain asylum in this country, fully understanding that those clients did not legitimately qualify for asylum.  The firm also prepared and submitted to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) clients’ fraudulent asylum application documents and affidavits,  often including fraudulent allegations of past persecution.  Members and associates of the firm also coached certain clients to lie under oath during interviews conducted by USCIS Asylum Officers and provided legal representation to their clients during various immigration proceedings.

ULADZIMIR DANSKOI and previously convicted codefendant Yury Mosha operated and maintained Russian America’s Brooklyn and Manhattan offices, respectively.  Each advised and aided their clients to seek asylum under fraudulent pretenses.  Among other things, DANSKOI advised a client, a confidential FBI source (the “Source”), to seek asylum on the fraudulent basis that the client was persecuted in Ukraine for being a gay male, when in fact DANSKOI fully understood that the Source was a heterosexual male who suffered no such persecution.  DANSKOI submitted the Source’s fraudulent asylum application and Affidavit, filed under penalty of perjury, to USCIS.

Meanwhile, Mosha encouraged a second client, a Government cooperator (the “Cooperator”), to establish and maintain online blogs that were critical of the client’s home country as a way to generate a false claim that, based on the client’s invented political opinion, it was unsafe for him to return to his native country.  Mosha also personally prepared and submitted the Cooperator’s asylum application, Affidavit, and related paperwork under penalty of perjury, knowing that these documents contained material falsehoods. 

When the Source and Cooperator needed to prepare for an interview, conducted under oath by a USCIS asylum officer, DANSKOI and Mosha connected each to JULIA GREENBERG, a New York immigration attorney, who coached both clients to lie to Asylum Officers and provided legal representation to these clients during immigration proceedings.  For example, GREENBERG, understanding that the Source was a heterosexual male who did not suffer persecution in his home country, prepared the Source for questioning by an Asylum Officer, advised the Source how to falsely answer certain anticipated questions from the Asylum Officer, and instructed the Source to dress and change the Source’s appearance in a manner that comported with GREENBERG’s vision of a gay male.

DANSKOI and Mosha also agreed to help certain Russian America clients obtain employment visas by creating fake leases and staging offices to create the impression to USCIS that these clients had legitimate jobs waiting for them in the United States.

DANSKOI, 55, and GREENBERG, 42, each originally from Belarus and currently residing in Staten Island, New York, were convicted of one count of conspiring to defraud the United States and conspiring to commit immigration fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and USCIS’s New York Asylum Office and Fraud Detection and National Security Unit.  Mr. Williams also thanked United States Customs and Border Protection for its assistance.

MAYOR ADAMS AND CHANCELLOR BANKS ANNOUNCE EXPANSION OF CAFETERIA ENHANCEMENT EXPERIENCE

CEE Initiative Will Transform More Than 80 School Cafeterias in the Next Year

 

City Also Announces Commitment to Expanding Access to Halal Food in Schools, Fulfilling Key Commitment From Mayor Adams

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Education Chancellor David C. Banks today announced the expansion of the Cafeteria Enhancement Experience (CEE), as part of the city’s reimagining of the student dining experience and city’s ongoing commitment to health and nutrition. With an additional $50 million in capital funding in Fiscal Year 2023, the CEE initiative will transform more than 80 cafeterias into warm and welcoming spaces for students to enjoy nutritious meals.

 

Today’s announcement also included a doubling down of the city’s commitment to expanding access to halal options to schools across New York City, fulfilling a key commitment of Mayor Adams. If any school communities are interested in an extended halal menu, their school principal will work with the entire school community and the Islamic Leadership Council of New York to add the service to the respective site.

 

“The classroom isn’t the only place in a school building where a child learns. After two years of the pandemic, we realize how important it is for students to be able to socialize and interact with each other in a comfortable setting over a healthy, culturally appropriate meal,” said Mayor Adams. “That’s why we are proud to announce a $50 million investment this school year to upgrade more than 80 lunchrooms under the Cafeteria Enhancement Experience and double down on our commitment to providing halal options for all schools who want them. This is just another step we’re taking to ensure our schools are places where every child feels seen and heard — where all children, no matter their background or ability, can learn inside and outside of the classroom, and grow into well-rounded and emotionally secure adults. I’m grateful to our school communities, food service workers, and all the New Yorkers working to feed, nurture, and take care of every one of our kids.”

 

“Each day, hundreds of thousands of students rely on schools to provide nourishing and nutritious meals. When our students are well fed and taken care of, they perform better in the classroom and are more likely to make healthy decisions later in life, which is why it is so important that our cafeterias are welcoming environments,” said Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. “The Cafeteria Enhancement Experience transforms the student dining experience, turning cafeterias into gathering places for our students, and I’m grateful even more of our students will have the chance to enjoy these spaces in the coming year.”

 

“Creating a food environment that is culturally inclusive and easier for students to make a healthy choice is a major responsibility of the city,” said Mayor’s Office of Food Policy Executive Director Kate MacKenzie. “The Cafeteria Enhancement Experience stimulates meal participation and leads to greater consumption of fruits and vegetables. I look forward to the continued equitable expansion of this program to ensure our kids are provided with nutritious meals to support academic success.”

 

The Cafeteria Enhancement Experience initiative is centered around four core pillars:

1. Student choice: Enhanced cafeterias feature a variety of ways to consume whole fruits, vegetables, snacks, or fresh-cut produce from salad bars.
2. Fast service: Students won’t have to wait on line for meals, leaving more time to relax and unwind with classmates.
3. Modern style: The CEE initiative redesigns cafeteria with an emphasis on creating a warm and welcoming environment.
4. New furniture: Comfortable tables and chairs welcome students to their new space.

Middle and high schools that receive a cafeteria enhancement are identified by a range of factors, including enrollment and participation at that site, with an emphasis on schools in neighborhoods disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and older school buildings. Design decisions regarding the cafeteria redesigns are made in partnership with individual school leadership. 

“New York City students deserve to enjoy fresh food and nourishing meals every day,” said New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “As a city, we also have a responsibility to provide culturally and religiously appropriate food, including kosher and halal meals, in schools where there is need. This announcement of the expanded Cafeteria Enhancement Experience is welcome news and an important step towards creating learning and social environments that benefit all students.” 

CONSUMER ALERT: NYS DIVISION OF CONSUMER PROTECTION PROVIDES TIPS TO HELP CONSUMERS NAVIGATE THE HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON

  

Understand The Difference Between Warranties and Service Contracts, and Know What to Look for Before Making Big Purchases 

Secretary Of State Robert Rodriguez, “As the holiday shopping season comes to a close, it’s important for shoppers to stay informed and make smart, safe decisions, especially when making big purchases.” 

As the final part of its five-part consumer alert holiday series, the Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) reminds shoppers of New York State laws regarding warranties and service contracts so consumers can make informed decisions about holiday purchases. To avoid surprises, DCP recommends that consumers understand what to look for when reviewing warranties and service contracts.

“As the holiday shopping season comes to a close, it’s important for shoppers to stay informed and make smart, safe decisions, especially when making big purchases,” said New York Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez. “To be sure you’re getting what you pay for, I urge all New Yorkers to pay close attention to any warranties or available service contracts that are offered when spending your hard-earned money.”

It’s important that consumers pay attention to warranties and service contracts when making large purchases. To help understand your options, DCP offers the following tips: 

Know the Difference Between Warranties and Service Contracts: Warranties and service contracts are often confused in the marketplace so it’s important to know the difference between the two. Warranties are provided by the manufacturer and are included in the price of a purchase, whereas service contracts are a separate cost. Don’t pay for a service contract for repairs that may be covered under an included warranty and always read the terms and conditions to understand what is covered before you buy.

Warranty: A warranty is a promise to the consumer that the product purchased, or service provided, will meet certain quality standards. A warranty is a promise to provide repair, maintenance, replacement or refund of a product for a certain time period if these certain quality standards are not met. Under New York Law, warranties may be made orally, in writing and even by implication without any verbal statement. However, proving a warranty was made is always easier with proper documentation. An express warranty is one that is written in the product warranty, while an implied warranty is a legally enforceable promise that something will work as intended. 

Service Contracts: Some products, such as automobiles and appliances, are often sold with an optional service contract. Although often referred to as an “extended warranty,” a service contract is not a warranty. Service contracts are contracts to perform repairs or maintenance on a product.

Consumers are encouraged to understand what is already covered in the warranty before purchasing a separate service contract. To determine whether you need a service contract, consider the following:

• whether the warranty already covers repairs for the time period of coverage offered under the service contract;
• whether the product is likely to need repairs and the potential costs of such repairs;
• the duration of the service contract; and
• the reputation of the company offering the service contract.

Unlike a warranty, service contracts are not included in the price of the purchase. If a warranty is already provided and covers repairs, you may be paying extra for a largely unnecessary service contract, particularly if the service contract is limited to repair of defects.

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection provides resources and education materials to consumers on product safety, as well as voluntary mediation services between consumers and businesses. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumer-protection.

For more consumer protection tips, follow the Division on social media at Twitter: @NYSConsumer and Facebook: www.facebook.com/nysconsumer

State Labor Department Releases Preliminary November 2022 Area Unemployment Rates

 

The New York State Department of Labor today released preliminary local area unemployment rates for November 2022. Rates are calculated using methods prescribed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The State’s area unemployment rates rely in part on the results of the Current Population Survey, which contacts approximately 3,100 households in New York State each month. To recap last week’s statewide press release, New York State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment held constant at 4.3% in November 2022.

Local Area Unemployment Rates*(%)
November 2021 and November 2022
(Not seasonally adjusted)

The data in the preceding table are not seasonally adjusted, which means they reflect seasonal influences (e.g., holiday and summer hires). Therefore, the most valid comparisons with this type of data are year-to-year comparisons of the same month, for example, November 2021 versus November 2022. Labor force data for the current month are preliminary and subject to revision as more information becomes available the following month. Revised estimates for prior months are available at: https://dol.ny.gov/local-area-unemployment-statistics

Labor force statistics, including the unemployment rate, for New York and every other state are based on statistical regression models specified by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These are the most up-to-date estimates of persons employed and unemployed by place of residence. Estimates are available for New York State, labor market regions, metropolitan areas, counties and municipalities with population of at least 25,000.

Unemployment Rates By County,
New York State,
November 2022

Jobs and Unemployment Fact Sheet

This fact sheet conveys important technical information that will contribute to a better understanding of labor force data (“household survey”), including resident employment/unemployment rates, and jobs by industry data (“business survey”), which are presented in the New York State Department of Labor’s monthly press release.

State Unemployment Rates Based on Regression Model

Beginning with data for January 1996, unemployment rates for New York State and all other states (as well as New York City and the City of Los Angeles) have been estimated using time-series regression statistical models developed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Advantage of Regression Model

Use of a time-series regression model reduces the month-to-month variation in unemployment rates and resident employment by reducing variation caused by sampling errors and other components of statistical noise (irregularities).

Benchmarking of Estimates

Once each year, labor force estimates, such as civilian labor force and the unemployment rate, are revised to reflect updated input data including new Census Bureau populations controls, newly revised establishment jobs data and new state-level annual average data from the Current Population Survey (CPS). As part of this procedure, all state figures are reviewed, revised as necessary and then re-estimated. This process is commonly referred to as “benchmarking.”

Changes in Methodology

Labor force estimates are now produced with an improved time-series regression model, which utilizes “real-time” benchmarking. “Real-time” benchmarking reduces end-of-year revisions, which also means that major economic events will be reflected in a more timely manner in state labor force estimates.

In addition, the new methodology includes an updated way of estimating for sub-state areas (e.g. counties, metro areas) the number of unemployed who are new entrants or re-entrants into the labor force. This change in methodology will result in lower unemployment rates in some areas and increased rates in others.

Unemployed and UI Beneficiaries

The estimate of the number of unemployed includes all persons who had no employment during the reference week (the week including the 12th of the month), were available for work, except for temporary illness, and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the 4-week period ending with the reference week. Unemployment insurance (UI) beneficiaries include those who apply for and qualify for UI benefits. Consequently, the estimate of the number of unemployed and the number of UI beneficiaries do not necessarily move in tandem.

Jobs Data

Jobs data are obtained from a separate joint federal-state survey of business establishments. The survey, called the Current Employment Statistics of Establishments, has a sample size of 18,000 establishments in New York State. It excludes self-employed workers, agricultural workers, unpaid family workers and domestic workers employed by private households. This data represents a count of jobs by place of work. Data for each month is revised the following month as more complete information becomes available.

Governor Hochul Announces Completion of First Phase of $10 Million ConnectALL Pilot Initiative Bringing Affordable Broadband Internet Access to Rural Communities

 

New York Power Authority Transmission System Enables Access to High-Speed Internet for More Than 2,000 Residents and Businesses in the Village of Sherburne and Town of Nichols

View Video of ConnectALL and Sherburne's Progress Here

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced completion of New York's first ever municipal broadband network as a major milestone for the state's ConnectALL program. The network is the first phase of the ConnectALL 21st Century Municipal Infrastructure pilot program, which began in May using fiber optic infrastructure on the New York Power Authority's existing transmission system and is ahead of schedule due to NYPA and the Village of Sherburne and Town of Nichols optimizing implementation plans.      

"Broadband connectivity has become as vital a service as electricity and water and New York State is determined to make sure that no citizen is without access," Governor Hochul said. "The collaboration among our federal, state and non-profit partners has been critical to the ConnectALL program's rapid progress and deployment and we are looking ahead to expanding the program even further in the new year."        

The $10 million, four-municipality pilot project has completed construction enabling reliable, high-speed internet access to more than 2,000 previously unserved or underserved households and business customers. In addition to the completed network in the Village of Sherburne, Chenango County, construction is rapidly progressing in the Town of Nichols, Tioga County. The pilot program, which kicked off in May, is part of the $1 billion ConnectALL initiative, announced in Governor Hochul's 2022 State of the State address—the largest public investment in broadband in the state's history that aims to transform New York's digital infrastructure and expand broadband access, affordability and equity statewide using public and private investments.    

In addition to the Village of Sherburne and the Town of Nichols, the pilot program is building fiber optic infrastructure in the Town of Diana in Lewis County and the Town of Pitcairn in St. Lawrence County.

NYPA is managing the broadband deployment in the four locations leveraging its existing fiber optic infrastructure for the "middle mile," as authorized by the state legislature in April. Sherburne Electric, Development Authority of the North Country, and Southern Tier Network are partnering on the last mile broadband infrastructure. Private internet service providers are using the public infrastructure to deliver internet service to residents. The new customers in Sherburne are paying approximately $40 per month for service, well below the average price for broadband in Chenango County, based on the Department of Public Service's Regional 2022 Survey of Internet Service Pricing.       

New York Power Authority Interim President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, "As a public utility, NYPA's transmission network is serving double duty helping to improve access to broadband service to remote communities in New York while delivering energy. We are working with our customers, state partners and broadband providers across the state to help bridge the digital divide and create greater equality among urban and rural communities. I am extremely proud of the progress New York is making on the delivery of this essential service and of NYPA's integral role in this innovative program."   

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "It is essential that we work together to close the remaining digital gaps, especially in the rural areas of the State. Connecting all New Yorkers to reliable and affordable internet requires innovative solutions and this pilot program is one way we are working with our government partners on every level to get the job done."   

Today's announcement continues the progress of the ConnectALL Office, including:       

New York's First Funding Awards under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act   

New York State's ConnectALL office has been awarded $7.2 million through the U.S. Department of Commerce's Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment and Digital Equity Act programs. Over the coming months, ConnectALL will use these funds to engage New Yorkers across the state to produce comprehensive statewide broadband deployment and digital equity plans. These plans will provide the roadmap for the state's utilization of state and federal funds to close New York State's remaining digital divide.       

Launching the Broadband Assessment Program and Interactive Broadband Map   

ConnectALL is mobilizing state resources, local and regional government partners, and the public to challenge inaccuracies in the Federal Communication Commission's National Broadband Map, which will inform the state's final allocation of funding from IIJA. ConnectALL recently submitted a challenge of more than 31,000 New York addresses that were not included in the federal map, drawing on data from the state's first ever, in-depth, interactive broadband map produced by the Department of Public Service.   

Promotion of the Affordable Connectivity Program Consumer Broadband Subsidy   

Governor Hochul recently announced that over 1 million New York households have subscribed to the program, thanks in large part to an ongoing, multi-agency and grassroots effort to build awareness of the opportunity for a $30-a-month broadband subsidy for low-income households.   

For more information and updates on ConnectALL, please visit www.broadband.ny.gov.