COMPTROLLER STRINGER AUDIT UNCOVERS NYC BOARD OF ELECTIONS HAS NOT KEPT TRACK OF OVER 1,450 PIECES OF ELECTION & OFFICE EQUIPMENT

   A new audit released today by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer uncovered that the New York City Board of Elections (BOE) doesn’t have accurate records of over 1,450 pieces of election and office equipment, raising alarms that property could be stolen or go missing without anyone noticing. Without proper inventory controls, the BOE can’t guarantee that all election day materials will get to where they are intended and operations won’t be impeded.

“Just as the Board of Elections may have let thousands of voters slip through the cracks in the most recent election, they’ve bungled the job when it comes to keeping track of their electronic election and office equipment,” Comptroller Stringer said. “Every New Yorker deserves to have their voice heard at the polls and this equipment is essential to running elections smoothly and making sure that happens. Maintaining an accurate inventory is critical to transparency, integrity and accountability at any government agency, and on this count BOE is clearly absentee.”

The City’s inventory control guidelines require the BOE to register all of its equipment on inventory records. The Comptroller’s audit examined how well it is meeting these responsibilities, sampling 5,042 out of 11,146 total BOE items from July 1, 2013 through February 3, 2016. Auditors visited five locked warehouses maintained by the BOE, BOE’s main office in Manhattan and five borough offices.

Over 1,100 Pieces of Equipment not Properly Tagged and Identified

• Auditors discovered 1,176 items that had not been properly tagged with identification markings and asset control numbers, a significant lapse that leaves them vulnerable to theft or the possibility that voting operations may be hindered. These included 463 computers, 449 monitors, 23 laptops, 232 printers and 9 tablets.

Nearly 300 Pieces of Election and Office Equipment not on Inventory lists

• Items that aren’t listed on inventory records can disappear without being noticed. The audit uncovered 287 pieces of voting and office equipment, including 177 purchased since 2014, which were physically located at BOE facilities but weren’t listed on its current inventory records. These items included 45 computers, 127 monitors, 9 laptops, 85 printers, 5 tablets, 12 televisions and 4 voting machines.

Missing Monitors, Laptops and Printers

• Overall, auditors identified 11 missing items, including three monitors, two laptops, four printers, a tablet and a television set. When BOE was asked to locate these 11 items, officials said they would attempt to find them but as of the date of the final audit release, no information was forthcoming.

The Comptroller’s audit made a series of recommendations to BOE, including that they find missing items, maintain complete and accurate records, update its inventory records in real time, conduct an annual inventory of major electronic equipment, tag all of its property and ensure its inventory procedures follow City standards.

“New Yorkers demand that the BOE run elections accurately and efficiently and they also expect it to be able to keep track of the equipment it buys with taxpayer dollars. With three more elections this year there’s a lot of moving pieces to juggle. BOE must take steps now to assure New Yorkers that elections won’t be compromised by mismanagement and poor record-keeping,” Stringer said.

Audit Recommendations

The audit made the following eight recommendations that the BOE should:

• Ensure that all missing inventory items are located and accounted for.
• Maintain complete and accurate records of all equipment in accordance with DOI’s Standards for Inventory Control and Management and Comptroller’s Directive #1.
• Update its inventory records promptly and accurately when changes occur, including new purchases.
• Conduct an annual inventory count of all its major electronic equipment, ensuring that accurate information regarding all such items and their locations are properly recorded in BOE’s inventory records.
• Ensure that the annual inventory count of major electronic equipment is properly supervised.
• Affix proper identification tags marked “Property of the City of New York” to all electronic equipment items and include a sequential internal control number.
• Review and enhance its written inventory procedures and include all the requirements set forth by DOI’s Standards for Inventory Control and Management.
• Charge all office equipment purchases to the correct object code in accordance with Comptroller’s Directive #24, Agency Purchasing Procedures and Controls.

Agency Response

BOE generally agreed with the report’s findings and recommendations and described steps they have taken or will take to implement the report’s recommendations.  Further, BOE stated that   “The comptroller’s audit of Board of Elections in the City of New York (the ”Board”) inventory practices for office equipment and voting machines has been instructive and will aid in improving the Board’s inventory practice.  The Board has worked diligently and cooperatively with the Office of the Comptroller of the City of New York in completing this necessary and informative process.”

Man Pleads Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court For Threatening To Blow Up The Statue Of Liberty

   Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JASON PAUL SMITH pled guilty in Manhattan federal court today to communicating a hoax threat to bomb the Statue of Liberty that resulted in the evacuation of more than 3,200 people from Liberty Island in New York Harbor.  SMITH pled guilty to a one-count Indictment before U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick.

According to the criminal Complaint, Indictment, other documents filed in federal court, and statements made at various proceedings in this case, including today’s guilty plea:

On April 24, 2015, SMITH initiated a call to the emergency 911 system (the “911 Call”) from his iPad using a service that assists hearing-impaired individuals with making and receiving telephone calls (the “Service”).  In the 911 Call, SMITH identified himself as “Abdul Yasin,” described himself as an “ISI terrorist,” and threatened that “we” are preparing to “blow up” the Statue of Liberty.   

Law enforcement officers responded to the threat that SMITH conveyed in the 911 Call, and conducted a sweep of the areas in and around the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island with the aid of canine units trained to detect explosives.  Canine units alerted in the vicinity of the visitor lockers at the base of the Statue of Liberty, prompting law enforcement officers and emergency responders to evacuate the more than 3,200 people who were on Liberty Island at the time.  Later, the threat conveyed by SMITH was determined to be unfounded.

The iPad registered in SMITH’s name has used the Service to make other 911 calls, including at least two calls in May 2015 from a user who identified himself as “Isis allah Bomb maker” and who threatened to attack Times Square and kill police officers at the Brooklyn Bridge.

SMITH, 42, pled guilty to one count of conveying false and misleading information and hoaxes, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  The maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.  SMITH is scheduled to be sentenced on September 6, 2016, at 11:00 a.m., before Judge Broderick.           

Mr. Bharara praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (“FBI”) New York Joint Terrorism Task Force – which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department.  Mr. Bharara also thanked the United States Park Police for its assistance.

640 West 238th Street - The Windows of the A Line of the Apartment Building Next Door

  Unfortunately this was the best photo that I could get of the former windows of the bottom floor of the apartment building in which the 'A Line' of the Bonnie House have been closed off with cement blocks and cement. This A line was built to the property line of the Bonnie House where a one family house was set back from the sidewalk allowing for a lovely view and ventilation from the soon to be cemented windows.

   The building right next door which replaces the one family house will be eight stories tall (two more than its neighbor), and those windows you see will also have to be cemented over (after the air conditioners are removed) just like the bottom floor which no longer has windows facing 640 West 238th Street. 

   As you saw in previous posts on this blog it appears that the developer of 640 West 238th Street has no compassion for the community, and is only after making a quick buck. The fun will begin in two months on the corner of Blackstone Avenue and West 238th Street when the one family home with a nice size yard which included two (about) 75 tear old trees will have to be cut down. The garage of the Bonnie House at the corner of Blackstone Avenue and West 237th Street is to be demolished and an L-Shaped building constructed to the property line. Oh, did I forget to say that the Blackstone Avenue site is directly across from where Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz lives, and after he bought his coop the 18 story glass building the Solaria was built. This new building would be the second taller building across from his terrace of the assemblyman.

Daniel Johnson Stands in for BDCC Chair Jeffrey Dinowitz for Petition Class at NBDC

  It was billed as a petition gathering class that was to be taught by Bronx Democratic County Committee Chair and Neighboring Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. Because of the late session in Albany Assemblyman Dinowitz and Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj, as well as State Senator Jeff Klein were unable to make the petition class being held at the North Bronx Democratic Clubhouse on Williamsbridge Road. Therefore the President of the Ben Franklin Democratic Club Daniel Johnson was asked to give the petitioning class. Yuo can see how Mr. Johnson was going over all details of petitioning, and how to return the finished petitions. He also answered all questions that were asked of him. The room quickly filled up to over 50 NBDC club members as the photo above was taken as Mr. Johnson began his instructions.

Above - After he was finished Mr. Johnson looked to see if there was anything else that he had to go over for the start of petitioning.

Below - Justice Gonzalez was on hand to remind the NBDC club members that she is running for another ten year term, and there were two other first time judicial candidates also on hand who spoke to the club members.

Attempted Bank Robbery at Citibank in Skyview Shopping Center

Above - Two police cars sit in front of the Citibank in the Skyview Shopping Center where there was an attempted robbery late Saturday morning.

Below - You can see two police officers inside the locked Citibank, and a note taped on the window that the bank is closed, but no reason was given.

COMPTROLLER STRINGER AUDIT REVEALS ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN’S SERVICES ABDICATED OVERSIGHT ROLE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE PROGRAM, PUTTING YOUTHS AT RISK

ACS’s mismanagement of ‘Close to Home’ service providers has “betrayed the very children it is supposed to be serving,” 

   The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) did not ensure that adequate care and rehabilitation services were provided to youths in the Close to Home program, according to an audit released today by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. Close to Home takes a community-based approach to put youths on a path out of the criminal justice system, but ACS has abdicated its oversight of the program, failing to meet with children and parents or adequately monitor troubled providers, potentially putting hundreds of children at risk.

“Every child in the Close To Home program deserves a chance to get back on the right track, but the Administration for Children’s Services mismanagement and hands-off approach to oversight is robbing them of that opportunity,” Stringer said. “The leadership of ACS has abdicated its responsibility to provide oversight of this program by not holding Close to Home providers accountable. This agency must take immediate action to ensure these children get the services and care they need.”

The Administration of Children’s Services launched the Close to Home juvenile justice program in 2012 to place youths ages 7 to 15 years old who have been determined to be delinquent by  Family Court and who do not require a secure placement into residential care for rehabilitation. Placement in this program allows children to live in a home-like environment closer to their families and communities, instead of a detention center, to provide an easier transition back into society after treatment.

When a child is placed in the program, ACS evaluates his or her needs and assigns them to either a Non-Secure or Limited Secure Placement residence, usually for a stay of 6 or 7 months. In Non-Secure Placement sites, which house youth deemed lower-risk by Family Court, participants attend school, receive medical care or substance abuse services as needed, can regularly call or visit with family, and take part in recreational and cultural activities.

Although this program was intended to provide a community-based path toward rehabilitation for youths, a recent Department of Investigation report revealed significant safety and oversight issues with Close to Home providers. The Comptroller’s audit takes a comprehensive look at how ACS has failed to oversee this program from top to bottom.

Auditors focused on ACS’s oversight of its Non-Secure Placement vendor network during Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015. In this time period, 560 youths were transferred into the Close to Home program and $94.9 million was spent to house them at a cost of roughly $169,480 per participant. As of July 1, 2014, nine providers were contracted to provide services at 32 sites throughout the City.

While ACS is responsible for the safety and well-being of the youths in its care, the audit identified pervasive mismanagement that put these children at risk. Auditors found that ACS was not meeting with youths in the program, or with their families, to ensure they were getting the help they needed from the providers.

• Within the first week of entering a Close to Home provider residence, each child is supposed to receive a phone call from ACS. Auditors sampled the cases of nine children who were in the program for a total of 83 months and found that ACS could only prove that one child received that initial phone call.

• Each child is also supposed to have an in-person meeting with ACS within his or her first two weeks in the program, but auditors found that only 6 of 9 meetings took place.

• Within the first 60 days of in-take, parents or guardians are supposed to have an in-person meeting with ACS, but only 1 of 9 meetings occurred.

• Each child is supposed to have a monthly meeting with ACS to discuss their progress and ensure they are receiving proper care. However, ACS could not provide evidence that one-third of those mandatory meetings took place. When these meetings did occur, ACS often neglected to discuss serious incidents such as assaults, altercations, and AWOLs, as required.

• ACS policy also required staff to contact parents or guardians every month, but there was no evidence that 86% of these calls took place.

“When ACS doesn’t bother to meet with children or contact their parents, they’re telling these kids they don’t matter, and giving up on them before they even have a chance to turn their lives around,” Stringer said. “If ACS isn’t doing their job, they can’t know if the program is working for these kids, or if their living conditions are safe.”

In order to ensure that residences are safe and secure, ACS policy requires that each Close to Home site receive one announced and one unannounced site visit each year. During these visits, ACS is supposed to identify security issues, review incident logs, and assess how the program is working for youth at a given residence. Instead, auditors found:

• ACS does not track if and when site visits occur. It took ACS two months to provide auditors with a calendar of upcoming site visits, raising questions about whether such a calendar existed before it was requested.

• Two-thirds of Close to Home residences did not receive an unannounced site visit in 2014 and ACS failed to visit two sites operated by Children’s Village – Van Horn Cottage and Bayside Cottage – at all that year.

• When ACS did conduct site visits, they did not properly review program requirements to assess whether children were benefiting from the programs, attending school, working, or less likely to commit crimes in the future.

“By failing to conduct timely and consistent site visits, ACS is potentially putting these children directly in harm’s way. It’s outrageous that the City agency in charge of this program has no idea if windows are locked, children are behaving, or staff are doing their jobs. With children as young as seven years old in this program, it is unacceptable that no one can say definitively that these sites are safe,” Stringer said.

If ACS identifies consistent staffing, security, or operations issues with a provider that put children or the community at risk, that provider is placed on “heightened monitoring status.”  Providers who do not make required changes are then placed on “corrective action status.” Children who live at these sites are at an increased risk of not receiving services and being subjected to unsafe conditions. But the audit uncovered that:

• In April 2015, ACS told auditors that no Close To Home providers were on corrective action status, even though Boys Town – which ran six sites in Brooklyn and Queens – had been placed on corrective action status fifteen months earlier.

• ACS did not have an accurate list of all providers on heightened monitoring or corrective action status. When the auditors received the list, the agency excluded seven sites operated by the provider SCO in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, which were placed on heightened monitoring in 2013.

• ACS did not adequately track what steps providers on heightened monitoring or corrective action status were taking to correct problems, potentially leaving children at risk.

The Comptroller’s Office made fourteen recommendations to ACS, including that it periodically verify that children in the Close To Home program are receiving required services; develop a system so supervisors can ensure staff conduct required monthly face-to-face visits with children in Close To Home’s care, and make sure staff discuss incidents including assaults, altercations, and AWOLs during these meetings; ensure that site visits assess providers’ operations and verify if youth and communities actually benefit from the program; and make sure that corrective actions taken by providers on heightened monitoring and corrective action status are adequately tracked.

“ACS must take real responsibility and provide the necessary oversight to turn this program around. These are New York’s children, and we all have a stake in their future. Whether it’s the conditions of our homeless shelters for families, the resources missing from our classrooms, or the lack of services in our juvenile justice programs, we cannot and will not let our children suffer any longer,” Stringer said.

To view a copy of the audit report, please click here.

Statement From A.G. Schneiderman On Federal Recall Of Toys Found By His Office To Contain High Levels Of Lead

  “I applaud the Consumer Product Safety Commission for issuing a national recall of the Cra-Z-Art products containing high lead levels that my office found on store shelves in New York.  Manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers all have a responsibility to ensure that products intended for use by children are safe.  My office’s findings are symptomatic of a potentially larger problem with imported children’s products that still remains to be addressed.  For this reason, my office will continue its investigation into how these products breached the safety net that is supposed to protect our kids from exposure to unsafe levels of lead and other dangerous substances.  No parents should have to worry that a toy they buy will poison their child.”

  On April 22, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced that his office had discovered high lead levels in parts of several children’s Cra-Z-Art products supplied by LaRose Industries and sold in K-Mart, Target, and Toys-R-Us stores in several areas of New York. 

Tests commissioned by Attorney General Schneiderman’s office and performed by a CPSC-accepted laboratory revealed that the wristbands associated with several Cra-Z-Art children’s products contained lead at levels of 120 to 980 parts per million (ppm) – levels that are up to almost 10-times the 100 ppm limit established under the federal Consumer Product Safety Act for children’s products.

Based on these findings, Attorney General Schneiderman called on the CPSC to require a national recall of these products.  He also called on LaRose, K-Mart, Target, Toys-R-Us, and other retailers of Cra-Z-Art products in New York – including Amazon and Walmart – to immediately remove the products found to contain high lead levels, as well as any similar Cra-Z-Art products, from their shelves in this state.  

Attorney General Schneiderman has also launched an investigation to determine how these children’s products containing high lead levels reached store shelves in New York. The Attorney General is seeking information on companies’ internal practices and procedures for keeping toxic chemicals out of children’s products, and their compliance with state and federal laws governing the safety of children’s products.

WILLIAMS' STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF MUHAMMAD ALI

                      Muhammad Ali

Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, Deputy Leader and co-chair of the Council's Task Force to Combat Gun Violence issued the following statement after the death of Muhammad Ali last night at the age of 74. 

"Yesterday we lost a global legend. I am joined by millions of fans around the world in mourning the loss of Muhammad Ali. We all knew him as "The Greatest," and as a man who was not shy about voicing his opinions, no matter how controversial or out of sync "with the norm" it may have been. He was bold in everything he did, and did not compromise his beliefs for anyone, even if it meant paying a high price for it. These are traits that should be admired and duplicated by us all. He symbolized much more than a championship fighter; he embodied the spirit and perseverance of a true warrior, like so many that came out of the Civil Rights era. There will never be another force like him.

"His impact in and out of the boxing ring forever changed lives. He inspired people to believe they could make a difference, and he changed how the world viewed athletes and black men.

"My thoughts and prayers are with his family. Assalamualaikum - may peace be on your soul my brother."