Senator Klein Unveils Bill to Protect Community, Law Enforcement, From Dangerous Mentally Ill Individuals 

 Measure to Give Law Enforcement Info to Diffuse Violent Encounters, Prevent Tragedy

Senator Jeffrey D. Klein, (D-Bronx/ Westchester), was joined by Morris Park community leaders to announce important new legislation to protect residents help law enforcement officers diffuse potentially dangerous situations with mentally ill individuals.

This change would give law enforcement the information they need to plan for potentially violent encounters with these patients and avoid tragedies like the March 21 incident at 1545 Rhinelander Ave. In that incident, a mentally disturbed man was fatally shot by police after he threatened his roommate and lunged at officers with a knife. The man had a history of mental health-related violence and 16 prior arrests – information that responding officers did not have at the time.

“This type of red tape is literally putting people's lives at risk,” Senator Klein said. “We need to make sure that police have the information they need to better protect themselves, as well as innocent bystanders and even the mentally ill aggressors in these dangerous situations. My common sense legislation will do just that by breaking down bureaucratic barriers, while also respecting the privacy of these individuals.”

The legislation, (S.5871), would require service providers who place mentally ill individuals in residential housing to alert law enforcement agencies if these clients have a history of violence, or are deemed likely to cause physical harm to others. Having this information beforehand will allow police to alter tactics, including employing the use mental health professionals, while responding to a call with a violent, mentally ill individual.

Currently, these providers have no such obligation and have been resistant in sharing this information.

After the Rhinelander Avenue incident, it became clear that services providers have placed multiple clients at the building, which has resulted in many dangerous encounters and complaints from other building residents. As of last week, police have been forced to respond to the building 61 times this year, and have made five arrests of emotionally disturbed people. Last year, 111 calls to 911 were made in reference to 1545 Rhinelander.

"This legislation is sorely needed as this location has been a problem in the community for some years,” said Al D'Angelo, President of the Morris Park Community Association. “The safety of our police is paramount, this will help to alleviate the unknowns they face."

This legislation applies to organizations that operate community residences, or place persons with a mental illness or a developmental disability in residential apartment buildings containing 15, or more, units. They would be required to provide written notice to local law enforcement agencies that a resident under their supervision has been certified by a mental health professional as either likely to cause physical harm to other persons, or likely to cause harm to others if he or she ceases to undergo necessary treatments, or therapies.

Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera, (D-Bronx), has agreed to carry this legislation in the the Assembly.

Joe Thompson, 49th Precinct Community Council President, said: "All you need is for bad guys to win is for good guys to do nothing.' This is a case when the good guys did something. The community saw the problem, the 49th Precinct noticed a deficiency in the law and Senator Klein worked with Deputy Inspector Nicholson to introduce new legislation to act on the problem." 

Bobby Ruggerio, President of the Morris Park Merchants Alliance, said: "In order for our businesses to thrive a community must be a safe and welcoming place. This legislation will assist us in doing just that."

  

Senator Rivera Hosts Bronx CAN Health Initiative Check-In Focused on Physical Fitness and Exercise

   Senator Gustavo Rivera (33rd State Senate District) is hosting the second Bronx CAN Health Initiative Check-In focused exercise and physical fitness at St. James Park Recreation Center. The event will include a health fair with Bronx CAN Health community partners, the opportunity for Bronxites to discuss their exercise regimen with physical fitness experts as well as a free Zumba class. Participants will also be given “Green Bucks” to be used at a participating NYC Green Cart outside St. James Park Recreation Center.

   Saturday, August 20, 2011 from 2:00pm-3:00pm 

    St. James Park Recreation Center – 2530 Jerome Ave. 

State Audit Socks Port Authority On Overtime

 

  Celeste Katz of the Daily News has the story that The PA paid nearly $86 million in overtime to workers last year, according to an audit DiNapoli released today.  This all comes on the heels of a significant toll hike proposal by the Port Authority. 

  “Before the Port Authority asks for more money to fund its operations, the agency should take a long, hard look at whether its business model for managing overtime really makes sense,” DiNapoli Said. In 2009, 281 employees made more than $50,000 in overtime - and 18 raked in more than $100,000 in pay for extra hours, the report states. One employee earned a base salary of $107,878 and made an additional $153,530 in overtime, an average of 34 hours per week of overtime. 

  To see the entire Daily News article including the 32 page State Comptroller report you can go here. 

COMPTROLLER LIU CALLS FOR POSTPONEMENT OF PEP / VERIZON VOTE

  City Comptroller John C. Liu issued the following statement in response to questions about tonight’s Panel for Educational Policy vote:

 
“The members of the Panel for Educational Policy should act appropriately and postpone the vote to allow the DOE to pay Verizon $120 million until a resolution is reached in the company’s ongoing labor dispute. Now is not the time to fund new projects, especially as thousands of New Yorkers and their families are in danger of losing their benefits. No City agency should take sides in a disagreement between labor and management, and a ‘yes’ vote would equate to a validation of Verizon’s demands. Instead, the suitable action would be to wait until an agreement is reached. My office remains available to assist both sides in any way possible.” 

NOTE: In May, Comptroller Liu registered a contract between the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications and Telesector Resources Group, Inc. (a Verizon subsidiary) to provide citywide landline and voicemail services as part of an agency-wide consolidation effort.

The contract is valued at $175 million and specified that DoITT was the lead agency, with a number of additional city agencies able to utilize Telesector services. Today, the NYC Panel for Education Policy is set to vote to allow DOE to allocate $120 million to Telesector, while an ongoing labor dispute is taking place.

  

ORLANDO Marín CONFIRMED AS BRONX

REP TO CITY PLANNING COMMISSION

“Orlando Marín has the right combination of experience and knowledge to represent the Bronx on the City Planning Commission, and I am thrilled that his appointment to that body is official. I look forward to working with Mr. Marín to ensure that the responsible redevelopment of the Bronx continues. I would also like to thank Kenneth Knuckles, our outgoing Bronx City Planning Commissioner, for his years of dedicated service to both my office and the people of the Bronx,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

“I am excited to have been appointed a member of the City Planning Commission, and I would like to thank Borough President Diaz for this opportunity.  The experiences that I have gained and the professional acumen that I have developed combined with the skill sets and development expertise that I have honed throughout the years have grounded me and are the basis for my continued desire to serve the City and which I believe will compliment that of those currently serving on the Commission.  I am proud to have been nominated to serve on the City Planning Commission and look forward to working with the currently appointed members,” said Orlando Marín.

A resident of the Longwood section of the Bronx, Orlando Marín has worked in the housing arena for the last 20 years where he has garnished a stellar reputation.  He is currently employed with the Bluestone Organization, a private developer of both affordable and market rate housing based in  Fresh Meadows, New York, and has also worked for such prestigious organizations as the Empire State Development Corporation, the New York City Housing Partnership, and served as the special assistant to the City Engineer of Phoenix, Arizona.

Active in his neighborhood since his teenage years, Mr. Marín has played an instrumental role in the redevelopment of his immediate community, where he currently serves as chairman of Bronx Community Board #2.  An architect with a background in Real Estate and Public Administration, Mr. Marín won the American Institute of Architect’s Creative Design award for the development of the “Prototypical School” while employed with the nationally acclaimed office of Perkins & Will.  While serving as a member of Bronx Community Board #3, he was instrumental in the creation of that board’s 197A Comprehensive Plan, entitled “Partnership for the Future,” which gained full support and accolades from the Bronx Borough President’s office.

As a graduate of the New York Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, a graduate of New York University’s Continuing Education Program earning a Diploma in Real Estate with a concentration in Investment analysis, Mr. Marín adds to his credential the participation and successful completion of the National Urban Rural Fellows Program administered in tandem with Baruch College’s School of Public Affairs, where he obtained his Master’s Degree in Public Administration.

 

 

New DEP Commissioner Named

  Mayor Michael Bloomberg has named Carter Strickland to be the new DEP commissioner. Mr. Strickland served as Deputy Commissioner for Sustainability at DEP and as the Senior Policy Advisor for Air and Water in the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability. The mayor writes in a letter that Strickland was key in the making of PlanNYC, and continues that the 6,000 person DEP has risen to new heights with the aid of new commissioner Strickland's leadership. 

  Strickland said that it is an honor to be selected to lead this talented and dedicated agency, and to be able to give back to the city. He added "the work the DEP does on a daily basis is remarkable". He went on to say what a pleasure it has been to serve in the Bloomberg administration.

  There are those of us here in the Northwest Bronx who want to know just how new Commissioner Strickland feels on public access to the Jerome Park Reservoir.

Mayor Bloomberg's Job Approval Rating Hits Lowest Point in Six Years

  According to a New York Times poll Mayor Michael Bloomberg's job approval rating has hit its lowest point in six years. Only 45 percent of New Yorkers approve of the job Bloomberg is doing as mayor, while 43 percent disapprove of the way he is handling the city. 

  Reasons given for Bloombergs low approval numbers are the length in office (the third term blues), and the fact that he is no longer the hot politico to cover now that Governor Andrew Cuomo is the toast of everyone. Other reasons still include last winters snowstorm and increasing fees on almost everything.

  

  You can read the entire Times article here.

Phone in Your Quarter For Parking

  The city is going to make it easier for you to park as a new pilot program of 300 selected muni-meters to allow you to phone in you fee to a preset number. You would have to register your credit card and car information fist as The Daily News Reports here. .

  This was introduced by Mayor Bloomberg in 2009, and as of now no vendor has been chosen.