State Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz - THANKSGIVING DINNER FOR THE COMMUNITY

  You should know that The Christian Community Neighborhood Church and it's Pastor, New York State Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz will be serving hot Thanksgiving meals for residents of local shelters and members of the community in celebration of the traditional Thanksgiving Day. 

This activity will take place tomorrow Thursday, November 22, 2017 at 12:30 pm in the Christian Community Neighborhood Church; located at 1437 Longfellow Ave (bet. Freeman and Jennings St) in Bronx County.  

As a way of teaching our children the importance of serving and caring for others, the church has chosen to designate the children to serve those in attendance.

For more information please feel free to call my office at 718-991-3161.      

                 

I am Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.

STATEMENTS FROM MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO ON NEIGHBORHOOD REZONING BY THE CITY COUNCIL

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO ON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE VOTES TO APPROVE EAST HARLEM NEIGHBORHOOD REZONING

  “Our affordable housing plan is on the move, with new programs and investments, a new goal of 300,000 affordable homes – and now an agreement on the East Harlem neighborhood plan that will bring nearly 4,000 more affordable homes to residents of this diverse and vibrant community. With Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Council Member Bill Perkins, and the entire City Council, we are pushing on every front to keep this city affordable.”

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO ON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE VOTES APPROVING BEDFORD UNION ARMORY PROJECT

  “The Bedford Union Armory won’t sit vacant any longer. We’re putting it back into service for Crown Heights as an affordable community rec center and affordable homes. The end result is one this neighborhood can be proud of. We worked with Council Member Cumbo to hone the project, adding nearly 100 affordable apartments and removing market-rate condos. We look forward to the day the armory reopens it doors as a resource to this community.”

Testimony of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Before the New York City Council Committees on Housing and Buildings & General Welfare RE: Intros. 1524 and 1529

  I testify today in favor of Intro 1524, introduced by Council Member Rafael Salamanca and Intro 1529, introduced by Council Member James Vacca. Both of these bills were introduced at my request.

It is a known fact that New York City is in the midst of a homelessness crisis, and that innovative and comprehensive solutions to this crisis are needed. Today, we are hearing two bills that seek to make temporary housing safer and to better facilitate the elimination of cluster sites, which the Administration has acknowledged must be its goal. Both of these bills seek to promote the health and safety of New York City’s most vulnerable residents.

The first, Intro 1524, requires that during any inspection conducted or overseen by the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) related to health, safety, or the physical conditions of a shelter, defined as “temporary emergency housing,” the radiators must also be inspected.

This safety measure must be mandated because malfunctioning radiators can cause severe bodily harm or even death. This was clearly demonstrated in the tragedy in December 2016 when a faulty radiator killed two small children in their temporary cluster-site housing in The Bronx. The radiator in this apartment was reported broken in 2015 by the previous tenant, yet no action by the landlord was taken. If the inspection of the radiators was part of the regular inspection process, perhaps this tragedy could have been avoided.

This risk should be immediately eliminated, and we must do everything we can to be sure the people who access temporary housing are safe. This measure should therefore be implemented immediately.

The second bill, Intro 1529, seeks to regulate and to ensure the reduction and eventual elimination of the cluster site system, which is widely considered to be an important safety and public health goal.  The legislation creates an obligation to report to the City Council on the plan for the phase-out of each cluster site, progress made towards the elimination of cluster sites, and on inspections and repairs as well as any new cluster site contracts. 

The legislation also requires that the City produce a plan to eliminate cluster sites that utilizes metrics to determine whether the sites should be converted for use as permanent housing for the homeless family residing in the cluster site or for another homeless family, be converted to a stand-alone shelter for homeless families, or no longer be used by the department as shelter or as permanent housing for a homeless family.

The legislation requires that the following metrics be utilized in the plan: first, the condition of the cluster site; second, whether the owner of the building and the provider under contract or similar agreement with the department to operate the cluster sites within the building have cooperated with the department in maintaining the cluster sites; third, whether the cluster site is rent regulated; and fourth, whether the homeless families residing in the cluster sites have expressed an interest in remaining in the cluster site as tenants.

Efforts should be made to only contract with landlords that cooperate to maintain safe premises. Efforts should also be made to promote the availability of rent-regulated housing. 

We believe that the reporting mechanisms outlined in the bill would provide the public with the necessary information to monitor the progress that DHS is making on phasing out cluster sites. We believe that this bill will also provide much needed transparency when DHS enters into new contracts to provide homeless services in a cluster site. We applaud the city’s goal of phasing out these cluster sites for sheltering homeless families. However, there presently is no way for the public to monitor and follow the progress made towards this goal. This legislation would provide a necessary tool to monitor this progress.

Finally, the data demonstrate that HPD violations are endemic to cluster sites, and we need to provide safer, better temporary housing options.  The City has recognized this in the “Turning the Tide” plan, and this legislation introduced at my request moves the needle in the right direction. I urge the City Council to approve these two important pieces of legislation.

MAYOR DE BLASIO RELEASES NOVEMBER FINANCIAL PLAN UPDATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018

City spending entirely offset by savings

  Mayor Bill de Blasio released New York City’s November Financial Plan Update for Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) and an updated four-year financial plan. City spending, which increased by $47 million in FY18 and $59 million in FY19, is entirely offset by $234 million in new savings this fiscal year and $238 million of new savings and $123 million in pension savings next.  New savings include debt service savings, health care savings, and agency adjustments. The vast majority of growth in the budget, which is now $85.99 billion in FY18, is due to increases in federal funding for Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts and homeland security grants. Additional increases are due to State Asset Forfeiture funds.

"When we came into office four years ago, we promised to bring opportunity to those who for so long had been left without,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Since then, we’ve created an entirely new grade for our youngest learners, brought police and community closer together while driving crime to historic lows, and are on track to invest more in affordable housing than any administration in decades. While we will continue to provide for New Yorkers however we can, we must also be cognizant of the fact that Washington continues to threaten billions of dollars of federal aid and investments must be thoughtful.”  

As part of the November Plan, the City is reducing City tax revenues by $207 million for the current fiscal year. This primarily reflects a decline in Business Taxes despite a partial offset by increases in Real Property Tax collections.

Read the November Financial Plan update here.

New City Spending

The $85.99 billion balanced budget protects the City’s long-term fiscal health while continuing to create opportunity and fairness across the five boroughs. New spending highlights include:

$4.5 million to help fund the city’s new construction safety site program.

Funding to assist with NYC Emergency Management’s efforts to dispatch supplies and city workers to Puerto Rico to assist with recovery. The city will spend $4 million on these efforts.

Upgrading the 311 call-taking platform and other citywide IT projects supported by DOITT. Upgrades will cost $7 million in FY18.

Building out the new citywide procurement system, PASSport, which will cost an additional $10 million in FY18.

NEW YORK CITY ANNOUNCES VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS ARE NOW PROTECTED FROM DISCRIMINATION UNDER CITY HUMAN RIGHTS LAW

The new law makes it illegal for employers, landlords, and providers of public accommodations to discriminate against veterans and active military service members

  New York City has begun enforcement of a new law that protects current and prior military service members from discrimination, bias, and harassment. It is now illegal in New York City for employers, landlords, and providers of public accommodations to discriminate against veterans and active military service members due to their military status. The law, introduced in 2016 and signed by Mayor de Blasio in August 2017, establishes a protected class for veterans and active military service members under the NYC Human Rights Law to give them direct access to justice when their rights have been violated.

“The brave men and women that put their lives on the line for our country deserve to be treated with nothing but dignity and respect,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “This law will ensure all military and other uniformed service members, both returned and active, can live and work free from discrimination in New York City.”

“Veterans and active duty military service members make invaluable contributions to our City,” said Department of Veterans’ Services Commissioner Loree Sutton, MD. “We owe it to them to ensure that their service to our country is cause for celebration, not discrimination. I applaud the creation of this new law for providing the protections to our veterans and service members that they so richly deserve.”

“This new law will ensure that veterans and active military service members who risk their lives for this country are protected against discrimination and bias,” said Chair and Commissioner of the NYC Commission on Human Rights, Carmelyn P. Malalis. “We are proud to enforce this new law to get justice for victims and hold violators accountable so the brave individuals who serve this country get the dignity and respect they so richly deserve.”

“Veterans have dedicated years of their lives to protect the ideals that we live by, and the Council remains committed to making their needs a top priority – especially when it comes to preventing employment discrimination,” said New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “We are proud to have ushered this important piece of legislation and will continue to work hard to ensure the wellbeing of our veterans in New York City.”

New York State is home to nearly 900,000 veterans, 225,000 of whom call New York City home, and nearly 30,000 active duty military personnel and 30,000 National Guard and Reserve personnel statewide. Veterans and active military service members may experience discrimination and bias due to their military status in employment, housing, and public accommodations like stores, restaurants, and cabs. The most common forms of discrimination against veterans and active military service members include negative stereotypes about PTSD, unfounded fear of deployment, and the misconception that veterans and service member skill sets won’t transfer to civilian employment.

The NYC Commission on Human Rights, which enforces the new law, has the authority to fine violators with civil penalties of up to $250,000 for willful and malicious violations of the Law and can award unlimited compensatory damages to victims, including emotional distress damages and other benefits.

The law is the City’s latest effort to remove unnecessary obstacles to housing, employment, and public accommodations for veterans and active military service members and ensure that they have the resources and protections they need to thrive. In addition to creating the Department of Veterans’ Services in 2015, the Mayor and the City Council have quadrupled funding and staff in support of the Department over the last two years, which has also expanded employment opportunities for our veterans, launched an IDNYC veteran designator, and brought veterans' mental health services to the forefront.

If you are a veteran or active military service members and believe you have been subject of discrimination because of your military service, or any other type of discrimination under the NYC Human Rights Law, call the Commission’s Infoline at 718-722-3131. Reports may also be filed anonymously and reported on the Commission’s website. 

NEWS FROM CONGRESSMAN ELIOT ENGEL

ENGEL STATEMENT ON TRUMP’S DECISION TO END TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR HAITIANS LIVING IN U.S.

  Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement on the President’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians living in the United States:

“The Trump Administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians living in the United States is cruel and inhumane.  I visited Haiti following its devastating 2010 earthquake and have been a longtime proponent of U.S. assistance to the island.  It sadly seems that whenever the country takes a step forward, natural disasters—like Hurricane Matthew last fall—force it to take a step back.  Haiti is simply not in a position to take back the 59,000 Haitians currently living in the United States. 

“Unfortunately, President Trump has chosen cruelty over kindness in terminating TPS for so many hardworking Haitian families.  The America that I know is a land of acceptance where opportunities are available for one and all.  Cutting off TPS for Haitians does not represent who we are as a country.”

Engel Statement on FCC Plan to Destroy Net Neutrality

   Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a top member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement on reports that the Federal Communications Commission plans to reverse all rules pertaining to net neutrality:

“For months we suspected the FCC, under the leadership of Chairman Ajit Pai, would make some type of move to weaken net neutrality. Today’s reporting not only confirms those suspicions, but indicates their plan is about as bad as it can get.

“Net neutrality is a critical protection for consumers, one that prevents Internet Service Providers (ISP) from charging extra for certain websites and data usage. Without net neutrality, an ISP could decide to institute a tiered system for your internet access, blocking websites like Netflix and forcing you to pay extra to use them. Repealing net neutrality rules would also allow those same ISP’s to throttle—or slow down—your internet access if it suits them, or offer other consumers who are willing to pay more priority access to certain parts of the web. Clearly, this would be harmful to consumers. This proposal would also limit innovation, reduce competition among ISPs, and make the internet a less open place.

“Millions have people across the country have spoken out against repealing net neutrality, but the FCC, Chairman Pai, and the Trump Administration have chosen to ignore what the American people want. This cannot stand. We must preserve net neutrality now, and for future generations.”

OPERATION QUEST FOR FIRE DISMANTLES ORGANIZATION DEALING IN FENTANYL, HEROIN AND COCAINE;

12 KILOS OF DEADLY OPIOID SEIZED IN JOINT BRONX DA-DEA PROBE 

Sixteen People Indicted, Group Trafficked Narcotics From Florida, And Ran On-Call Cocaine Delivery Service

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge James Hunt and New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill today announced that 16 people have been charged with trafficking fentanyl, heroin and cocaine to the metropolitan area in a scheme that peddled drugs on the streets as well as delivering them to buyers on demand. 

  District Attorney Clark said, “Deadly Fentanyl coupled with recreational cocaine sales shows that this group was as versatile as it was vicious. They allegedly drove narcotics up the eastern seaboard from Florida, bringing the drugs and their attendant misery to the Bronx, Manhattan, Westchester County and New Jersey. With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue and prosecute those doing harm to our communities."

 DEA Special Agent in Charge Hunt stated, “This transnational drug trafficking crew made the Bronx an epicenter of fentanyl distribution. Through coordinated enforcement on federal, state and local law enforcement levels, traffickers responsible for smuggling heroin, cocaine and six million fatal doses of fentanyl into our city have been arrested.” 

 NYPD Commissioner O’Neill said, “This investigation helped shut down a multi-state narcotics operation that dealt in cocaine, heroin and deadly fentanyl. If these defendants thought they could hide behind a call-in drug delivery service they underestimated the reach of the Bronx District Attorney's Office and the DEA Strike Force."

  Homeland Security Investigations New York Special Agent in Charge Angel M. Melendez said, “These individuals are alleged to have trafficked drugs up the eastern shore line and into our New York communities. As long as there is supply and demand, these drug pushers will continue to flood our streets with these highly addictive drugs. It is our resolve to rid our street from these individuals who care more about making money than the lives they ruin.” 

 New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II said, “Great police work and our invaluable partnerships at the federal, state and local level were key in bringing down this illegal drug trafficking organization. After six months of dedicated work more than a dozen people were arrested for importing deadly drugs into our communities and New Jersey. State Police and our partners will continue to work together to rid our communities of these dangerous substances, and the violence that comes with them.”

 District Attorney Clark said that four of the defendants are charged with Operating as a Major Trafficker. If convicted, they face up to life in prison. The other defendants are variously charged with first, second and third-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, first, second and third-degree Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance, second and third-degree Money Laundering, second and fourth-degree Conspiracy.

 Eleven of the defendants were arrested in a takedown on November 15, 2017 and eight were arraigned before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Robert Neary. Some are due back in court on November 29, 2017 and others on December 13, 2017. Three defendants are awaiting extradition from Florida and New Jersey.

 According to the six-month wiretap investigation by the Bronx DA’s Special Investigations Bureau and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Strike Force, the narcotics were imported by multiple defendants from Florida and elsewhere to distribute in the Bronx, Manhattan, Westchester and New Jersey.

 Several of the defendants resided and allegedly sold drugs within the confines of the 46th Precinct along Creston Avenue.

  Two defendants, Juan Martinez and Jonathan Martinez, both of the Bronx, allegedly ran an on-call cocaine delivery service to customers throughout New York City, including to professionals in advertising and real estate.

 During the investigation, authorities seized a total of 12 kilograms of Fentanyl, multiple kilograms of heroin and cocaine and various quantities of crack cocaine. Over $175,000 in cash — narcotics proceeds — and two vehicles were seized.

  On November 7, 2017, ten kilograms of fentanyl and two kilograms of heroin were seized during an alleged drug transaction between defendant Jonas Turbi Molina and two individuals from Phoenix, Arizona. During the drug seizure, a subject jumped out of a second-story window of his Manhattan hotel room carrying over $30,000 in cash.

 District Attorney Clark thanked Chief Detective Investigator Frank Chiara, Deputy Chief Carlton Starling, SDI Therone Eugene, DI Nicholas Ranieri and Lt. Rocco Galasso of the DA’s Detective Investigators, as well as the NYPD DA Squad.

 District Attorney Clark thanked the members of Group Z 51 of the DEA New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force. The Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers of the DEA, the New York City Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the New York State Police, the U. S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, New York National Guard, the Clarkstown Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Port Washington Police Department and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. The investigation was also assisted by the DEA New England Division, DEA Miami Field Division, Miami Dade Police Department, New Jersey State Police, NYPD 49 Precinct, Port Authority Police Department K-9, DEA PAPD K-9, DEA Intelligence Division and DEA Special Operations Department.

 An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

DEFENDANTS

Braulio Diaz (AKA Eddy), 46, Miami, Florida

Jonas Antonio Turbi-Molina, 39, Bronx, NY 

Victor Jose Gonzalez, 52, Bronx, NY  

Fernelis Beltre-Espinosa (AKA Tyson), 51, Bronx, NY 

Ronald Brid-Calvo (AKA Nacho), 49, Hialeah, Florida 

Hairo Contreras, 31, Bronx, NY 

Juan C. Martinez, 34, Bronx, NY 

Jonathan Martinez, 31, Bronx, NY 

Francisco Lopez, 55, Bronx, NY 

Francisco Duval-Perez, 25, Lee, Massachusetts 

Tyshawn Henigan (AKA Ty), 35, Bronx, NY

Alexander Cortes Cortes (AKA Leo), 32, Manhattan, NY

Rafael Roldan, 37, Bronx, NY 

Melvin Lugo- Reyes, 29, Manhattan, NY  

Alfred Trotman (AKA Al), 60, Bronx, NY 

Marvin Antonio Olano-Somarriba (AKA Nika), 57, Camden, NJ

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO AND POLICE COMMISSIONER O’NEILL ANNOUNCE SECURITY PLAN FOR MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE

  Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill: Good afternoon, everybody. So as we do before all major events in New York City we just wanted to give you a rundown of some of the things that people can expect to see and experience as we head into Thanksgiving week. In a moment the Mayor will speak and then Susan Tercero the Vice President for Macy’s, she’ll have some remarks. Then Terry Monahan, Chief of Patrol, will give you the overview of what we’re doing on Wednesday night and Thursday. He’ll go through the specifics of Wednesday’s balloon inflation event which always draws more than 200,000 spectators and then he’ll talk about the millions of people who will attend the Thursday’s Thanksgivings Day Parade and what we’re doing.

First and foremost, I’d like to thank the 36,000 uniformed members of the New York City Police Department for what they do every day, and especially the police officers assigned to the events this week. They’ll be away from their families making sure the rest of us are safe and secure. The NYPD is ready for this week. One thing I have learned since I have become the Police Commissioner is that New Yorkers – and I’ve known this for a long time but it’s reinforced, New Yorkers are strong and resilient and they don’t make decisions based on fear. We’ve had a couple of tough months as a nation, and you know among other incidents I’m specifically talking about the shooting in Las Vegas and the terror attack in Lower Manhattan on Halloween. As I’ve said before we won’t ever accept such acts of hate and cowardice as inevitable in our society, certainly not here in New York. And I want to ensure the people that we swore to protect that any time something happens anywhere in the world, the NYPD works with our law enforcement partners and studies it, and we learn from it, and it informs our decision making going forward.

In terms of deployment and other security measures, what you’ll see this year at the Thanksgiving Day Parade will be in addition to what we did last year. You’ll see every intersection there’ll be more blocker cars and there will be sand-filled sanitation trucks.  And this is the third year in a row we’ll be using our critical response command cops who are specially assigned to counterterrorism duties. We’ll be working alongside our strategic response group officers, our patrol cops, and our emergency service unit too. And there will be much the public won’t see as well. The bottom line is we want everyone to come out and enjoy what is really a great tradition in New York City every Thanksgiving. And know that the layers of security and protection every – and know that the layers of security and protection we will provide again this year have been in the planning stages since the end of last year’s parade. We’re all looking forward to another great holiday again this year, and we know all New Yorkers are as well. We’ll see you out there on Thursday and on Wednesday night too, thank you very much.

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you Commissioner. Commissioner, thank you to you and your team for the exceptional work that has been done to prepare for the Thanksgiving Parade and for the night before. I have to say I’m particularly proud of the NYPD in the last few weeks given what this city experienced last month. To see the resolve of our officers to make sure that people are kept safe sends a very powerful message to people of this city that no matter what the event, what the occasion, the NYPD will be there in force and will get the job done. And this is one of the great occasions each year in this city, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. One of the events everyone looks forward to all year, one of the events most associated with the city, it’s been 91 years now. This is literally one of the symbols of why New York City is great and that’s why it is so important to protect this parade and make sure that everyone can enjoy it.

We have the finest police force in the world. They have proven time and again that they can make this great event and other huge events work seamlessly. And we saw that also recently with the New York City Marathon. So, we are very, very clear about the pain that still hangs in the air because of the attack last month, the eight innocent people who lost their lives. And all eight and a half million New Yorkers mourn for their families. But, we said right away after that horrible tragedy New York’s response is to remain strong and resilient. We do not back down in the face of terror threats and we don’t back down in the face of terrorism itself. We saw that most powerfully on 9/11 and the months after. This city is filled with resolved. And one of the things we show the world is the fact that we will keep going and that our great annual events that symbolize everything about this city we’re proud of, that they will never be changed.

So, that will be on display this week. And the numbers that will come out will be exceptional, hundreds of thousands on Wednesday and well over a million could be expected on Thursday. This means of course, there’ll be inconveniences as always, there will be street closures, there’ll be things that we have to grapple with but as New Yorkers we can deal with that because we’re also proud of the fact that we have these kinds of events that literally the eyes of the entire world are on. And people love coming out on Wednesday to see the balloons being put together and prepared. And they love coming out on Thursday. But I will remind people there are going to be a lot of street closures, definitely pay attention to the specifics about where you’re going and what the impact will be. Take mass transit if you can. And that’s the best way to enjoy this wonderful day ahead.

Look what you can rely upon is that there will be a very strong presence of the NYPD. Stronger than ever in fact. I want to emphasize – this is the most important thing I’ll say, there are no credible and specific threats against New York City at this time. There are no credible and specific threats against these events. That being said, we will have a very forceful NYPD presences, we will be prepared for any eventuality. There’s a lot of presence you will see, and as we always there will be presence you don’t see that helps to protect all New Yorkers. And I think people understand when they see that visible presence they are reassured by it, they appreciate it. I hear that from my fellow New Yorkers all the time.

Now I remind everyone, every New Yorker can help the NYPD. The phrase ‘if you see something, say something’ is more meaningful than ever. And it comes down to this, if you don’t like the look of a situation, if something seems out of place, you see a package unattended, please don’t take time to think about it just go to an NYPD officer and report it. That’s something everyone can do to help.

So, look, as we prepare for these great events, we take stock and we particularly take stock at Thanksgiving of who we are. We’re very proud as New Yorkers. We’re proud of the fact that people of all backgrounds, all faiths live in harmony here. We’re proud of the fact we’re the safest big city in America. We are, in fact, the terrorists worst nightmare because we reflect a positive, successful, pluralistic society. Everything the terrorists are trying to stop we show every day works here in New York City. That means we are, in the bigger scheme of things, always going to be facing threats but we know how to handle it. And I am so proud of the fact that New Yorkers never even think about changing who we are or changing our values in the face of these threats.

Chief of Patrol Terence Monahan, NYPD: Alright good afternoon everyone. First I’m going to go over the balloon inflation on Wednesday night and the public viewing. We reevaluated how we were looking at this and we came up with some changes to the security to make it an even safer venue. First and foremost, we’re changing the times of the viewing. It will be from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm for the public viewing of the balloon inflation. We are going to be shutting down Central Park West from 72nd Street up to 86th Street. There will be no traffic allowed there after 12:00 pm. We’re going to be dropping concrete barriers along Columbus Avenue going from 77th Street on East Side to 81st Street. When people arrive to come to do the viewing, you’re going to be entering from Columbus Avenue eastbound on 74th Street and you’re going to walk down to Central Park West. Once on Central Park West you’re going to go through a screening. We will not be allowing any large backpacks, umbrellas, coolers, or chairs in the area. Once you go through that screening process, you’ll walk up to 77th Street, you’ll go westbound on 77th Street to view the balloons there, go northbound on Columbus, south on 81st Street – east on 81st Street and then exit on 81st Street on Central Park West.

Once this all over at 8:00 pm, you’re going to see rolling closures throughout the day, different traffic closures, shutting down traffic on the entire route. DCPI can give you the times of each and every one of those closings at the end of this press conference. By 7:00 am everything will be shut along the route of the parade, there will be no crosstown traffic going from 86th Street down to 34th Street.

On the parade route itself we’re going to have seven locations with anemometers, this is to check the wind speed for the balloons. We will have a police officer assigned to each and every one of the balloons that goes along the route. And they will adjust the levels of the balloon based on the wind speed at those locations. We will have our typical counterterrorism overlay for both the balloon inflation and for the parade. You can expect to see numerous sand trucks, blocker vehicles protecting the entire venues. You will see heavy weapon teams deployed at both the balloons and during the parade. They will be all over the parade route. We will have observation teams located at various locations along the route also. You will see our Vaper Wake dogs and other canine dogs on both the balloons and during the route. We will have mounted officers assigned. We will have teams assigned with our radiation detective devices. We will have aviation assigned to both venues. A ship assigned to each one of the venues to make sure everything – check on rooftops.

This has been a real combined effort, putting this together, security effort between Manhattan North operations, Manhattan South operations, and our counterterrorism forces. We are working closely with all our law enforcement partners that work in New York. Together, with a lot of various City agencies that have combined, we have sat down together with Macy’s – numerous meetings starting since last year to make sure that this is a safe, safe venue.

Come out, enjoy the day, but once you’re out there if you see anything, anything suspicious there will be a cop on every block, go to that cop, say something. Don’t be afraid, say maybe it’s nothing. Let us investigate it. So, I can’t end it any better than saying if you see something, say something. Thank you.