“It is crucial that we protect a woman’s right to the full spectrum of reproductive health care, particularly at this moment in history when these rights are under attack nationally. I want to thank the State Senate and Assembly for passing the Reproductive Health Act, and Governor Cuomo for signing it into law, protecting the Constitutional right to reproductive healthcare in New York. It’s beyond time the state abortion law is moved out of the criminal code and into Public Health Law where it belongs, and there’s no better day to do it than on the 46th anniversary of the historic Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision. I further commend the Legislature for protecting access to comprehensive contraceptive care and ensuring no employer can discriminate against an employee for her reproductive health decisions.”
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
NYC Injection Sites Gets Thumbs Down From NYC Council Member Andy King
Did you know the City of New York wants to open supervised drug dens for heroin users in our city? That’s right.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans last May to establish overdose prevention centers where drug users could have a “safe place” to use drugs under the watch of trained staff. The city plans to set up two sites in Manhattan, one in Brooklyn and one in The Bronx.
My feeling is, “if you want to prevent people from overdosing on drugs then give them the resources to get off of drugs. Inspire them to stop using drugs!”
To know more about my thoughts on this issue, click this link https://youtu.be/p6m9GWGlzLU.
Yours In the Spirit of Unity,
Hon. Andy King
New York City Council Member Paul Vallone Endorses Ron Kim for Public Advocate
New York City Council Member Paul Vallone today endorsed Assemblymember Ron Kim for New York City Public Advocate. Council Member Vallone joins a growing list of elected officials, community leaders, academics and activists who have thrown their support behind Ron Kim’s candidacy for the office.
"For years, Ron Kim has fought alongside me in Northeast Queens to improve our local schools, keep our streets safe and help small businesses grow,” said Council Member Vallone. “Ron is a determined and tireless public servant who will use the bully pulpit of the Public Advocate’s Office to stick up for the interests of Queens’ families and be a strong voice for the middle class. He has my full support.”
“I’d like to thank Council Member Vallone for his support and look forward to our continued partnership on education, public safety, small business growth and many other critical issues facing Queens,” said Assembly member Ron Kim, candidate for NYC Public Advocate. “I’m running for Public Advocate because I’m tired of watching the needs of everyday people come second to those of the world’s wealthiest corporations. When a company like Amazon receives billions of dollars in taxpayer handouts while our subways crumble and affordable housing becomes increasingly scarce, it’s clear that something needs to change. My central message is putting people over corporations, and that’s exactly what I will do as Public Advocate.”
Ron Kim Endorsements to Date:
Elected Officials
NYC Council Member Paul Vallone
NYS Assemblymember Dan Quart
NYS Assemblymember Yuhline Niou
NYS Assemblymember Peter Abbate
Community Leaders, Academics and Activists
Iwen Irene Chu, Brooklyn Chinese Community Leader and Democratic District Leader
Len Schaier, President, Quiet Skies
Marica Becce, former Vice President, Broadway-Flushing Homeowners Association
Warren Schreiber, Chair, New York Community Aviation Roundtable (NYCAR)
Minsun Kim, President Korean-American Association of Greater New York (KAAGNY)
Laura Hanna, Co-Founder, The Debt Collective
Ann Larson, Co-Founder, The Debt Collective
Douglas Rushkoff, Professor CUNY Queens College
Robert Hockett, Professor Cornell University Law School
Donald Henton, President, Democratic Organization of Flushing
Martha Flores, Democratic District Leader, Queens
Sandra Ung, Democratic State Committee Member, Queens
Matt Silverstein, Democratic State Committee Member, Queens
Jake Dilemani, Democratic District Leader, Manhattan
Eric Spencer, Democratic District Leader, Manhattan
Cory Evans, Democratic District Leader, Manhattan
Skye Ostreicher, Democratic District Leader, Manhattan
Sue Moss, Democratic District Leader, Manhattan
Bessie Schachter, Democratic State Committee Member, Manhattan
Peter Borock, President, Lexington Democratic Club
Russell Squire, Executive Vice President, Lexington Democratic Club
Monday, January 21, 2019
NYPD Comp Stat report Numbers For the First Two Weeks of January 2019
Police Department City of New York
Volume 26 Number 2 CompStat Bronx Report
Covering the Week 1/7/2019 Through 1/13/2019
Year to Date* Two Weeks 2019
2019 2018 % Chg
Murder 3 5 -40.0
Rape 13 10 30.0
Robbery 113 90 25.6
Fel. Assault 186 172 8.1
Burglary 64 59 8.5
Gr. Larceny 194 201 -3.5
G.L.A. 41 44 -6.8
TOTAL 614 581 5.68
Transit 15 10 50.0
Housing 52 39 33.3
Petit Larceny 509 418 21.8
Misd. Assault 375 299 25.4
Misd. Sex Crimes 34 16 112.5
Shooting Vic. 9 13 -30.8
Shooting Inc. 9 9 0.0
EDITOR'S NOTE:
You can see from the reported crime statistics by the NYPD that crime is up for the first two weeks of 2019 when compared to the first two weeks of 2018. While all crime in the borough of the Bronx is up 5.68% for the first two weeks of 2019 over the same period of 2018, we are disturbed at the increases in these precincts, 42nd 58.54%, 45th 51.61%, 46th 39.53%, and 48th 27.59%.
It should be noted that while the murder rate Bronx wide for 2018 was 25% higher than 2017, there were three precincts the 49th with an increase in murder of 133.3%, 50th precinct with an increase of 133.3%, and the 52nd with an increase of 250%. We are happy to see a decrease for the first two weeks in 2019 in the overall number for the Bronx.
The Rape rate for 2018 it was 14.1% higher Bronx wide than in 2017 with the three Bronx precincts having the largest increase in rape. The 41st 95.2%, the 49th 92.3%, and the 50th 87.5%. We are not happy to see that in the first two weeks for 2019 the rate of rape Bronx wide is up 30% over the same period of the year before which was an increase over the previous year.
When I questioned Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner O'Neil on the increase of these crimes in August of 2018 I was told that 100 new officers were assigned to Bronx precincts. I later found out that said new officers were only replacing officers which had retired or were transferred to other duties resulting in what many officers said were a zero net gain of officers, and a few precincts having less police officers than they had previously.
On January 8th I questioned Mayor de Blasio on the figures from the year end Comp Stat report from the NYPD about the rise in violent crime in the Bronx. Mayor de Blasio replied that my figures must be wrong and that I should check them with the NYPD. I have taken the mayor up on his suggestion, and sent an e-mail to Commissioner O'Neil (over one week ago with no answer), and put a request in to Chief Hoffman (the former commanding officer of the 52nd precinct) who is the head of Community Affairs at the NYPD only to be given the run around by the NYPD. I can't wait for my next opportunity to question Mayor de Blasio and Police Commissioner O'Neil.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 121 Months’ For Conspiring to Distribute Heroin, Cocaine and Marijuana Across New York City
John Santos was sentenced by United States District Judge Frederic Block to 121 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years’ supervised release, following his December 2017 guilty plea to participating in a conspiracy to distribute a kilogram or more of heroin, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and marijuana.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ray Donovan, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigation, New York (HSI), Keith M. Corlett, Acting Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.
“With this sentence, Santos will serve a significant prison term for his role as the leader of a large-scale drug trafficking ring,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office and our law enforcement partners are responding to the opioid epidemic by vigorously investigating and prosecuting those like the defendant who seek to line their own pockets by selling dangerous drugs in our communities.”
“This sentencing is one of many successes in law enforcement’s battle against opioid abuse because it serves as a reminder that we are dedicated to identifying, investigating and dismantling drug trafficking organizations,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Donovan. “Enforcement is a key factor in fighting opioid abuse and in stopping fatal overdoses in our cities because it takes away their means to wreak havoc.”
“Running the full gamut of drug trafficking, John Santos ran a criminal organization that flooded the streets on New York City with cocaine, heroin and marijuana,” stated HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Melendez. “Today’s sentencing proves once again that being employed as a drug dealer in this city comes with severe consequences.”
“The sentencing of Santos sends a clear message that we will not tolerate this kind of activity anywhere in New York State,” stated NYSP Acting Superintendent Corlett. “Santos had no regard for the damage his actions inflicted upon the communities where he trafficked narcotics. The State Police will continue to work aggressively with our federal and local partners to stop the flow of illegal and dangerous drugs onto our streets.”
“The NYPD’s efforts to combat the far-reaching opioid crisis by ridding New York City streets of drug traffickers are greatly strengthened by our close partnerships with the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District and the Drug Enforcement Administration,” stated NYPD Commissioner O’Neill. “Anyone who deals in illegal narcotics should understand that the nation’s best investigators will stop at nothing to fight crime and keep safe all the people we serve.”
Between July 2016 and March 2017, Santos led a Bronx-based drug trafficking ring that distributed large amounts of heroin, cocaine and marijuana throughout New York City, including to out-of-state customers. At the time of Santos’s arrest, DEA special agents seized quantities of those controlled substances, a kilogram press and other drug paraphernalia in his Bronx apartment. Santos also served as the principal point of contact for the narcotics source of supply based in the Dominican Republic.
Two co-defendants, Robert Santos and Kevin Brito, previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
The Defendant:
JOHN SANTOS
Age: 36
Bronx, New York
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. - Upcoming Events
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The Harlem Chamber Players - Upcoming Events
Please come join us!
Flutist Julietta Curenton, violist Amadi Azikiwe, and harpist Ashley Jackson will perform aFREE family concert of music by Debussy, Arnold Bax and Miguel del Aguila at theNewark School of the Arts. Click on the image above for details.
Our 11th Annual Black History Month Celebration takes place at the Schomburg Center and will feature two world premieres by the noted African American composer Adolphus Hailstork. Pianist David Berry, violinists Ashley Horne and Curtis Stewart, violist Amadi Azikiwe, and cellist Wayne Smith will perform Hailstork's Piano Quintet "Detroit" and "Nobody Know," a work for baritone and string quartet with text by Herbert Martin featuring baritone Kenneth Overton. This work was commissioned by The Harlem Chamber Players to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the importation of the first black slaves to America. The evening will conclude with Dvořák's String Quartet in F Major "American."Host Terrance McKnight of WQXR will also read poetry by Langston Hughes. This concert is part of the Harlem Renaissance 100 Celebration.
This concert is FREE and open to the public. RSVP is required. Registration will open February 14, 2019. Click on the image above for details.
Hear the highly acclaimed students from Opus 118 Harlem School of Music and meet the founder and master teacher Roberta Guaspari, the inspiration behind the award-winning documentary “Small Wonders” and Miramax’s film, “Music of the Heart,” starring Meryl Streep. Click on the image above for details.
The Harlem Chamber Players will join Jason Moran, Alicia Hall Moran, Joseph Joubert, Imani Winds, and a host of other amazing artists in this Carnegie Hall production. Tickets are going fast! Click on the image above for details.
We will close our 11th Anniversary Season at Columbia University's Miller Theatre with a Gala orchestral concert. The concert will feature Met Opera soprano Janinah Burnett, violinist Ashley Horne, and violist Amadi Azikiwe in an evening of great music, including the Sibelius Violin Concerto, Adolphus Hailstork's Two Romances for Viola and Chamber Orchestra, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson's Sinfonietta No. 1, and Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915. Maestro Ariel Rudiakov will conduct. Click on the image above for details.
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