NYCHA HEAT TEAM READIES FOR EXPECTED COLD SPELL WITH EXPANDED HEATING STAFF, ACTIVATED SITUATION ROOM

NYCHA’s Situation Room will again centralize the Authority’s efforts in advance of this week’s extreme cold weather event.

  Today, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) activated its Situation Room in Long Island City in anticipation of dangerously low temperatures affecting New Yorkers starting Wednesday through Friday.

The Authority’s heating response teams and developments will also be fully staffed to ensure any issues with heat or hot water are addressed quickly and efficiently, continuing NYCHA’s ongoing strategy to proactively monitor its heating infrastructure while quickly deploying necessary emergency staff to address any heat-related service interruptions.

“Our staff is fully prepared to respond to any emergencies that may arise while also working hard to anticipate problems this cold spell may bring — just like we have been throughout this heating season,” said NYCHA General Manager Vito Mustaciuolo. “We ask our residents to use the MyNYCHA app or call the Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771 with any heat or hot water issues so that we can limit any service interruptions and be the better, more responsive landlord they deserve.”

NYCHA’s heat staff continues to work seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. through the end of heating season, and its heat desk remains on call 24/7 to respond to any service interruptions. NYCHA also prepared for this week’s extreme cold weather by:

• Increasing heating response teams from Wednesday through Friday, with teams working day, evening, and overnight shifts. Roving teams will be assigned to every borough and will be dispatched across the city as needed;
• Adding more staff at the Customer Contact Center from 6 a.m. to midnight on Thursday and Friday to accommodate a higher call volume.
• Opening one warming center in every borough to NYCHA residents experiencing heat issues from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Additionally, the Authority triggered its Incident Command System (ICS) and Situation Room in Long Island City, where personnel from its Emergency Management, Heating, Elevators, Information Technology, Maintenance, Repair and Skilled Trades, and other departments will centralize NYCHA’s operations as well as coordinate response and resources.

Following the extreme cold weather during the MLK holiday, NYCHA’s proactive efforts and robust response to heat and hot water service interruptions have already resulted in services being restored in 10 hours on average, compared to 36 hours at this time last year.

The improvements are in keeping with the Authority and the de Blasio administration’s commitment to enhancing NYCHA’s response to heat-related issues, which include increased staffing, improved resident communications, and investments in heating infrastructure.

Anyone experiencing issues in their developments should create a work order ticket by using the MyNYCHA app or by calling the Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771.

NYC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ISSUES HAZARDOUS TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON COMMUTE

Intense Burst of Moderate to Heavy Snow and Strong Winds Could Cause Brief Whiteout Conditions This Afternoon

Hazardous Travel Conditions Expected Into This Evening Commute

The New York City Emergency Management Department today issued a hazardous travel advisory for the Wednesday afternoon commute. The National Weather Service has issued a Special Weather Statement for a line of snow showers and/or possible snow squalls — an intense burst of moderate to heavy blowing snow — in effect for New York City this afternoon. An arctic cold front will pass through the region this afternoon into the early evening hours. A line of snow showers and/or squalls that will last around 30 minutes to 1 hour will accompany this front. This intense burst of snowfall combined with strong wind gusts may cause brief whiteout conditions, limiting visibility and making travel extremely dangerous. New Yorkers should plan for hazardous travel during the evening commute and are advised to take mass transit where possible, delay travel or safely exit highways or roadways before the snow squall arrives. A quick coating to around an inch of snow is possible with this front. 

For updates, follow @NotifyNYC or @NYCEMERGENCYMGT on Twitter or visitNYC.gov/EmergencyManagement.

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES LEADFREENYC, A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO END CHILDHOOD LEAD EXPOSURE

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES LEADFREENYC, A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO END CHILDHOOD LEAD EXPOSURE

  

   

  The theme of 'The LeadFreeNYC plan' will be to have a LEAD FREE NYC by screening not only large multiple dwelling buildings built before 1978, but to screen every apartment for any hazard of lead. This will be done by on site inspections, and advanced technology that can detect any hidden lead paint that may be layered below the top levels of paint. This new technology will be used first in NYCHA buildings to make sure that there is no hidden lead paint which could be hazardous to young developing children who may live in the apartments. While the mayor stopped short of saying that NYCHA did not do all the testing for lead paint, but that this will make sure no lead will be in any NYCHA apartment. 

 LeadFreeNYC will Test all 135,000 NYCHA apartments where lead has not been ruled out. 

Reduce the amount of lead in paint and dust that triggers remediation and abatement to the lowest level of any major U.S. city. 

Require annual inspections of apartments in 1- and 2-family homes previously excluded from the City’s lead paint regime.  

Expand the use of stop work orders from the Department of Buildings when the Health Department finds lead exposure risks during construction.  

Ensure children are immediately provided with blood lead level testing in any home where housing inspectors identify a lead paint hazard. 

Provide a dedicated nurse to any child with an elevated blood lead level to coordinate care.  

Launch ad campaigns promoting testing for children in communities with low testing rates, to raise awareness about free water testing kits provided by the City, and promoting awareness of harmful consumer products containing lead. 

Proactively test and mediate all lead sources in shelters. 

Establish a new Lead-Free Designation for homes where all lead has been eliminated. 

Publish a Lead Products Index of consumer goods like spices and ceramics that contain lead, consolidating Health Department rules to protect retailers and consumers.  

Expedite service line replacement beginning with low-income homes. 

Reduce lead exposure risks from soil by offering free clean topsoil to community gardens and surveying NYCHA playgrounds to cover exposed soil when needed. 

  While lead paint is the number one cause of lead poisoning, other ways of absorbing lead is from certain cosmetics that come from overseas, soil that has lead dust in it, and spices from overseas that are grown in fields with lead dust on them. 

In the report A Roadmap to Eliminating Childhood Lead Exposure there is a map of the city which shows that the Bronx has the highest concentration of lead violations. 

DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION EXCEEDS NYC YOUTH MENTORING INITIATIVE GOALS ANNOUNCED TWO YEARS AGO

City agencies, mentoring nonprofits, public schools, and the business community engaged over 15,000 New Yorkers as volunteer mentors to nearly 56,000 high school students

  In celebration of National Mentoring Month, the de Blasio administration announced today that it has more than doubled the number of mentee experiences and increased the number of volunteer mentors by nearly 60 percent. Last year, over 56,000 New York City high school students had a mentorship experience thanks to over 15,000 volunteer mentors in programs associated with the NYC Youth Mentoring Initiative.

“Two years ago, our City’s public and private sector joined forces to invest in our City’s future,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Together, we’ve opened doors of opportunity to more young people through quality mentoring, supporting and encouraging the leadership of thousands of students. I want to thank every mentor who shares their time and life experience with a young person to support their success.”

“The 15,000 New Yorkers who answered the call to serve as volunteer mentors is evidence of a powerful swell of civic engagement,” said NYC Chief Service Officer Patricia Eng. “NYC Service is so proud to be part of this movement and I want to give special thanks to our city, nonprofit, and business partners for coming together to show more young people their voices, dreams, and futures matter.”

“Great mentors empower our students and provide invaluable knowledge and connections that can last a lifetime,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “I thank NYC Service and our public, private, non-for-profit, and cultural partners for helping our students achieve their dreams and succeed in college and careers. This work is essential to our vision of Equity and Excellence for every New York City public-school student.”

Launched in January 2017, the NYC Youth Mentoring Initiative, a collaborative effort between schools, City agencies, mentoring nonprofits, and the business community, aimed to double the number of high school students engaged in mentorship experiences (from 20,000 to 40,000) and increase the number of volunteer mentors by 55 percent (from 9,000 to 14,000).

“We are truly grateful to Mayor de Blasio and our partners across the City for recognizing the importance of this national movement, and for inspiring role models to become mentors and help extend ladders of opportunity to our next generation of New Yorkers,” said Department of Youth & Community Development Commissioner Bill Chong. “In our DYCD Mentoring Program alone, more than 600 mentees and 100 mentors took part in programs this past year stressing leadership skills, college and career planning, and promoting positive self-images.Whether helping mentees study for a test, learn a new skill, or lift them up after a setback, mentors provide our youth with the strength and resilience to move forward and set their sights even higher.”

Dawn Smalls’ Plan To Address NYC’s Homelessness Crisis

The HOPE survey, which aims to tally an accurate number of Homeless New Yorkers, is set for tonight. Dawn Smalls, candidate for Public Advocate, will be participating in the effort which she hopes will continue to shed light on the total population of homeless New Yorkers - from the people sleeping in the streets to the growing number of women and children being shuffled from shelter to shelter around the city.

"There has long been a perception in NYC that homeless people are riddled with mental illness or drug addiction. Yet, there are more homeless children under the age of 6 than single men," said Smalls of the crisis facing the city. "That is why this survey is so important - so that we can get the full picture of who is living on the streets and who is making it into the shelter system. That way, we can be sure to provide the best services and solutions for those in need."

Smalls has made housing and homelessness one of her major priorities over the course of her campaign for Public Advocate, vowing to dedicate a team to focus on the issue day in and day out if elected to office. She proposes a three-point plan to reduce homelessness:

1. Prioritize women and children first. Smalls proposes adding women and children living in shelters and transitional housing to those given preference for affordable housing lotteries, which currently includes individuals with disabilities or individuals living within the same Community Board district.

2. Expedite transitions to long term housing. Smalls would advocate to increase the availability of supportive housing with physical and mental health services, prioritize transitions to permanent housing instead of offering generous checks to short-term landlords, and ensure that voucher values increase in line with rents.

3. Initiate a 'Children's Advocate' program: Smalls would seek to appoint ‘Children’s Advocates’ to help homeless and low-income families navigate the school system and other services that will help children feel safe and secure. She intends to build a coalition between the Departments of Mental Health, Housing, and Education to help leverage the funds so that advocates can address the academic, mental health, and social challenges students face when experiencing homelessness.

"As a mother of 3 who is raising my children in this city, I am keenly aware of the long term impact on the social and emotional development of these kids," said Smalls. "I believe we need to reframe the conversation around homelessness to focus on women and children."

You can learn more about the policies Dawn Smalls plans to implement as Public Advocate at dawnfornewyork.com.

Charter Commission Meeting - 1/31, City Hall Council Chambers

NYC Charter Revision Commission 2019’s upcoming meeting on January 31, 6:00 p.m., at City Hall, Council Chambers, where the commission will consider focus areas. This is a meeting, not a hearing, so there will be no public testimony. For more information, visit: http://charter2019.nyc/hearings/8

Police Department City of New York - CompStat Bronx Report Covering the Week 1/14/2019 Through 1/20/2019

                            Week to Date                             Year to Date*
                            2019  2018  % Chg                    2019  2018  % Chg

Murder -               0          2      -100.0                     4         7        -42.9
Rape -                    6          7       -14.3                      20       17         17.6
Robbery -            65        73      -11.0                    178     163          9.2
Fel. Assault-      100      106       -5.7                   289     278          4.
Burglary -            39        25       56.0                   106       84       26.2
Gr. Larceny -      79      110      -28.2                   274      311      -11.9
G.L.A  -                 22        20       10.0                     62        64        -3.1
TOTAL                311      343      -9.33                   933      924       0.97

40th Precinct 
TOTAL                 39        36        8.33                     115      109      5.50
41st Precinct
TOTAL                 15        22      -31.82                    37          44    -15.91
42nd Precinct
TOTAL                 28        26         7.69                    96          67      43.28
43rd Precinct
TOTAL                 20        40       -50.00                  83         113     -26.55
44th Precinct
TOTAL                 42        37         13.51                   99         124     -20.16
45th Precinct
TOTAL                 17        19       -10.53                   65           50       30.00
46th Precinct
TOTAL                 39        36          8.33                  100          79       26.58
47th Precinct
TOTAL                 45        38        18.42                  111         105        5.71
48th Precinct
TOTAL                 12        24       -50.00                   50           53       -5.66
49th Precinct
TOTAL                 16        26       -38.46                   55           66      -16.67
50th Precinct
TOTAL                 14        11        27.27                    46           35        31.43
52nd Precinct
TOTAL                 24        28       -14.29                   76           79        -3.80

Brooklyn South
TOTAL               208      243       -14.40               652         671        -2.83
Brooklyn North
TOTAL               241      263         -8.37               721         710         1.55
Manhattan South
TOTAL               229      276       -17.03               723         717         0.84
Manhattan North
TOTAL               185      204         -9.31               548          597       -8.21
Queens South
TOTAL               147      174       -15.52               400          454      -11.89
Queens North
TOTAL               164      187       -12.30               477          499        -4.41
Staten Island
TOTAL                 36        49       -26.53               125          127        -1.57

EDITOR'S NOTE:

It should be noted that there are 12 police precincts in the Bronx. Brooklyn South has 12 precincts, Brooklyn North has 10 precincts, Manhattan South has 10 precincts, Manhattan North has 12 precincts, Queens South has 8 precincts, Queens North has 8 precincts, and Staten Island has 4 precincts. 

Is it to early to notice any crime patterns, but of the only two Bronx precincts that reported a drop in Murder and rape in 2018 the 46th precinct was one of the four precincts that show the greatest increase in overall crime. the 50th precinct which showed the second most increase in murder and rape in 2018 is now the precinct with the second greatest increase in overall crime. In August 2018 extra police officers were assigned to the 40th and 48th precincts. Last week extra police officers were assigned to the 40th, 41st, and 42nd precincts. While the 42nd precinct shows the greatest increase in overall crime for the first three weeks of 2019, the 45th, 46th, and 50th precincts show the three other highest increases in overall crime.

What did I know on January 8th when I said to Mayor Bill de Blasio (at a press conference at Lincoln Hospital) that crime was on the increase in the Bronx, especially the 50th precinct where overall crime has risen all three weeks of 2019?

All crime figures come from the NYPD CompStat reports. 

Bronx Democratic County Committee - Judicial Screening Application Now Open!

Judicial Screening Application Now Open!    The Independent Judicial Screening Committee of Bronx Democratic Party (IJSC) is currently accepting applications for all of the elected judicial positions that will occur in the 2019 election in and for the Bronx and the City of New York.  All potential candidates for Judge of the Civil Court of the City of New York and Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York must complete and submit a 2019 questionnaire. Questionnaires must be completed and submitted no later than Friday, February 1st at 4:00 p.m. to the office of Ululy Rafael Martinez located at 3602b East Tremont Avenue, Bronx, NY 10465. Candidates who qualify will be interviewed by a judicial screening panel on Saturday, February 9th at the Law Office of Jose Antonio Rodriguez, located at 644 Soundview Avenue, Bronx, NY 10473.  For more information on the application process, please visit: http://bronxdems.org/ijsc/  P.O. Box 580032 652 East 187th Street Bronx, NY 10458 T: 347-281-9759 www.bronxdems.org info@bronxdems.org