BP DIAZ ANNOUNCES FINAL REGISTRATION PUSH FOR TOUR DE BRONX 2019

  Today, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. joined The Bronx Tourism Council, and Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation at Joyce Kilmer Park, to encourage registration for the 25th Annual “Tour de Bronx,” the largest free bicycling event in New York State.

The Tour de Bronx, taking place on Sunday, October 27, 2019, – sponsored by Montefiore health System, BronxCare Health System, St. Barnabas Hospital, Mercy College, Zipcar, Patricia Lynch Associates, Target and Unlimited Biking – drew over 6,000 bicyclists, last year, from throughout New York City and from around the world.

Borough President Diaz encouraged riders interested in participating in the Tour de Bronx to sign up at www.tourdebronx.com.

“I am excited it is that time of the year again, that time of the year where we get to welcome thousands of local and internationals cyclists and biking enthusiasts who descend to our great borough for the Tour de Bronx,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “Riding a bike around The Bronx is not only a great way to rediscover our beautiful borough as well as showcasing alternative modes of transportation, but it also complements our ‘#Not62’ health initiative, highlighting the ways we can stay health, as a community.”

“It is wonderful to see how this amazing event has evolved in the last 25 years. We enjoy the company of cyclists from all over the globe!” said Bronx Tourism Council Executive Director Olga Luz Tirado.

The event offers both a 25-mile and 40-mile course, each of which winds through dozens of beautiful Bronx neighborhoods, historic districts, parks, waterfront, Greenway paths and more. Both routes culminate at the New York Botanical Garden for end-of-ride refreshments and a music festival.

The Tour De Bronx event has grown exponentially since its inception, with the 2014 edition of the Tour de Bronx having seen a record-breaking 7,500+ participants from all over the country gather on the Grand Concourse.

Log onto www.ilovethebronx.com to register.

BP Diaz Jr. is joined by several of the sponsors of the Tour De Bronx.

PUBLIC ADVOCATE WILLIAMS RESPONDS TO THE DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION'S MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS RESPONSE RECOMMENDATIONS

"In the yearlong delay since this report was set to be released- which still has not been seen by the public nor the task force members, even as its recommendations are implemented- the conversation around mental health crises has shifted in language and policy. We need to treat mental health crises as health emergencies, not criminal acts, as I laid out in my office's report last month. However, while these recommendations outline some policy shifts which I am glad the administration has agreed to, the focus and resources aimed at the NYPD, including a co-response model, is not the direction the city should be going toward in the long term. We need a non-police first response to mental health crises, and this plan does not even put us on a path toward that goal. "We already ask too much of law enforcement, and a criminal response to a medical emergency only heightens the chance of tragedy and reduces the likelihood that those in need will call for help in the first place. A team of mental health responders, sent out by a dispatcher well-trained in recognizing mental health emergencies, from a newly designated emergency number, is the path forward, and I hope to continue to work with the administration toward these critical reforms."

Bernie Sanders Visits Parkchester With AOC

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez points to where she lives, across the street from the diner she frequents, and where she and Bernie Sanders are.

  After a record breaking crowd in Queens to hear an endorsement by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of Democratic Candidate for President Bernie Sanders the two came to Parkchester. It was at Ellie's Diner, often visited by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez where they dropped in. 

The diner was packed with AOC and Bernie Sanders supporters to "Feel the Bern", and listen to Presidential candidate Sanders. After the speech it was time to try to get a selfie with Berine as he went around the room. AOC and Bernie then went on to their next stop.

Above - AOC brings Bernie Sanders and his wife Pat into Ellie's Diner at the Metropolitan Oval in the heart of Parkchester.

Below - Bernie gets ready to address the crowd inside the diner.

Above - Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez introduces Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Below - Democratic Presidential Primary candidate Bernie Sanders speaks to the crowd in the diner.

Below - After his speech Bernie went around the room speaking personally to his supporters, and taking photos with many so they could "Remember the Bern".

CITY INVESTS $391 MILLION IN COMMUNITIES AND COMPREHENSIVE REFORMS TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

The investments are part of the plan to close Rikers Island and usher in a new era for New York City

 The City Council Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings and Dispositions and the Committee on Land Use voted on Wednesday to approve the plan to close the jails on Rikers Island and build four new borough-based facilities. Today, the plan will go before the full City Council for a vote, culminating a years-long effort propelled by the strong advocacy of the formerly incarcerated to shutter Rikers Island.

The vote occurs as Mayor de Blasio, Speaker Johnson and Council leadership agree to a wide-range of investments tied to the closure of Rikers totaling $391 million dollars, including $126 million in previously planned investments and $265 million in new programming that will address the root causes of incarceration and help fundamentally reshape New York City’s criminal justice system going forward. These investments are being announced in detail for the first time today.

This massive decarceration effort establishes New York City as a leader in criminal justice reform and pioneer in ending mass incarceration. The number of New Yorkers entering jail has declined by nearly half in the past 6 years. The jail population has declined from 11,000 in 2014 to about 7,000 today, and is projected to be approximately 3,300 by 2026.

“When we pledged to close Rikers Island, we made a promise to transform a broken criminal justice system and give back to the communities that have experienced the effects of mass incarceration firsthand, said Mayor de Blasio. “By investing in neighborhoods and putting people on the path to success, we are making good and getting closer to a day where we’re the fairest, big city in America.”

“For far too long, this city’s answer to every societal problem was to throw people in jail. Because of that, we lost generations to mass incarceration, mostly young men of color. These investments are at the heart of our plan to close Rikers. We are investing $391 million in our communities to not only reform our system, but also address the root causes of incarceration. This includes $265 million in brand new spending for programming and capital projects, and is on top of the $40 million increase in criminal justice spending this Council won in the FY20 budget in preparation of closing Rikers. I am proud of this plan, and grateful to my fellow Council Members, particularly Council Members Diana Ayala, Margaret Chin, Karen Koslowitz, and Stephen Levin, as well as Adrienne Adams, Chair of the Subcommittee of Landmarks, Keith Powers, Chair of the Criminal Justice Committee, the de Blasio administration and the longtime advocates for their partnership in this joint effort to usher in a new era for New York City,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson. 

Reducing Incarceration through Prevention, Diversion, and Reentry

In its aim to provide safe and smart diversion from jail, the plan adds over $71 million for alternatives to detention and incarceration and reforms to the Department of Correction, building on $126 million in annual investments to reduce justice involvement, support communities, and make our justice system smaller, safer, and fairer.

Highlights of those investments and policy changes include:

·         $54 million expansion of pretrial services including Supervised Release, the City’s primary diversion program, which has prevented 15,000 people from entering jail since its inception in March 2016. This program will be expanded to become an option for people facing every type of criminal charge. 

·         $17 million in new funds to expand and continue Alternatives to Incarceration programs that will now serve 7,300 people per year, which will reduce the number of people serving sentences in City jails.

·         Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice will invest in a planning grant for The Imagining Project, a collaboration between the Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and the Columbia University Justice Lab, an organization whose long term mission is to create a plan for getting to zero incarceration and minimal convictions for youth age 25 and under. A similar effort with the Center for Court Innovation will create a community justice center to provide community-based programming in the Far Rockaways, with a focus on providing alternatives to arrest and incarceration and reducing recidivism post-incarceration.

·         Building on the existing investment in in-custody programming and reentry services, the City is restructuring such services to ensure access to comprehensive social services and access to paid transitional employment post-release for everyone leaving City jails.

·         Services to support incarcerated individuals facing medical and mental health issues, including: doubling the number of therapeutic treatment units in the jails, known as the Program for Accelerated Clinical Effectiveness, or PACE; expanded mental health discharge planning services; and a new program to help ensure continuity of medical care for those exiting City jails.

·         Expanded programming for social and emotional learning to help school communities be more proactive in changing school culture and climate, with the goal to foster and maintain a supportive school environment while reducing conflict.

·         Requiring every detention facility to have dedicated administrative space for community based providers as well as dedicated space for services and programming in every housing unit. Also requiring new trainings for correction officers, program staff, and healthcare staff to participate in together.

·         Expanded pre-arraignment diversion that will allow more people to avoid prosecution and have their arrests sealed

·         Increased funding to community-based restorative justice programming, with a particular focus on serious felony level cases that would otherwise result in detention and incarceration. This model will invest in community-based infrastructure in conjunction with the District Attorneys and courts.\

·         Commitment to build a Community Justice Fund through a public-private partnership managed by the Mayor’s Fund that would strengthen the fabric of community justice and safety by focusing on developing programming and policies for truly communities based investments. 

Address the Root Causes of Incarceration Through Investments In Housing and Community-Based Mental Health Services

The City will increase the number of supportive and transitional housing units dedicated to serving people who are homeless, have health needs, and histories of justice involvement to 1,000

·         In addition to the investment in expanding the Justice Impacted Supportive Housing (JISH) program from 120 to 270 beds, the City will create an additional 230 JISH units for people who are homeless with a history of justice involvement. This brings the total JISH bed commitment to 500 units.

·         In addition to baselining the City’s current $5 million investment in transitional housing for people with justice involvement, the City will increase funding to $25M (increasing the number of units from 100 to 500 by FY23) for transitional housing services enable people to avoid jail by participating in ATDs and ATIs and stabilize post-release.

·         Commitments, adopted from the NYCCrisis Prevention and Response Task Force recommendations that ensure people with behavioral health needs are provided medical treatment and community-based responses to limit justice-involvement.  Highlights of these investments include 8 new New Health Engagement and Assessment (HEAT) teams to proactively engage people at risk of mental health crises. These teams – which include one clinician and one peer – connect people to care and other stabilizing support, preventing mental health needs from becoming crises.

·         Other highlights include 6 Mobile Crisis Teams, which ensure a more rapid response by mental health professionals and peers to those in mental health distress, and 4 new Intensive Mobile Treatment teams, which provides proactive and sustained engagement with those individuals with behavioral health needs. This commitment will also include 4 new co-response teams in high need precincts, in which police officers and mental health clinicians work together to respond to 911 calls involving those in mental health distress.

Community Based Violence Reduction

To increase investment in neighborhood based and community led programs that improve public safety and reduce violence, the City will invest additional $2.7M in new investments and expanded Cure Violence programming in 6 areas including:

 ·         25th Precinct in East Harlem, encompassing New York City Housing Authority's (NYCHA’s) Senator Robert F. Wagner, Sr. Houses

·         40th Precinct in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, encompassing NYCHA's Judge Lester Patterson Houses and Mitchel Senior Center Houses

·         113th Precinct in Southeast Queens, encompassing the southeastern area of Jamaica, Queens, along with St. Albans, Hollis, Springfield Gardens, South Ozone Park, South Jamaica, Addisleigh Park, and Locust Manor.

·         47th Precinct in the Eastchester neighborhood of the Bronx, encompassing NYCHA's Edenwald Houses.

·         60th Precinct in Southern Brooklyn, encompassing Coney Island, Brighton Beach, West Brighton Beach, and Sea Gate.

·         67th Precinct in Central Brooklyn, encompassing East Flatbush and Remsen Village

New neighborhood investments, announced today, will support communities surrounding the borough-based jails through new affordable housing, youth programming, community and cultural centers.

These local investments include:

 ·         New programming and recreation spaces for young people that give them safe and productive environments. This includes two new community centers in the South Bronx at 1080 Ogden Avenue and at 337 East 139th Street, and investments in NYCHA community centers in the South Bronx at Mill Brook, Mitchel, Patterson and Mott Haven Houses.

·         New affordable housing in the South Bronx at 351 Powers Avenue and 320 Concord Avenue.

·         Capital improvements at Samuel Gompers High School, and P.S. 99 and P.S. 139 in Queens. Technology investments for P.S. 65 in the South Bronx

·         New performing arts space and initial city support for acquisition of a permanent home for the Museum of Chinese in America, at 215 Centre Street in Manhattan.

·         Support for Chung Pak senior housing adjacent to the Manhattan borough-based jail site and small business relocation assistance.

·         Upgrades to Columbus Park in lower Manhattan, including renovations to the comfort station and the pavilion.

·         Streetscape improvements around the Brooklyn borough-based jail site.

·         Upgrades to Queens Community House located at 80-02 Kew Gardens Road

Design Changes That Better Integrate New Facilities Into Their Surrounding Communities

Negotiations between the Mayor’s Office and Council will result in additional improvements to the City’s plan to build borough-based jail facilities to prioritize therapeutic environments, and culture change in all aspects of the borough-based jail system, and to better integrate DOC and programmatic staff. About 40% of the housing units across the borough-based system will be dedicated therapeutic units with specific staffing and services to better serve people with mental health, substance use, and complex medical needs.

This effort was born from a commission created by the City Council in 2016, and led by former New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, to study how to improve our jail system and our criminal justice system as a whole.

In 2018, the de Blasio administration initiated the Uniformed Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process to site the new borough-based jails. Through months of engagement, both locally in communities with proposed jail sites, and also more broadly with criminal justice stakeholders, the plan to site borough-based jails evolved to maximize investments in addressing the underlying causes of incarceration, transform our justice system, and respond to local community-based concerns about building scale.

In addition, to ensure that Rikers Island is never again used to incarcerate people, the City Council will vote today  to initiate a City Map change that will restrict the use of detention centers on Rikers Island after December 31, 2026, thus requiring such facilities to close.

Additional details and a full list of commitments are included in a Points of Agreement letter signed by the Mayor and received by the Council on October 16, 2019.

MS-13 Leaders Charged With Racketeering, Narcotics, And Firearms Offenses

Indictment Includes High-Ranking Members of the Governing “Table” of the L.A. Program of MS-13 from New York, California, and Tennessee

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Peter C. Fitzhugh, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging AMILCAR ROMERO, a/k/a “Soldado,” JAIME SANTANA, a/k/a “Smiley,” JOSE GARCIA, a/k/a “Tricky,” and ALEXANDER RIVERA, a/k/a “Extrano,” with racketeering conspiracy and narcotics distribution conspiracy.  CRISTIAN GUERRERO-MELGARES, a/k/a “Enigma,” and GUSTAVO LLEVANO-RIVERA are charged in the narcotics conspiracy count.  Several defendants also face firearms charges.

GARCIA, GUERRERO-MELGARES, and RIVERA were arrested have been presented today before Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron.  SANTANA was arrested last night and will be presented today in the Middle District of Tennessee.  ROMERO is currently in state custody in California on other charges and will be transferred to federal custody in New York and presented at a later date.  LLEVANO-RIVERA remains at large.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “The defendants in this case include alleged leaders of the L.A. Program of MS-13, operating across the United States.  They and their co-defendants are alleged to have engaged in acts of violence, narcotics distribution, and the use of firearms.  Thanks to our remarkable partners at HSI and the NYPD, the defendants now face federal charges for these very serious crimes.”

HSI Special Agent-in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said:  “Today, three high ranking members of MS-13 were arrested for various charges, including, racketeering, drug distribution and firearms offenses.  These three gang members allegedly utilized violence and intimidation in order to further their criminal enterprise.  HSI New York and our other field offices around the country continue to work with our local law enforcement partners to combat MS-13.  It is only through these coordinated efforts that we will be able to disrupt and ultimately dismantle this gang.”

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “Targeting gangs and crews, and preventing the violence so often associated with their illegal activities, continues to be among the highest priorities for the NYPD and our law enforcement partners.  By precisely targeting the relatively small percentage of individuals responsible for committing much of the violence in New York, we are making the safest large city in America even safer.  We remain relentless in our efforts to identify, arrest, and prosecute anyone who allegedly involves themselves in such criminal behavior.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court as well as court filings[1]:

ROMERO, SANTANA, GARCIA, and RIVERA are members of a transnational racketeering enterprise known as Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, which operates throughout North and Central America, including in El Salvador, Mexico, New York, California, Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.  In order to enrich the enterprise, protect and expand its criminal operations, enforce discipline among its members, and retaliate against members of rival gangs, members and associates of MS-13 committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence; distributed and possessed with intent to distribute narcotics, including methamphetamine and cocaine; and obtained, possessed and used firearms.

MS-13 is organized into chapters called “cliques.”  Groups of cliques, in turn, are aligned as “programs.”  Each program is governed by a group of senior gang leaders known as the “table.”  ROMERO, SANTANA, and GARCIA are high-ranking members of the table of the “L.A. Program” of MS-13.

ROMERO, 50, SANTANA, 39, GARCIA, 31, and RIVERA, 31, are charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison. Those four defendants, as well as GUERRERO-MELGARES, 32, and LLEVANO-RIVERA, 23, are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute: (i) 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, (ii) 500 grams and more of mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and (iii) mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of cocaine, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. SANTANA, GARCIA, and GUERRERO-MELGARES are charged with possessing, carrying, and using firearms during, in relation to, and in furtherance of, the narcotics conspiracy, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.  SANTANA and RIVERA are charged with possessing firearms while unlawfully or illegally in the United States, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of HSI and the NYPD.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment as well as the referenced letter constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.

Multiple Homicides in the 32 Precinct, Manhattan October 18, 2019

Remarks as prepared for Deputy Chief Martine N. Materasso

The information I'm going to provide you is preliminary as the investigation is in its early stages and is ongoing.

As of this moment, I can tell you that there are three individuals deceased from gunshot wounds to the head stemming from an earlier dispute inside of 26 West 131 Street and there are no outstanding subjects.

This afternoon at 2:43 pm, uniformed officers from the 32nd Precinct responded to a report of shots being fired inside of 26 West 131st Street. The responding officers made entry into the location and discovered a 78-year old male lying in the 1st floor hallway with a gunshot wound to his head.

The officers then heard an unknown male yelling from inside of apartment 1A, "Come and get it," while barricading himself inside of the apartment. The officers immediately secured the location and requested the Emergency Service Unit to responded. While securing the location the officers noticed smoke coming from inside of the apartment.

Moments later, Emergency Service Unit Officers gained entry into the apartment and discovered a 59-year-old male inside of the bathroom with, what appears to be, a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

FDNY personnel also responded to the location and extinguished the fire. Upon a search of the building for additional victims, members from the FDNY discovered a 62-year old female in the second floor hallway with a gunshot wound to her head.

At this time, our preliminary investigation reveals that the 59-year old suspect was involved in a verbal dispute with the 78-year old male victim before shooting him in the head. After shooting the first victim, the suspect then went to the second floor and shot the 62-year old female, before barricading himself inside of his apartment and shooting himself.

Additionally, we have recovered two firearms from inside of the suspects apartment.

Who is spending $119,982.00 to try to get Rank Choice Voting passed?

Committee for Ranked Choice Voting NYC

To advocate for the passage of ranked choice voting  in New York City.

Principal Owners   Principal Officers and Board Members

Name                      Organization title                  Employment

Susan Lerner          President             Executive Director Common Cause 
                                                            New York

Betsy Gotbaum      Board Member       Executive Director Citizens Union

Gerald Polner         Treasurer                Retired

Maya Wiley            Board Member             Senior VP for Social Justice the 
                                                        New School - Schools of Pu, New York.

Seth London           Secretary                        Campaign Strategist Ground                                                                                          Control Partners 


Candidate/Proposal                    total spending 
Q1: Elections     Proposal                  119,982  
total‎:                                                  119,982 

ANNUAL GRACIE MANSION HALLOWEEN TICKET GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCED

Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray today announced the opening of the annual Gracie Mansion Halloween ticket giveaway. Guests will experience the historic Gracie Mansion home and grounds in a “haunted” Halloween-themed atmosphere. Tricks and treats will be available.

New Yorkers can get tickets at www.nyc.gov/GracieHalloween or call 311. Tickets are limited. The event is recommended for families with children ages 6-10. 

Gracie Mansion’s Halloween décor and festivities are sponsored by the May Ellen & Gerald Ritter Foundation, Discovery, Inc., Blick Art Materials, TDF Costume Collection,  The LEGO Group, Scholastic Education, Gristedes/D’Agostino Supermarkets, #Snazaroo, Whole Foods Market, Mars Incorporated, Utz/Clem Snacks, Inc., MUD, Make-up Designory, GrowNYC, Cabot Creamery Cooperative, John D Madura Farm, S & SO Produce, Hoeffner Farms, VanHouten Farms, and Togo Orchards II.

WHAT:           Mayor de Blasio and First Lady McCray’s Halloween at Gracie Mansion

WHEN:           Friday, October 25, 2019

5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Saturday, October 26, 2019

2:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Sunday, October 27, 2019

12:00 PM to 3:00 PM

WHERE:         Gracie Mansion

                        88^th Street and East End Avenue

                        New York, NY 10128