Dear Friends,
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Wednesday, September 8, 2021
Councilman Mark Gjonaj's Hurricane Ida Aftermath Resources
120 Days and Counting - Murder is down, Except in the Bronx
I had my City Hall in the Bronx in August. The murder rate in the city was down from from 58 in 2020 to 53 this year or a drop of 8.6 percent. Keep up the good work Commissioner Shea and the NYPD. So far citywide there have been 304 murders in 2021, and that is 3 less than there were for the same period in 2020.
In the Bronx however the murder rate went up from 15 August 2020 to 24 in August 2021 or an increase of 60 percent, and the total for the year in murder in the Bronx went up from 75 in 2020 to 105 so far in 2021. In all of 2020 there were 111 murders in the Bronx, and with four months to go we will surpass the 2020 total very soon. It is quite possible the we could come close to the number of murders in the Bronx in 1998 which was 166 murders in the Bronx, according to the Comp Stat figures the police Department keeps.
I can't understand that. The Bronx only has about 18 percent of the city's population, but has over 35 percent of the city's murders, then again under Mayor Bill de Blasio the Bronx has over 37 percent of the homeless population, with little if any of the services they need. Let me send more homeless people to the Bronx, this time to the East Side of the Bronx where there have not been any. Anyone, do you have any thoughts on why the murder rate is so high in the Bronx?
NYPD Announces Citywide Crime Statistics for August 2021
Murder, Shooting Incidents and Overall Crime Declines Compared with August 2020
For the month of August 2021, the number of murders and shooting incidents in New York City declined compared with August 2020. Murder decreased by 8.6% (53 v. 58) while shooting incidents decreased by 30.7% (167 v. 241). Overall crime in the city decreased by 5.4% (8,824 v. 9,330) in August. While the department made 343 gun arrests for the month of August 2021, a 6.3 % decrease compared with last August, gun arrests for the first eight months of 2021 have increased by 37% (3,025 v. 2,208) compared with gun arrests through August 2020 and are up 30.3% (3,025 v. 2,321) compared with the number of gun arrests through August 2019.
In August 2021, the decrease in overall index crime in the city, compared with August 2020, was driven by a 27.2% decrease in burglary (998 v. 1,371), and a 10.9% decrease in robbery (1,156 v. 1,298). For the month of August, Grand Larceny Auto decreased by 5% (1,022 v. 1,076), while the crime of grand larceny posted a 4.1% increase (3,422 v. 3,287) compared to the previous year.
The crime reductions of August deepen those experienced in June and July, reflecting the NYPD’s relentless focus on precision policing to reduce violence across New York City. In fact, the number of overall index crimes reported in the city through the end of August is the lowest tally for the first eight months of any calendar year since the start of the modern CompStat era nearly three decades ago.
Our NYPD officers have made consistent progress in curtailing gun violence, anchored by the department’s continuing to build strong long-term cases against those who carry out violence using firearms. For the month of August, the number of shootings declined in every borough of the city except Staten Island, where the number remained constant (2 v. 2), compared to the previous year. As we have repeatedly said, there is more work to do to continue driving down the kind of violence that tears at the fabric of our city. Our officers relentlessly work to connect those who commit violent acts with their crimes and thus boost our ability to clear cases and ensure a measure of justice for victims. As the court system expands its operational capacity, the NYPD and its prosecutorial partners will continue presenting long-term case investigations that expressly hold accountable these drivers of violence.
Integral to the department’s steady public safety strategy is working with community partners, addressing local concerns and implementing intelligence-driven plans. Every act of violence that occurs is analyzed in real time by NYPD commanders who remain flexible in their deployment of officers to violence hotspots as well as their strategic use of overtime to increase police presence at critical times. The NYPD spares no resource and monitors every emerging crime trend to best utilize its committed personnel and to ensure offenders face meaningful criminal justice consequences.
“Every day, our Police Department, and our hardworking men and women who make it up, are continuing to develop better ways to police, encouraging better community relations and ensuring community safety for all,” said Police Commissioner Dermot Shea. “Our city’s common future depends on this unwavering commitment to safety, fairness, intelligence-driven policing, targeted deployments, and state-of-the-art training – all with the continuing aim of reducing the damaging impact of criminality and violence in New Yorkers’ lives.”
Statistics on Index Crimes
| August 2021 | August 2020 | +/- | % | YTD 2021 | YTD 2020 | +/- | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | 53 | 58 | -5 | -8.6% | 304 | 307 | -3 | -1.0% |
| Rape | 141 | 130 | +11 | +8.5% | 986 | 994 | 42 | 4.4% |
| Robbery | 1156 | 1298 | -142 | -10.9% | 8229 | 837 | -144 | -1.7% |
| Fel. Assault | 2032 | 2110 | -78 | -3.7% | 14495 | 13853 | +672 | +4.9% |
| Burglary | 998 | 1371 | -373 | -27.2% | 7673 | 10097 | -2424 | -24.0% |
| Grand Larceny | 3422 | 3287 | +135 | +4.1% | 22890 | 22507 | +383 | +1.7% |
| G.L.A. | 1022 | 1076 | -54 | -5.0% | 6376 | 5435 | +941 | +17.3% |
| TOTAL | 8824 | 9330 | -506 | -5.4% | 60953 | 61486 | -533 | -0.9% |
Here are the Bronx murder rates which was up 60% for August 2021, and Year to date which is up 40% for the year 2021 so far.
CompStat Bronx
Report Covering the Week
8/30/2021 Through 9/5/202
Murder - 28 Day - 2021 2020 Chg - 24 - 15 60.0% increase.
Murder - Year to Date*- 2021 2020 Chg - 105 - 75 40.0% increase.
Representative Adriano Espaillat Hosts 20th Anniversary 9/11 Blood Drive
Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) will host a community blood drive from 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. EDT at the Adam Clayton Powell Office Building, #508 Harlem State Office Building, located at 163 West 125th Street in honor of the heroes and victims who lost their lives on September 11.
"September 11th serves as a reminder to each of us and our allies around the globe of the tragic loss of the nearly 3,000 innocent Americans and our strength as a nation to stand united in the face of terrorism," said Rep. Espaillat.
"As our nation will soon mark the 20th year since the attack, we remember and will never forget the lives lost that fateful day and the lives that have been impacted since. I am grateful to the American Red Cross of the Greater New York Region for collaborating in today's blood drive for residents throughout New York's 13th congressional district and encourage all who are eligible to participate.
"As we honor the lives we lost and reflect on the memories of that fateful day, our nation is forever grateful for the strength and bravery of the individuals who helped their fellow New Yorkers, colleagues at the Pentagon, and fellow passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, and we vow to never forget their sacrifices that continue to impact our nation still today."
To make an appointment call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App or visit RedCrossBlood.org.
About blood donation
To donate blood, individuals need to bring a blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification that are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also must meet certain height and weight requirements.
Donors can also save up to 15 minutes at the blood drive by completing a RapidPass®. With RapidPass®, donors complete the pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of donation, from a mobile device or computer. To complete a RapidPass®, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass
In most cases, those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine are eligible to give blood. However, knowing the name of the manufacturer of the vaccine they received is important in determining donation eligibility.
Blood drive safety
Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and additional precautions – including face masks for donors and staff, regardless of vaccination status – have been implemented to help protect the health of all those in attendance. Residents are encouraged to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive.
City of New York Receives Funding from Con Edison to Install Fast Electric Vehicle Chargers
Funding Will Help Support the Installation of 100 Fast Chargers to Power City Vehicle Fleet, Public Use
The NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) and Con Edison today announced, on World Electric Vehicle Day, that Con Edison has awarded an initial $250,000 to the City of New York towards a portion of its planned installation of 100 fast electric vehicle chargers. The fast chargers will service City of New York fleet vehicles and at least 10 will be available for public use. The funding from Con Edison, part of its PowerReady program, provides incentives to offset the cost of electric infrastructure associated with installing level-2 and DC fast electric vehicle chargers. The funding announced today will reimburse costs for 15 fast chargers across six locations in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Fast charging is up to seven times faster than level 2, or slow charging, and the use of these chargers will extend charging capabilities for City trucks and emergency vehicles. The funding announced today is the first award out of a total of $1.3 million in awards DCAS could potentially receive from Con Edison to support 39 of the City of New York’s 100 fast chargers. Ninety of these fast chargers have been placed in operation so far in the last year.
The City of New York’s municipal vehicle fleet includes 2,350 on-road electric vehicles and 796 off-road electric and solar units, and the entire fleet will be all-electric by 2040. To support this transition, the city currently has 1,061 electric vehicle charging ports to service its fleet. This network is the largest charging network in New York state and includes level-2 chargers, level-3 fast chargers, a mobile charger, and the nation’s largest network of 89 free-standing solar charging carports. The award from Con Edison will support the completion of the City’s first 100 fast chargers as well as help DCAS further expand the charging network.
“The climate crisis is real and it’s urgent, and that’s why the City of New York is transitioning to an all-electric municipal vehicle fleet by 2040,” said Lisette Camilo, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services. “To achieve this ambitious goal, investments in electric vehicle charging infrastructure are crucial. We thank Con Edison for its ongoing partnership in building a more sustainable future for our city.”
“Con Edison is making it easier for our customers to switch to electric vehicles, and we applaud the City of New York for its early leadership in EV adoption and plans to take its fleet all-electric by 2040,” said Raghusimha Sudhakara, Director of Electric Vehicles and Demonstration Projects, Con Edison. “Our PowerReady program is the second largest of its kind in the nation supporting EV charging infrastructure, and will play a vital role in delivering the clean-energy future New Yorkers want and deserve.”
"Investing in electric vehicle infrastructure is critical to the decarbonization of our transportation system and the health and safety of all New Yorkers," said Ben Furnas, the Director of the NYC Mayor's Office of Climate and Sustainability. "Con Edison's ongoing partnership with the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services will advance the building of fast chargers across the city, reduce climate-changing greenhouse gases, and accelerate our transition away from fossil fuels."
“The City of New York operates the largest electric vehicle fleet and electric vehicle charging network in New York state,” said Keith Kerman, NYC Chief Fleet Officer and DCAS Deputy Commissioner. “And these efforts have only just begun. We thank Con Edison for their technical, on the ground, and financial support as we continue to expand our charging network to meet the requirements of an all-electric fleet of over 30,000 units by 2040.”
Con Edison’s PowerReady Program will cover as much as 50% to 90% of the installation cost for the electric vehicle chargers. The New York Public Service Commission issued an order in July 2020 approving the EV PowerReady Program to help New York meet its emissions reduction targets by supporting increased adoption of electric vehicles through statewide deployment of more than 50,000 electric vehicle charging plugs by the end of 2025. In total, $290 million in funding is available under the program.
The City of New York also participates in Con Edison’s SmartCharge program that incentivizes electric vehicle charging during non-peak hours. The City has received $77,000 in support from this program since 2017.
NYC Mayor's Community Affairs Unit: Storm Recovery Updates and Post-Storm Resources
Storm Recovery Updates and Post-Storm Resources
Post-storm resources are available online here https://www1.nyc.gov/
This site contains a growing collection of resources, including the following:
- Get disaster assistance and report damage to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- Get free emergency alerts and updates from Notify NYC
- Find a service center(s) near you
- Transportation to service centers
- Services offered
- Cleaning after a flood
- How to prevent mold growth
- Rumor control
The City is opening service centers
Service Center to provide resources to New Yorkers affected by this emergency.
The following locations will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Bronx
P.S./M.S. 194: 2365 Waterbury Avenue
Bronx, NY 10462
Brooklyn (Red Hook)
P.S. 15: 71 Sullivan Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
Manhattan (lower Central Harlem)
I.S. 88: 215 West 114th Street
New York, NY 10026
Queens
M.S. 125: 4602 47th Avenue
Woodside, NY 11377
Staten Island
I.S. 51: 80 Willowbrook Road
Staten Island, NY 10302
New Yorkers can now get disaster assistance and report damage to FEMA!
President Biden has approved an expedited Major Disaster Declaration that will help provide federal financial relief for New Yorkers recovering from the flooding damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. The counties covered by the declaration include: Bronx, Queens, Kings (Brooklyn), and Richmond (Staten Island).
Apply for disaster assistance and report damage to your property:
Visit https://www.
Call 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. ET, 7 days a week:
1-800-621-3362 (711 or VRS available)
TTY: 1-800-462-7585
If you use a relay service (a videophone, InnoCaption, CapTel, etc.), please provide your number assigned to that service. FEMA must be able to contact you. Be aware that phone calls from FEMA may appear to come from an unidentified number.
Additional multilingual information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding storm recovery can be found here.
State Resources
New York State Department of Financial Services
The New York State Department of Financial Services can provide residents and business owners impacted by the storm with insurance information regarding policy coverage for losses and suggestions on how to document their losses and safeguard their property.
New Yorkers can call the New York State Department of Financial Services' (NYS DFS) Disaster Hotline at 800-339-1759, daily, 8:30 am to 4:30 p.m. and by accessing the website at www.dfs.ny.gov.
Additional in-person help is available on a daily basis at the following locations:
Brooklyn: Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, Main Lobby, 1368 Fulton Street (9am-5pm)
Brooklyn: P.S. 15, 71 Sullivan Street (8am-8pm)
Manhattan: Assemblywoman Carmen De La Rosa's Office, 210 Sherman Avenue, Suite A & C (9am-5pm)
Manhattan: I.S. 88, 215 West 114th Street (8am-8pm)
Queens: Mobile unit, 24-01 87th Street, East Elmhurst (9am-5pm)
Queens: M.S. 125, 4602 47th Avenue (8am-8pm)
Queens: 79-01 Broadway (9am-5pm)
Queens: Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz's Office, 41-40 Junction Boulevard (9am-5pm)
Queens: Senator Leroy Comrie's Office, 113-43 Farmers Boulevard (9:30am-5:30pm)
Bronx: Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernández’s Office, 2018 Williamsbridge Road (9am-5pm)
Bronx: P.S./M.S. 194, 2365 Waterbury Avenue (8am-8pm)
Bronx: Assemblyman Carl Heastie's Office, 1446 East Gun Hill Road (9am-5pm)
Staten Island: Assemblyman Michael Cusick's Office, 1911 Richmond Avenue, #110 (9am-5pm)
Staten Island: Assemblyman Charles Fall’s Office, 853 Forest Avenue (9am-5pm)
Staten Island: I.S. 51, 80 Willowbrook Road (8am-8pm)
Yonkers: Grinton I. Will Library, at 1500 Central Park Avenue (9am-5pm)
Mamaroneck: Village Court House, 169 Mt. Pleasant Avenue (9am-5pm)
Draft State Historic Preservation Plan Available for Review Public Meeting on Draft Plan/Draft GEIS Set for September 28
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) Division for Historic Preservation today announced the release of the Draft New York State Historic Preservation Plan (2021-2026)/Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement.
The State Historic Preservation Plan (SHPP) guides preservation efforts at the local, regional, and state levels. It serves as a blueprint for identifying and preserving New York's historic and cultural resources and is periodically updated to address current needs, issues, and opportunities. Statewide plans are the product of collaboration within OPRHP and broad-based professional, partner, and public involvement from across the State.
A public meeting on the Draft Plan/DGEIS will be hosted online, Tuesday, September 28, 2021, at 6:00 pm. This meeting will be recorded and made publicly available.
During the meeting OPRHP staff will make a presentation about the Plan and be available for a question-and-answer session after the presentation. Free registration in advance of the online meeting will be required in order to attend. To register, please e-mail SHPP.plan@parks.ny.gov no later than Friday, September 24, 2021 at 5:00 pm.
This meeting is accessible to people with language differences and/or disabilities. Any person who needs an interpretive or disability-related accommodation or modification to participate must make a written request no later than close of business on Tuesday, September 14, 2021. The written request must be addressed to the Agency Contact below.
OPRHP encourages the public to participate in the online public meeting for the Statewide Plan and welcomes all comments on the draft documents. An online version of the draft Plan/DGEIS is available at the following publicly accessible website: https://parks.ny.gov/inside-
A non-digital copy of the documents can be provided by the Agency Contact listed below.
Written comments on the Draft Plan/DGEIS will be accepted until close of business on Friday, October 15, 2021, and may be submitted to SHPP.plan@parks.ny.gov or mailed to the contact address below.
Following the comment period, OPRHP will prepare and post a Final State Historic Preservation Plan (2021-2026)/Generic Environmental Impact Statement.
Tuesday, September 7, 2021
Governor Hochul Joins President Biden to Visit Storm Damaged Neighborhood
Governor Hochul: "Ladies and gentlemen, that is the definition of a climate crisis. We're experiencing a climate crisis as we speak, but more than talking about that, it's a humanitarian crisis. And you only have to walk down this street, as I have many times with our elected officials who care so deeply about the people who live here and throughout Queens and all the other effected communities, to know that people that we represent, who put their faith in us, are in pain right now. They're hurting. They look into our eyes and they ask us to help and we will not abandon them. Every one of us here, our elected leaders down from our President, to our Senators, our Congress members, our Assembly members, our Mayors, everyone, including our Council Members, we are here to help."
Hochul: "I'm so proud to say that we've never seen a response like we've seen from President Biden and his administration and our leadership in the Senate and the House of Representatives. They acted so quickly and as a result we have deployed teams on the ground to get immediate assistance to people, but this is a short-term solution, getting them housing, getting them shelter, getting them rental assistance, giving them money to help clean up, giving them food on the table - and that's what President Biden has enabled us to do to help support those efforts."
Good afternoon. I'm New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, and this is my second week on the job. And my third visit to this street, because we had extraordinary circumstance, which happened just over, less than a week ago. And it's ironic to me because one week ago today, as I saw the path of Hurricane Ida, I called the governors of Mississippi, Louisiana to offer the help from New York. And they were grateful. Little did I know that just one day later, we'd be the ones asking for help, that we would have experienced a cataclysmic weather event of proportions, the likes of which have never been seen in our state, the volume of water that came down in a one-hour period from 8:51 p.m. to 9:51 p.m. last Wednesday night broke all the records, and literally the records had been set 10 days before.
Ladies and gentlemen, that is the definition of a climate crisis. We're experiencing a climate crisis as we speak, but more than talking about that, it's a humanitarian crisis. And you only have to walk down this street, as I have many times with our elected officials who care so deeply about the people who live here and throughout Queens and all the other effected communities, to know that people that we represent, who put their faith in us, are in pain right now. They're hurting. They look into our eyes and they ask us to help and we will not abandon them.
Every one of us here, our elected leaders down from our President, to our Senators, our Congress members, our Assembly members, our Mayors, everyone, including our Council Members, we are here to help.
And I'm so grateful to President Biden for being so responsive. He called me immediately, he had our great FEMA administrator call me, he called again, "what do you need?" And after I used to the emergency declaration in the crisis, we put forth a request for a major disaster declaration.
Now just about 10 years ago, I was a member of Congress. Nine years ago, we had Katrina and those of you who had experienced that understood that it took from October until December, even January before the aid came to our state. People were playing politics with people's lives back then, despite the best efforts of our leaders here.
I'm so proud to say that we've never seen a response like we've seen from President Biden and his administration and our leadership in the Senate and the House of Representatives. They acted so quickly and as a result we have deployed teams on the ground to get immediate assistance to people, but this is a short-term solution, getting them housing, getting them shelter, getting them rental assistance, giving them money to help clean up, giving them food on the table - and that's what President Biden has enabled us to do to help support those efforts.
But my friends, we are in this for the long haul. This is not a situation that's going to go away and the way I operate, I'm acting as if this same event could happen again in 10 more days. That's the preparedness that we need to have so this street, this alleyway does not become a raging river destroying the lives of people, their homes and their futures.
It's an emotional day for all of us to see this, but the chance to see these resilient people, and Junior right here, who's the mayor of the streets, Junior, how are you my friend? Junior is here. Junior is in the house. We are here to help you and mark our words here today, the President and none of us believe that we just show up to take pictures and walk away. We are committed to you and the resiliency of this community and this neighborhood. I want to thank every one of you for having the strength.
I don't know where you get it from, because this is one of the hardest hit streets and communities because of COVID as well. Our hospitals were overflowing with people from these neighborhoods just a year ago. So my friends we're not abandoning you we're here for you and we'll continue to be here when you need us.
And with that, I'm going to give a quick introduction to our Senator, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Who's been on the ground constantly. And I want to thank her for her leadership as well. She'll be introducing Senator Schumer and Senator Schumer just from the bottom of my heart as well. Thank you. We walked many streets.
The three of us walked Mamaroneck, other communities as well. The two of you have just an incredible team and we're blessed to have you representing the state of New York. Thank you.