Wednesday, September 7, 2022

TODAY: CITY HALL PRESS CONFERENCE AGAINST BRONX UP ZONING

 

BRONX COALITION AGAINST UP ZONING


The Bronx Coalition Against Up Zoning, along with concerned members of the community will be hosting a press conference TODAY, September 7th at 11am at New York City Hall. The City Council hearing on Bruckner Site upzoning is taking place at City Hall and virtually at 10am. 


The Bronx Coalition Against Up Zoning was formed by community members opposed to up zoning in their neighborhoods, and the Throggs Neck Associates LLC Bruckner Sites project in particular. When the neighborhood was predominantly white, it was down-zoned. Now that it is a quiet safe majority Hispanic neighborhood, problematic developers want to up-zone it.  


WHO: Bronx Coalition Against Up Zoning



WHAT: City Hall Press Conference



WHEN: Wednesday, September 7th at 11am



WHERE: New York City Hall Steps (map)


MAYOR ADAMS, UNIONS, ADVOCATES, RALLY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE EAST BRONX with Editorial Comment

 

Proposed Bruckner Boulevard Project Includes Affordable Homes for Seniors, Veterans

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Adams administration officials today were joined by labor unions, advocacy groups, and Bronx community partners in support of a proposed affordable housing project, with homes for seniors and veterans, on Bruckner Boulevard in Throggs Neck. As New York City continues to face affordable housing and homelessness crises, this project would help realize Mayor Adams’ vision for getting New Yorkers into the safe, high-quality, affordable housing they deserve.

 

“A handful of voices saying ‘No’ can’t stop the ‘City of Yes,’” said Mayor Adams. “Safe, stable, and affordable housing should not be a privilege — but we can only provide that for every New Yorker if we say yes to new affordable housing all across the city. And with family-sustaining jobs, a modern grocery store, and affordable homes, this project will enrich this community and help us make New York a city for everyone. I want to thank our brothers and sisters in labor, all the advocates, and the elected officials who have supported this project and worked so hard to make it a reality.”

 

The proposed Bruckner Boulevard would create 349 new homes for the East Bronx, including 168 with rent protections. Among those homes would be 99 reserved for seniors and 22 for veterans in need, as well as a modernized grocery store and community facilities, including space for local youth after-school programming. If adopted, it would add much-needed housing in a community that produced just 58 new affordable homes between January 2014 and December 2021 — among the lowest of any neighborhood in the city — even while welcoming 10,000 new residents in the last decade.

 

The proposal requires approval by the New York City Council and is being heard today by the Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises. It was approved by the City Planning Commission on August 24, 2022. It has been the subject of significant public engagement in its respective community.

 

On June 1, 2022, Mayor Adams laid out a plan to use the city’s zoning tools to create affordable housing, support small businesses, and promote sustainability — part of his vision for New York to become a more inclusive, equitable “City of Yes.” The Zoning for Housing Opportunity citywide text amendment will encourage the creation of more housing in neighborhoods across the entire city.

 

“Every New York City neighborhood must do its part to create safe, accessible, and affordable homes for New Yorkers. This project will bring hundreds of units of new housing, including permanently affordable housing and homes for seniors and veterans,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. “I’m proud that our administration is supporting these types of projects that will help our city not only recover from the pandemic but also thrive in its wake.”

 

“Tackling our city’s housing shortage means welcoming new neighbors into our communities citywide — and standing up to those who refuse to do so. While the Bruckner rezoning is a small-scale project, it sends an important message,” said Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “New York City is the greatest city in the world because it continues to grow, change, and welcome new people. We must continue to build new housing to serve future New Yorkers and those who are struggling to afford to stay here today. We are all responsible for making this city more affordable, and that starts with projects like this one. I hope the City Council will vote yes and help us house our neighbors.”

 

“This area has seen barely any affordable housing creation over the past decade, and these proposals are an important step in correcting that problem,” said New York City Department of City Planning Director and City Planning Commission Chair Dan Garodnick. “For the sake of seniors, veterans, and all New Yorkers who are struggling to find a place to live, we need to get this done.”

 

“Our city faces a crisis of homelessness and affordability, and every community has to be a part of the solution to expand the supply of housing,” said New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Adolfo CarriĆ³n Jr. “The Bronx is my home, and as a member of this community and this administration, I say yes to more affordable housing, yes to more supportive housing and compassion for our neighbors in need, and yes to more opportunities for New Yorkers to live and grow here. I call on my fellow Bronxites to say yes with me.”

 

“This project is yet another example that New York is the model age-inclusive city. It represents an incredible opportunity to ensure working-class Bronx residents can continue to live in New York City for decades to come,” said New York City Department for the Aging Commissioner Lorraine CortĆ©s-VĆ”zquez. “We must take every opportunity to promote equitable and inclusive housing, and I welcome the City Council’s partnership in this regard.”

 

“The Bruckner Boulevard project strikes a necessary balance by creating new affordable housing that promotes family-sized units for our most vulnerable residents, opportunities for our youth to safely recreate, and a renovated supermarket for the neighborhood to access fresh and healthy food options while providing jobs to the local community,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “This project is an investment in our seniors and veterans who are in desperate need of stable housing, and we have a responsibility as a city to not turn our backs on New Yorkers who have dedicated their lives to giving back to their communities. We should not accept segregated housing of any type in our borough and city and instead should identify ways to welcome new residents and families that add value to our neighborhoods. There are neighborhoods that are saturated with affordable and supportive housing across the city, and lower-density neighborhoods need to take on their fair share of affordable housing. On behalf of the nearly 1.5 million residents I represent, which includes the communities of Throggs Neck and Schuylerville, I want to thank Mayor Adams, the administration, our labor unions, housing advocates, and many others for their commitment to investing in housing equity, recreational activities for our youth, permanent employment opportunities, and amenities for all New Yorkers. Every project has to work on its own merits, and this one does.”

 

“As a Bronx resident and an officer with 32BJ, I see the impacts of our city’s affordable housing crisis in my borough and at work every day,” said Shirley Aldebol, vice president, 32BJ SEIU. “These are urgent and real problems that require courageous and immediate action from our city’s elected officials. Our union is proud to stand with Mayor Eric Adams in support of the Bruckner Rezoning currently going through the ULURP process. This rezoning is a perfect example of how we can tackle these problems at once and create better opportunities for working-class New Yorkers to thrive in this amazing city and neighborhoods like my very own Throggs Neck.”



EDITOR'S NOTE:


It is this project along with the proposed 'Jail Without Walls' project at Jacobi Hospital that will ruin the current open nature of the East Bronx. Soon there will be no difference as building after building will go up in the East Bronx bringing in many more residents than can safely be housed. 


Mayor Adams, where is the needed infrastructure to accommodate all the new buildings that will go up? Where will the extra electricity come from to light the apartments, and charge the electric cars? Where will the public transit system that is missing come from? Will only one smaller grocery store be enough to service all the new incoming people from this and other similar new housing in the East Bronx? Where will the additional needed other services come from? When will certain people who do not live in the East Bronx stop trying to tell the residents of the East Bronx what is best for them, and demand that projects such as this be done, saying 'we are going to shove it down your throats whether you like it or not.' 


Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Meeting Tuesday Sept 13 starting at 7:00pm

 

Please join us on Tuesday Sept 13 starting at 7:00pm as the Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association has their first community meeting after the summer recess at Barnes and Lydig Ave.

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

August 2022 Crime Statistics

 

Fourth-Lowest Number of Shootings in any August since the early 1990s

Overall index crime in New York City increased in August 2022 by 26% compared with August 2021 (11,357 v. 9,014)

For the month of August 2022, the number of overall shooting incidents was driven down in New York City compared with August 2021, marking the fourth-lowest number of shootings for any August in the modern CompStat era. Citywide shooting incidents decreased in August by 30.3% (115 v. 165), driven by steep decreases in the Bronx, southern Queens, and northern Brooklyn. Additionally, the number of murders citywide decreased for the month by 54.2% (27 v. 59) compared to the same period last year, a sign that the NYPD’s work to eradicate violence is taking hold.

More specifically, the NYPD’s array of strategies to remove illegal firearms from the streets is gaining traction as reflected in the department’s seizing more than 4,880 guns year-to-date in 2022. The department’s work is reflected in the citywide gun arrests police officers are effecting, a number that rose in August by 16% (405 v. 349) compared to the same period in 2021. That monthly productivity means that citywide gun arrests through August are at a 27-year high, rising to 3,170 – which is a 4.4% increase compared with the 3,036 gun arrests through the first eight months of last year. Additionally, NYPD officers in August 2022 made 4,011 arrests for complaints of major felony crimes, a 16.3% increase over the 3,450 arrests for major felonies in the same month last year. Arrests for major felonies are up 27.1% (31,033 v. 24,419) so far in calendar 2022, compared with the first eight months of 2021.

Overall index crime in New York City increased in August 2022 by 26% compared with August 2021 (11,357 v. 9,014). Five of the seven major index-crime categories saw increases, driven by a 38% increase in robbery (1,630 v. 1,181), a 34.7% increase in grand larceny (4,687 v. 3,480), and a 31.1% rise in burglary (1,356 v. 1,034).

“In their training, crime-fighting strategies, and relentless commitment, the brave women and men of the NYPD know well the most effective and just ways to battle crime and keep New Yorkers safe – and they will never waver in that trusted mission,” said Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “Your officers have worked in tandem and across boroughs and bureaus throughout this summer to prevent violence and criminal activity. Their success is a strong reflection of NYPD innovations built on gathering timely intelligence, rapid deployment, and the use of effective tactics to engage, investigate, and address matters large and small. Our gun seizures and gun arrests in August – and the corresponding downturn in shooting incidents – indicate a positive corner turn in our fight to stop criminals willing to carry illegal guns and brazenly use them. For the NYPD, victims of crime remain our central focus. We know there is much more work to be done to address crime in our city. We must push forward as we continue to advocate for further refinements to the state’s well-meaning criminal justice reforms that too many recidivists and violent criminals exploit.”

The NYPD, with its precision policing-based enforcement, built momentum in August 2022 in its mission to keep people safe and hold criminals accountable for their crimes. That work has driven a 12.4% reduction (928 v. 1,059) in shooting incidents year-to-date – with 147 fewer shooting victims through the first eight months of 2022 compared to the same period last year – and a 12.1% decrease (284 v. 323) in murders year-to-date through the end of August.

“Any level of violence in New York City – or anywhere – is unacceptable,” said Chief of Department Kenneth Corey. “We know that New York City is safer today than it was when we implemented our Summer Violence Reduction Plan in May. Throughout these months, the NYPD carried out more of its integral work, often in concert with our law enforcement partners, to develop long-term investigations focused on those few New Yorkers willing to pick up guns and use them.”

Shootings in the Bronx in August declined by 46.2% (28 v. 52), compared to the same period a year ago, and by 51.7% (14 v. 29) in southern Queens in the same period. In those and other areas of the city, precinct detective squads, field intelligence officers, patrol officers, and those in the department’s specialty units have all pulled together to share information, remain flexible to shifting conditions, and focus on violent street gangs, crews, and illegal narcotics enterprises. The NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Unit carried on with efforts to locate and seize illegal firearms – and, in many instances, to remove them before they could be sold on New York City’s streets.

A central element of the Summer Violence Reduction Plan is the localized deployment of additional officers – every day – into the precincts, transit districts, and housing developments where New Yorkers need them most. The NYPD’s summer beach detail, which ran through Labor Day, created an increased uniformed presence during the busiest, most crowded time of the year for the city’s public beaches. The Patrol Services Bureau, in alignment with the department’s Highway and Traffic Safety officers, has focused on seizing illegal ATVs and dirt bikes whose drivers pose great dangers on neighborhood streets. Neighborhood Coordination Officers worked every day to glean the complaints of residents and workers throughout the five boroughs and to get their problems solved, with the goal of keeping all New Yorkers safe.

The NYPD’s work will continue as the summer winds down – driven most fundamentally by community concerns. The support and partnership the NYPD receives from people in every neighborhood was highlighted at the Police Academy in Queens on August 10 during the Summer Youth Employment Program’s annual career forum, which was attended by the Police Commissioner. There, more than 800 young people – including many who are deaf and hearing-impaired – explored programs designed to open pathways to their future. Such NYPD programs, centered on youth development, are essential to building trust with all New Yorkers and underscore the important idea that public safety is a shared responsibility between the police and every member of the community. The NYPD will never stop fighting for New Yorkers, and will always work to keep the entire criminal justice system’s focus where it belongs: on the people it serves.

*All crime statistics are preliminary and subject to further analysis, revision, or change.*

Index Crime Statistics: August 2022


August 2022August 2021+/-%
Murder2759-32-54.2%
Rape14414400.0%
Robbery16301181+449+38.0%
Felony Assault23032112+191+9.0%
Burglary13561034+322+31.1%
Grand
Larceny
46873480+322+34.7%
Grand Larceny
Auto
12101004+206+20.5%
TOTAL113579014+2343+26.0%

Additional Statistics For August 2022

      August 2022August 2021 +/-
%Transit
178149+29+19.5%
Housing
541479+62+12.9%
Citywide Shooting
Incidents
115165-49-30.3%

Rape Incident Reporting Statistics: August 2022

(Reports filed from August 1 – August 31 in years indicated)

YearTotal
Incidents
Reported
Incident
Occurred
Same Year
Incident
Occurred
Previous
Year
Incident
Occurred
2 Years
Prior
Incident
Occurred
3 Years
Prior
Incident
Occurred
4 Years
Prior
Incident
Occurred
5+ Years
Prior
2022
144118742013
2021
144114741216
2020
13099842512
2019
162125873415
2018
1681211795313
2017
1251001111210

Rape continues to be underreported. If you are a victim of sexual assault, please come forward. The 24-hour NYPD Special Victims Division hotline is: 212-267-RAPE (7273).

Hate Crimes Stats Summary for August 2022

(Representing Aug. 1 – Aug. 31 for calendar years 2022 and 2021)

Motivation20222021Diff% Change
Asian
75+2+40%
Black
51+4+400%
Disability
0000%
Ethnic
51+4+400%
Gender
20+2+200%
Hispanic
01-1-100%
Jewish
2411+13+118%
Muslim
02-2-100%
Religion
51+4+400%
Sexual Orientation
516+11-69%
White
21+1+100%
TOTAL
5539+16+41%

Note: Statistics above are subject to change, as active possible bias cases may be reclassified to non-bias cases and removed from counted data upon investigation.

MAYOR ADAMS STOPS ADDITIONAL GHOST GUN RETAILER FROM SELLING GHOST GUN KITS TO NYC RESIDENTS

 

Settlement Follows Two Other Settlements in August, City’s June Lawsuit Against Two Remaining Defendants Continues


 New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that another online ghost gun retailer, Salvo Technologies, has stopped illegally selling and delivering gun components — used to assemble illegal and untraceable firearms — to New York City residents. The agreement with Salvo Technologies — doing business as 80P Builder (based in Largo, Florida) — is the third agreement the city has reached with online ghost gun retailers since last month, following a lawsuit filed against five companies in June 2022. The Adams administration announced two previous agreements on August 25 with Rainier Arms (based in North Auburn, Washington) and Rock Slide USA (based in Broadway, North Carolina).

 

“Ghost guns are illegal and deadly, and we will not sit idly by as gun sellers flout the law to turn a profit off of death in our city,” said Mayor Adams. “We will not hesitate to take every necessary action to keep these dangerous weapons out of our city and hold accountable those who put profits over people. Today’s agreement with Salvo Technologies, like the two before with Rainier Arms and Rock Slide USA, stop the illegal selling of ghost gun kits to New York City residents and is another step in our efforts to reduce gun violence across our city. This is about stopping our schools, our businesses, our places of worship, and so many other locations from turning into killing fields.”

 

“This latest settlement is yet another example of the city’s commitment to stop online ghost gun retailers from arming individuals who cause enormous harm in our communities,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Sylvia Hinds-Radix. “Our efforts are ongoing to ensure that ghost gun retailers comply with the law so these dangerous weapons stay out of our city.”

 

As part of today’s agreement with Salvo Technologies, the seller agrees, among other things, to:

  • Immediately stop selling ghost gun components to New York City residents,
  • Implement a technological bar to any such sales in the future, and
  • Provide the city with sales data it can obtain for all such sales since 2020.

 

In addition to Salvo Technologies, Rainier Arms, and Rock Slide USA, New York City filed suit against Arm or Ally (based in Kansas City, Missouri) and Indie Guns (based in Orlando, Florida) in June. Those suits continue. 

 

In addition to the city’s lawsuit, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed her own lawsuit in June against 10 defendants — including the five the city sued — for selling tens of thousands of illegal, unfinished frames and receivers to New Yorkers that were then converted into unserialized, untraceable handguns and assault-style weapons.


Speaker Adrienne Adams, First Women-Majority New York City Council Celebrate Signing of Maternal Health Bills into Law

 

The legislative package, passed by the Council in August, addresses racial disparities, most severely affecting Black women and birthing people

 Speaker Adrienne E. Adams and the New York City Council celebrated the maternal health legislative package, which addresses significant disparities in maternal health, mortality, and morbidity for the first time in the City’s history, being signed into law today.

“Maternal health is a social justice issue that is a matter of life or death for many women and birthing people in our city and country, especially in Black communities,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “This historically diverse and women-majority Council prioritized addressing this issue to reduce the severe inequities faced by Black, Latino, and indigenous people in receiving equitable care. The horrifying lived experiences that have endangered too many lives are finally being acknowledged with concrete policy actions, and the enactment of these laws is a major step forward for our city. This progress would not have been possible without the leadership of women in the Council, and it shows the impact on policy when women are accurately represented in lawmaking.”

While about 30 birthing people in New York City die each year of a pregnancy-related cause, statistics indicate that approximately 3,000 women “almost die,” or experience morbidity, during childbirth, with the majority of cases being people of color. In New York City, Black women are eight times more likely than white women to die from a pregnancy-related cause, and nearly three times more likely to experience severe maternal morbidity than white women. In an effort to address this national maternal health crisis that impacts New York City, the Council crafted a package of bills to expand maternal health services and address systemic inequities that affect women and birthing people, particularly those that disproportionately harm Black, Latino and indigenous people.

The legislative package is a demonstration of the agenda advanced by the City’s first-ever women majority Council, distinguishing how women lead differently in prioritizing solutions for persistent issues that have disproportionately affected women and communities of color. In July, the Council passed a groundbreaking abortion rights package, which was signed into law last month. The Council will continue to take on the longstanding challenges facing women in this city, who are the majority, as well as the millions of families across communities.

The legislative package contains the following:

Introduction 86-A, sponsored by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams by request of the Bronx Borough President, requires the City to conduct public education on standards for respectful care at birth, as well as information regarding: the right to be free from discrimination in relation to pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition, reasonable workplace accommodations for persons who are pregnant or were recently pregnant and caregivers; rights for a person who is pregnant or was recently pregnant under the disability benefits law and paid family leave benefits law, earned safe and sick time act, and temporary schedule change law; and how to access information on appointing a health care proxy.

Introduction 409-A, sponsored by Council Member Farah Louis, requires the Department of Health to post the annual Maternal Mortality and Morbidity report on its website. The annual Maternal Mortality and Morbidity report is mandated per Local Law 188 of 2018 however, there was no requirement for the data to be posted on the department’s website – until now.  

Introduction 482-A, also sponsored by Council Member Louis, requires the Department of Health to provide education on polycystic ovary syndrome and endometriosis, by posting information on its website. DOHMH will also be required to submit a report regarding education efforts on both conditions to the mayor and speaker of the council no later than March 1, 2023.

Polycystic ovary syndrome and endometriosis are known to impact Black women and women of color more severely, due to a range of health access inequities that lead to misdiagnosis, underdiagnosis, and mistreatment. This legislation would expand public awareness about these conditions to ensure New Yorkers impacted by them, especially in communities of color, are more likely to receive appropriate treatment by helping them and their loved ones identify the signs.

Introduction 472-A, sponsored by Council Member Jennifer GutiĆ©rrez, requires the Department of Health to establish a program to train doulas and provide doula services to residents of marginalized neighborhoods in all five boroughs at no cost to the resident. Doulas will be trained in birth equity, trauma-informed care, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, navigating the hospital environment, and support services available to low-income birthing people and their families. DOHMH will also be required to submit a report to the mayor and speaker of the council on the merits of the program.   Doulas provide a humanizing approach to childbirth, giving families physical, emotional and practical support. Providing free doula care would empower birthing people who systemically face maternal mortality – particularly Black New Yorkers. With longstanding inequities and disrespect faced by Black and people of color in the healthcare system, doulas are a comforting and trustworthy alternative.

Introduction 478-A, sponsored by Council Member Crystal Hudson, requires the City to provide education and information regarding services offered by doulas and midwives, the evidence-based benefits of such services, and free and low-cost resources related to such services in the city. The administering agency would also be required to submit to the Mayor and Speaker of the Council, and post online, a report describing the methods of targeted outreach used.

Introduction 490-A, sponsored by Council Member Julie Menin, requires the Department of Health to conduct research on sexual and reproductive health disparities within the city and provide sexual and reproductive health services. In providing these services, DOHMH will have the duty to provide outreach, education, and support to individuals, especially low-income individuals and those without health insurance, regarding issues related to sexual and reproductive health. DOHMH would also make referrals to affordable and accessible services related to contraception, abortion, family planning, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and counseling, testing, and treatment for HIV and sexually transmitted infections.

Introduction 509-A, sponsored by Council Member Althea Stevens, requires the City to administer a public education program that informs the public regarding maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. DOHMH would also be required to report on the total births in the city, disaggregated by vaginal and cesarean sections, and whether the pregnancy was considered low risk. DOHMH would also be required to issue recommendations to reduce maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, including efforts to reduce the risks associated with unplanned cesarean delivery, and efforts to address inequities across patient demographics. While C-sections can be lifesaving, they may also produce long-term and short-term effects like infection and immune development.  This legislation would ensure New Yorkers will receive important information on maternal health and C-sections so they can make proper decisions on their healthcare. Research shows that Black women are more likely to be subjected to cesarean sections than white women, even in low-risk situations. The use of unnecessary cesarean deliveries poses health risks to the mother and child, due to potential complications.

Also included in this package are several resolutions.

Resolution 95, sponsored by Council Member Carlina Rivera, calls on the New York State Legislature to pass legislation that would require maternal health providers to supply individuals with a planned c-section and those who undergo an unplanned c-section with a standardized written communication about the procedure, to ensure universal dissemination of information to improve health outcomes for birthing parents and newborns.

Resolution 205, also sponsored by Council Member Rivera, calls on the New York State Legislature to pass legislation making doula care more accessible to individuals with Medicaid and those without health insurance.

Resolution 92, sponsored by Public Advocate Williams, calls on Congress to pass and the President to sign the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, to make critical investments in and advance policies that would help end preventable maternal mortality and close the racial and ethnic disparities in maternal healthcare.

Resolution 244, also sponsored by Public Advocate Williams, calls on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to expand funding for the Healthy Start Brooklyn doula program, known as By My Side, in order to provide free doula services to low-income birthing parents in Brooklyn who disproportionately face the risks of infant mortality, low birthweight, preterm birth and other challenges.