Third Successful Round of Inspections Targeting Illegal Cannabis and Tobacco Products Carried Out by New York City Sheriff's Office in 80th Assembly District

 

On Monday, October 30, 2023, the New York City Sheriff's Office, working in partnership with the Office of Assemblymember John Zaccaro Jr., conducted another round of targeted inspections in the 80th Assembly District to combat the proliferation of the unlicensed and unregulated sale of cannabis and tobacco products.

This latest round builds upon previous successful targeted inspections carried out on September 14th, 2023 in the Allerton section of the Bronx and on September 18th, 2023 in the Pelham Parkway area.

On Monday, one business (MORRIS PARK SMOKE SHOP & CONVENIENCE INC) located at 1048 Morris Park Ave was found to be in violation of the law. One individual was arrested and charged with the following:

• Criminal Possession of Cannabis in the Third Degree
• Possession or Sale of Unstamped or Unlawfully Stamped Cigarettes 
• Sale of Cannabis with Liquor License

Another business (AM CONVENIENCE V SHOP CORP) located at 2011A Williamsbridge Road was also found to be in violation of the law. 

This resulted in the following penalties:

• Two arrests
• Four C-Summons
• Nine notices of violation (NOV's) with 34 violations and 205 counts of violation
• An estimated $181,200 in penalties.

Seized illegal products included:

• 7,092 flavored vape products
• 1,232 THC vapes
• 634 packages of THC flower weighing a total of 8.66 lbs
• 2,095 THC pre-roll weighing a total of 4.53 lbs
• 383 packages of THC edibles weighing a total of 43.76 lbs
• 147 cartons of untaxed cigarettes 
• 5,351 packages of other tobacco products

“I want to be crystal clear to all those that continue to willfully violate the law and sell illegal and unregulated cannabis and tobacco in your smoke shops throughout the Bronx – your time will come. We will continue our work unabated, and Monday's successful seizure only reinforces our collective goal to respond to quality-of-life issues that deliver real results for our constituents," said Assemblymember John Zaccaro Jr., 80th Assembly District.

“The Sheriff's Office will continue to work collaboratively with all of our law enforcement partners to address this dangerous health and public safety issue in order to protect all New Yorkers. We want to thank Assembly Member John Zaccaro Jr and his team for their continued support. We are working and conferring with our elected officials to explore legislative solutions as well,” said Sheriff Anthony Miranda. 

Attorney General James Secures $328 Million from Uber and Lyft for Taking Earnings from Drivers

 

Uber to Pay $290 Million and Lyft to Pay $38 Million in Largest Backpay Settlement OAG Has Ever Won; Full Amount Will Go to Drivers Who Were Cheated

As Part of the Settlement, Drivers Will Also Receive Mandatory Paid Sick Leave, Minimum Pay, and Other Benefits

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced two landmark settlements totaling $328 million with rideshare companies Uber and Lyft for cheating drivers out of hundreds of millions of dollars. The settlements resolve multi-year investigations into Uber and Lyft, which found that the companies’ policies withheld hard-earned pay from drivers and prevented them from receiving valuable benefits available under New York labor laws. The settlements announced today will return $328 million in back pay to drivers and institute a minimum driver “earnings floor,” paid sick leave, proper hiring and earnings notices, and other improvements in drivers’ working conditions. Uber will pay $290 million and Lyft will pay $38 million into two separate settlement funds which will be entirely distributed to current and former drivers. 

Eligible drivers can file a claim to receive the funds they are owed. Notices concerning the distribution will be delivered to drivers by mail, email and/or text message. Information on the submission, review, and distribution of claims is also available on the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) website. 

“Rideshare drivers work at all hours of the day and night to take people wherever they need to go,” said Attorney General James. “For years, Uber and Lyft systematically cheated their drivers out of hundreds of millions of dollars in pay and benefits while they worked long hours in challenging conditions. These drivers overwhelmingly come from immigrant communities and rely on these jobs to provide for their families. These settlements will ensure they finally get what they have rightfully earned and are owed under the law. My office will continue to make sure that companies operating in the so-called ‘gig economy’ do not deprive workers of their rights or undermine the laws meant to protect them.”  

From 2014 to 2017, Uber deducted sales taxes and Black Car Fund fees from drivers’ payments when those taxes and fees should have been paid by passengers. Uber misrepresented the deductions made to drivers’ pay in their terms of service, telling drivers that Uber would only deduct its commission from the drivers’ fare, and that drivers were “entitled to charge [the passenger] for any tolls, taxes or fees incurred,” though no method to do this was ever provided via the Uber Driver app. Lyft employed a similar method to shortchange drivers from 2015 to 2017, deducting a 11.4 percent “administrative charge” from drivers’ payments in New York equal to the amount of sales tax and Black Car Fund fees that should have been paid by riders. Uber and Lyft also failed to provide drivers with paid sick leave available to employees under New York City and New York state law.  

In addition to paying a total of $328 million in back pay to former drivers, under the settlements, Uber and Lyft have agreed to an “earnings floor,” guaranteeing drivers across the state are paid a minimum rate from dispatch to completion of the ride. Drivers outside of New York City will receive a minimum of $26 per hour, adjusted annually for inflation, ensuring for the first time that the thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers working primarily outside of New York City will be guaranteed minimum pay. Drivers operating in New York City already receive minimum driver pay under regulations established by the Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) in 2019. 

Uber and Lyft drivers will now also receive guaranteed paid sick leave. Drivers will earn one hour of sick pay for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 56 hours per year. Drivers completing rides outside of New York City will be paid a minimum of $26 per hour for sick leave, adjusted annually for inflation. To reflect the New York City minimum driver pay rules that already include an amount for paid time off, drivers completing trips covered by the TLC minimum driver pay rules will be compensated at $17 per hour for sick leave, adjusted annually for inflation. Uber and Lyft will also make updates to their apps to allow drivers to request sick leave through the apps.

Uber and Lyft will also provide drivers with proper hiring notices and earnings statements. The hiring notices will accurately explain the earnings to which drivers are entitled for their work, and the earnings statements will accurately detail the compensation earned for each pay period. The companies will also notify drivers after each ride of the amount paid by the rider. The companies will provide in-app chat support for drivers in multiple languages so they can easily ask questions about their earnings or other work conditions. In addition, drivers will now be able to appeal all deactivations from the Uber and Lyft platforms.

More than 100,000 drivers throughout New York stand to receive settlement funds and the benefits afforded to them under these historic settlements. As a result, these agreements will have a major impact on the economic lives of rideshare drivers, who are predominantly immigrants and often the main source of income for their families. Surveys have shown that in New York City, nine out of ten drivers are immigrants, two-thirds work full-time as drivers, and more than half are the primary breadwinners in their households.

“We are thrilled that our members won this historic victory to recover their stolen income,” said New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) Executive Director Bhairavi Desai. “For years, our union has been fighting to recover stolen wages for New York City Uber and Lyft drivers who were cheated out of better living conditions, timely meals, rest, and leisure. We're proud to be the union that fights for New York City drivers, and we're thankful to Attorney General Letitia James, who stood by workers, believed in our complaint, and understood the urgency of this recovery. We congratulate NYTWA’s legal team that uncovered the wage theft and pursued legal action, the Attorney General’s Labor Bureau who worked diligently on the settlements, Attorney General Letitia James whose leadership brought us to triumph, and our members whose refusal to give up made this day possible.”

Attorney General James would like to thank the New York Taxi Workers Alliance for bringing this matter to the office.

MAYOR ADAMS, CITY PLANNING DIRECTOR GARODNICK CELEBRATE CITY COUNCIL’S PASSAGE OF ZONING REFORM FOR SOUTH RICHMOND, STATEN ISLAND

 

Zoning Changes Will Ease Burdens on Small Properties and Homeowners, While Improving Oversight on Large Lots and Natural Resources

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Dan Garodnick today celebrated the New York City Council’s approval of Mayor Adams’ “South Richmond Zoning Relief,” which will simplify zoning and planning procedures for homeowners, enhance the preservation of natural features, and strengthen community oversight of sensitive sites within the Special South Richmond Development District.

 

Crafted with extensive feedback from elected officials and community members, South Richmond Zoning Relief builds on Mayor Adams’ “Get Stuff Built” plan to streamline the land use process and make it work more efficiently. It also comes as the Adams administration is advancing its three “City of Yes” zoning changes: “City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality” will be reviewed by the City Council this fall, “City of Yes for Economic Opportunity” kicked off public review earlier this week, and “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” will formally start public review in spring 2024.

 

“South Richmond homeowners have been living with a ‘City of No,’ between complicated zoning rules and a mess of red tape when it comes to their own properties. That ends today,” said Mayor Adams. “Thanks to this partnership with Borough President Fossella, Councilmember Borelli, and our partners in the community, New York City is on its way to becoming a ‘City of Yes’ that will give real control of a property back to a homeowner.”

 

“Staten Island homeowners, and homeowners across the city, contend with mountains of outdated and unnecessary rules that limit what they can do with their own property,” said Deputy Mayor of Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “This plan is going to make it easier for Staten Islanders to make their homes fit their needs. And under this administration, more relief for homeowners is on the way.”

 

“This plan not only simplifies regulations for homeowners but also strengthens our protections of natural resources,” said DCP Director Garodnick. “It’s a prime example of how we can craft smarter zoning that offers relief for New Yorkers while also meeting today’s challenges.”

 

Small property and homeowners in the Special South Richmond Development District have long been stymied by a complex and burdensome process that forced them to spend time and money on City Planning Commission approvals for even minor projects making changes on their property. Additionally, community members asked for additional regulations on larger sites with sensitive natural features that impact the public realm and neighborhood character.

 

South Richmond Zoning Relief will help alleviate this unique burden on homeowners within the special district, while preserving the key goals of South Richmond, by:

• Creating homeowner-friendly zoning changes that simplify the approval process and remove red tape for small properties and individual homeowners on sites under one acre.
• Improving regulations to give the City Planning Commission and community boards greater oversight on larger sensitive sites over one acre that have a significant impact on Staten Island residents and the public realm.
• Applying the latest environmental preservation best practices to zoning regulations, which will make zoning application decisions more predictable.

This initiative to assist Staten Island homeowners was crafted in collaboration with Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, Jr., City Council Minority Leader Joseph C. Borelli, Staten Island Community Board 3, the Building Industry Association of New York City, and the Staten Island Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. After beginning the formal public review process in April 2023, South Richmond Zoning Relief received positive recommendations from Community Board 3 and Borough President Fossella, followed by an unanimously favorable vote at the City Planning Commission.

  

“Congratulations to the Department of City Planning for the successful implementation of these long-needed changes,” said Robert Kelly, member, Building Industry Association of New York City. “Homeowners will now have a streamlined approach to making changes or improvements to their existing homes. Any time we can get from the drawing board to shovel-ready permitting sooner saves many dollars, which helps to trim the ever-escalating cost of residential construction. It will also allow builders like myself to bring much needed housing units to market that much quicker. That is a win-win.”

 

Governor Hochul Highlights Over $108.8 Million for Local Water Infrastructure Projects Across New York State

Approval of Financial Assistance Authorizes Municipal Access to the Capital Needed for Projects that Reduce Risks to Public Health and the Environment

Includes $66.5 Million Financing to Support Ongoing Construction of the Bay Park Conveyance Project in Nassau County

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors approved over $108.8 million in financial assistance for water infrastructure improvement projects across New York State. The Board’s approval authorizes municipal access to over $88.9 million in low-cost short-term financing and previously announced grants to get shovels in the ground for critical water and sewer infrastructure projects, including treatment processes to remove emerging contaminants from drinking water.

“New York State continues to provide unprecedented financial support to help communities upgrade water systems and improve water quality,” Governor Hochul said. “Providing funding and resources to help local governments get shovels in the ground for water infrastructure improvement projects is a top priority, and we'll continue working together to modernize our infrastructure and provide safe, reliable water systems for generations to come.”

Approved funding includes a $66.5 million financing package to Nassau County for the ongoing construction of the Bay Park Conveyance Project. It’s part of New York State’s $425.6 million financial commitment to a critical project that is strengthening resiliency and mitigating flooding at Nassau County’s clean water facilities and improving water quality in the Reynolds Channel.

The Board also took action to help ensure continued, long-term affordability of seven existing projects. The Board approved over $19.9 million in long-term interest-free financings to municipalities to provide savings on debt service for these projects.

The Board's approvals include financings through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and grants already announced pursuant to the Water Infrastructure Improvement and Intermunicipal Grant programs.

Clean Water Projects:

• Nassau County — $33,298,765 short-term interest-free financing and $33,298,764 short-term market-rate financing for the planning, design and construction of effluent flow diversions from the South Shore Reclamation Facility to the Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant to provide resiliency, flood mitigation and improve water quality in Reynolds Channel.
• Town of Newfield, Tompkins County — $551,907 short-term interest-free financing $377,609 short-term market-rate financing, and $183,969 WIIA grant for the planning, design and construction of collection system improvements.

Drinking Water Projects:

• City of Auburn, Cayuga County — $3,720,000 WIIA grant for the comprehensive rehabilitation of the Slow Sand Filtration Plant and Rapid Sand Filtration Plant, including structural, electrical, architectural, HVAC and process mechanical improvements.
• Village of Cuba, Allegany County — $4,300,000 short-term market-rate financing and $3,000,000 WIIA grant for the replacement of water main, installation of chlorine contact piping, well house improvements, water storage tank improvements, new emergency power equipment and installation of a control/monitoring system.
• Greenlawn Water District, Suffolk County — $3,000,000 WIIA grant for the construction of a new treatment process at the existing water treatment facility to remove 1,4-dioxane from the District's Well No. 8.
• Town of Lewisboro, Westchester County — $775,800 short-term market-rate financing and $1,163,700 WIIA grant for the installation of a Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) treatment system for the removal of perfluorinated alkyl substance, construction of a GAC treatment building, and replacement of booster pumps, jockey pump and high flow pump in-kind, and piping.
• Village of Pawling, Dutchess County — $1,169,867 short-term interest-free financing, $2,339,733 short-term market-rate financing and $1,280,400 WIIA grant for the development of five wells in the Lower Baxter Wellfield, construction of a treatment facility to treat the Lower Baxter Wells and the Umscheid Wells, and installation of distribution piping.
• South Huntington Water District, Suffolk County — $5,500,000 WIIA grant for the installation of an Advanced Oxidation Process treatment system for 1,4-dioxane removal and the replacement of an existing GAC treatment system with larger vessels.
• Town of Stafford, Genesee County — $1,065,000 WIIA grant for the creation of the new Water District No. 12 and installation of approximately 30,000 linear feet of water main.

Refinancing Completed Projects Will Achieve Long-Term Debt Service Savings

The Board approved long-term refinancing for seven existing projects totaling $19.9 million. Short-term financing provides capital for design and construction of projects. Once project construction is completed, the short-term financing is typically refinanced to long-term financing for up to 30 years, saving municipalities significant interest expenses versus financing on their own.

Long-term interest-free financing was approved by the Board for clean water projects in Cooperstown in Otsego County, Coxsackie in Greene County, Homer in Cortland County, Kingston in Ulster County, Oakfield in Genesee County, and Tonawanda in Erie County, as well as a drinking water project by the Dutchess County Water and Wastewater Authority. Based on current market conditions, these long-term financings are projected to save ratepayers an estimated $37.8 million in interest payments and previously authorized grants over the life of the financings.

New York's Commitment to Water Quality

New York State's nation-leading investment in clean water infrastructure totals $5 billion since 2017. Under the leadership of Governor Hochul, the 2023-24 Enacted Budget includes $500 million in clean water funding. The Governor launched Community Assistance Teams this year to expand EFC's technical assistance program and help small, rural, and disadvantaged communities leverage this funding to address their clean water infrastructure needs. Any community that needs help with their water infrastructure needs is encouraged to contact EFC at efc.ny.gov/CAT.

The voter-approved $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act is advancing historic levels of funding to update aging water infrastructure and protect water quality, strengthen communities' ability to withstand severe storms and flooding, reduce air pollution and lower climate-altering emissions, restore habitats, and preserve outdoor spaces and local farms. Disadvantaged Communities will receive at least 35 percent of the benefits of Bond Act funding, with a goal of 40 percent. 

Senior Public Relations Firm Executive Pleads Guilty To Defrauding His Employers Of Millions Of Dollars

 

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ANDREW GARSON, a public relations executive, pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court in connection with a scheme to defraud his former employers of millions of dollars.  Pursuant to his plea agreement with the Government, GARSON agreed to pay $3,754,068 in restitution to the victims of his crime.  GARSON pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 28, 2024.  

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Andrew Garson betrayed his employers time and time again, causing millions of dollars in losses, and when he no longer had an employer to defraud, he applied for and received thousands of dollars in unemployment benefits to which he was not entitled.  Garson’s fraud scheme was multifaceted and manipulative, and he has now admitted to greedily exploiting his employers’ trust to line his own pockets.” 

According to the allegations in the Indictment and other filings and statements made in court:

Between approximately 2014 and 2018, GARSON was employed as an executive at two different marketing public relations agencies located in New York, New York, the first between approximately 2014 and January 2018 (“PR Firm-1”), and the second between approximately January 2018 and November 2018 (“PR Firm-2”).  In his respective roles at those two firms, GARSON was responsible for working directly with clients, coordinating various marketing and public relations campaigns, and managing vendor relationships in connection with such campaigns.  In or about July 2018, GARSON was named a “40 Under 40” public relations executive by PR Week Magazine.  However, GARSON engaged in a scheme to lie to his two employers for years, causing his employers millions of dollars in losses.         

One such series of misrepresentations by GARSON resulted in the unauthorized payment by PR Firm-2 of expenses owed to vendors in connection with marketing campaigns led by GARSON while employed at PR Firm‑1.  Over the course of GARSON’s first several months of employment at PR Firm-2, GARSON lied to certain vendors, stating that PR Firm-2 had agreed to cover expenses still owed to those vendors related to GARSON’s prior projects at PR Firm-1.  In fact, PR Firm-2 did not authorize the payment of those expenses.  In order to cause PR Firm-2 to effect payment of these expenses, GARSON created fraudulent invoices falsely claiming that the vendors were due payment for work performed on PR Firm-2 projects.  In this fashion, GARSON caused PR Firm-2 to pay substantial expenses to vendors with which GARSON had worked on projects while employed at PR Firm-1.

In addition, while employed at PR Firm-1, GARSON used his corporate credit card for unauthorized personal expenses.  For example, in or about August 2017, GARSON purchased a luxury watch using his PR Firm-1 corporate credit card for approximately $14,000, claiming that the expense related to event production for a client marketing event.  GARSON later sold the watch to a New Jersey jewelry store in or about December 2018 for approximately $4,000.  GARSON deposited the money that he earned from the sale of the watch into his personal bank account.

GARSON similarly defrauded PR Firm-2 with respect to the unauthorized use of his corporate credit card.  For example, GARSON submitted expense reports to PR Firm-2 in which he claimed the same expense for reimbursement on more than one occasion, causing PR Firm-2 to reimburse GARSON twice for the same expenditure.

After uncovering certain aspects of the fraud scheme perpetrated by GARSON, PR Firm-2 terminated GARSON in or about November 2018.  While applying for unemployment insurance program benefits from the New York State Department of Labor following his termination, GARSON lied regarding the circumstances surrounding his separation from PR Firm-2.  As a result of his misrepresentations, between in or about December 2018 and in or about March 2019, GARSON received a total of over $5,000 in unemployment insurance benefits to which he was not entitled.

GARSON, 41, of Rockville Centre, New York, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. 

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Two Nigerian Nationals Sentenced to Prison for International Scheme That Defrauded Elderly U.S. Victims

 

Two Nigerian nationals who were extradited to the United States from Spain were sentenced to 128 and 87 months in prison for their roles in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme. With today’s sentencing, five defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom and Spain in connection with this matter have been sentenced.

According to court documents, Ezennia Peter Neboh, 48, who was sentenced today to 128 months of incarceration, was the lead defendant of a group of fraudsters who sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died years before in Portugal. Victims were told that before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees and taxes and were instructed to make other payments. Victims sent money to the defendants through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims. The defendant and his co-conspirators also convinced former victims to receive money from new victims and then instructed those former victims to forward the fraud proceeds to others.

On Oct. 23, the Honorable Kathleen M. Williams sentenced another defendant who was also extradited from Spain, Kennedy Ikponmwosa, to 87 months of imprisonment. Three other co-defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom also received prison sentences. On June 21, Judge Williams sentenced Emmanuel Samuel to 82 months in prison; on July 25, Judge Williams sentenced Jerry Chucks Ozor to 87 months in prison; and on August 29, Judge Williams sentenced Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham to 90 months in prison, for their roles in the scheme.

“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We thank our colleagues at the Spanish National Police and the Ministry of Justice for assisting with the successful investigation and extradition of these defendants. This prosecution is a testament to the critical role of transnational collaboration in tackling transnational crime.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) has a long tradition of protecting American citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas for the USPIS Miami Division. “This result is a testament to the dedicated partnership between the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the USPIS to protect our citizens from these scams.”

“HSI has a long history of aggressively pursuing criminals to ensure that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown for HSI Arizona. “When criminals indiscriminately target the elderly or otherwise vulnerable, the impact and harm is particularly long-lasting. These sentences send a message to those around the world who think they can escape our laws - anyone who engages in or facilitates deceptive practices like these will not go undetected. HSI will continue to work tirelessly to hold those criminals accountable and bring justice to victims.” 

The Consumer Protection Branch, USPIS and HSI are investigating the case.

Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Europol and authorities from the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal all provided critical assistance.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov. or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

DEC Reminds Outdoor Enthusiasts to Share the Woods Safely this Season Inbox DEC

 

Be Seen, Stay Safe, and Show Respect During Fall and Winter Hunting Seasons

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today encouraged outdoor enthusiasts to respectfully share the woods and follow safety precautions this fall and winter. Hikers, nature photographers, leaf peepers, and mountain bikers are encouraged to follow safety measures while hunters and trappers are afield. Regular big game hunting season in the Northern Zone began Oct. 21 and closes Dec. 3. Bowhunting season for deer and bear is ongoing in the Southern Zone and ends at the beginning of the regular firearms season on Nov. 18.

 

Tips for hikers and hunters venturing afield this fall include:

• Tell someone intended destinations and return times. If plans change, notify them;
• Dress for the weather; account for both location and elevation changes;
• Become familiar with planned hiking trails or hunting areas;
• Wear bright clothing; blaze orange or blaze pink. Bright colors allow hikers and hunters to be seen more easily and from farther away; and,
• Pack the 10 Essentials, especially a light source, map, and first aid kit.

For more tips on sharing the woods this fall, check out this recent DEC video.

While hunting-related shooting incidents involving non-hunters are extremely rare, DEC encourages all outdoor adventurers to be aware of the presence of others enjoying New York’s natural resources. Hikers should be aware they may meet hunters bearing firearms or archery equipment while hiking on trails. Hunters are fellow outdoor recreationists and hunting is permitted on Forest Preserve and Conservation Easement lands. Hunters should likewise recognize they may encounter hikers and others enjoying the outdoors.

 

Hunting is among the most popular forms of wildlife recreation in the state, drawing an estimated 600,000 New Yorkers. Hunting is safe and economically important, helping to manage wildlife populations and promote family traditions while fostering an understanding and respect for the environment.

 

Hunters looking for solitude can minimize the disturbance associated with other forms of recreation by following a few tips. Before a season opens, when hunters are scouting for the perfect spot or stand location, take the time to check if the planned location is a popular one. Avoid crowding other hunters and recognize that if a hunting location is near a popular hiking spot, noise can be a factor. If a preferred hunting spot is too crowded, identify an alternative location ahead of time.

When adventuring with a pet, make sure to keep them on a leash. Loose pets can cause problems with other recreators and can get into trouble with wild animals. Also, to make pets more identifiable in the woods, give them a brightly colored collar, leash or other covering.

DEC maintains hiking trails and permits hunting in many areas of forest preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks, as well as in state forests, wildlife management areas, and unique areas. Find a place by visiting our website, checking out DECinfo Locator, or downloading the HuntFishNY Wildlife App. Many trails are also accessible to people with disabilities.

Chronic Wasting Disease

Hunters are critical to protecting New York deer and moose from Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). CWD is an untreatable, fatal disease of the brain and nervous system disease caused by a misfolded protein called a prion that is spread in deer tissues, saliva, urine, and feces. Hunters can bring CWD prions into to New York without realizing it. To protect deer, do not bring hunter-killed deer, elk, moose, or caribou carcasses into New York from other states and do not use deer urine-based lures.

DEC reminds hunters of the importance of reporting their harvest. Harvest reporting is critical to wildlife management, and hunters are required to report their harvest of deer, bear, and turkey within seven days of taking the animal. Hunters may still use the phone report system, but the online and mobile systems are fast, convenient, and easy for hunters to accurately enter information.

For more information on harvest reporting: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8316.html

For more information on CWD: https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7191.html

OUT OF SERVICE: NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE RELEASES REPORT ON THE MTA’S FAILURE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF DISABLED NEW YORKERS ON PUBLIC TRANSIT

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams today released a new report ‘Out Of Service,’ an analysis of the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s failure to make the system accessible to disabled New Yorkers. The city’s public transit system, the report finds, is falling far behind other major cities both on timeline and technology needed to be truly, fully accessible. It examines initiatives that the city and state can undertake in both the immediate and long-term to better serve New Yorkers with a range of disabilities.

"Public transportation must be equitably accessible to the entire public, and we cannot accept delays in services to the disabled community," said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. "As a New Yorker with a disability, it is frustrating to see accessibility treated as an afterthought or as optional, rather than essential. In addition to the long-term goals on too-long timelines, there are things that the MTA can do right now to make our public transit more accessible, and I urge them to prioritize these simple, low-cost improvements that will aid New Yorkers much more than spending on aesthetic or cosmetic changes."

Out of Service: Creating an Equitable Transit System for New York City discusses the consequences of a public transit system that does not safely serve all New Yorkers, and implores the city and state to prioritize investment in accessibility improvements, rather than cosmetic changes or corporate branding.

Accessibility issues with the MTA are perhaps most overt and discussed relative to elevator access, with less than a third of stations currently equipped and the authority required to reach 95% accessibility by 2055. However, as the report makes clear, accessibility accommodations for New Yorkers extend far beyond elevators to include other infrastructural and service adaptations.

Among the key findings of the report are:

• The accessibility needs of people with sensory and cognitive disabilities is largely overlooked when making transit accessibility upgrades, with the primary focus on only ramps and elevators.
• About 29 percent of subway stations are accessible via elevator, but due to frequent elevator outages, the number of accessible stations on a day-to-day basis is actually lower.
• The MTA has invested significantly in aesthetic improvements that make stations less accessible, such as by removing benches and replacing them with leaning benches, or that are underutilized for accessibility purposes, like using new LED screens to display advertisements instead of closed captioning for announcements.
• Accessibility improvements have been slow and uneven; at the current pace of upgrades, the subway would not be fully accessible by elevator until the year 2100.
• The MTA has a number of opportunities for immediate, inexpensive accessibility improvements.

Despite some points of progress and pilot programs, this lack of accessible service continues in part because the needs of the disability community are not sufficiently prioritized in our policymaking and budget allocations. The MTA piloted several accessibility measures at the Jay Street/Metrotech station beginning in the fall of 2019. However, the results of that pilot do not appear to be widely disseminated to the public, and expansion of any of the initiatives involved has been slow and without wide public awareness.

The report recommends a wide range of actions in both the immediate and long term to increase accessibility, including:

Immediate Actions

• Make accessibility a priority, rather than an option or a ‘bonus.’ Implement the efforts from the 2019 pilot program system-wide, beginning with the most trafficked stations
• Improve train boarding so that doors align properly with designated boarding areas, and raised infrastructure closes any large gaps between the train and platform
• Install wayfinding infrastructure including tactile guideways and boarding areas
• Expand the myMTA app and partner with third-parties such as MagnusCards and NaviLens
• Provide travel training opportunities and expand best practice training for employees

Near-Term Actions

• Improve Access-A-Ride, including through expanding access to and reducing cost of e-hail services
• Expand bus service networks with attention paid to critical stops such as senior centers
• Restore accessible benches and ADA-compliant restrooms in stations
• Improve air quality and maintain safe temperatures in station, and provide N95 masks

Long-Term Actions

• Ensure all stations with elevators are truly accessible, with no stairs required
• Improve elevator reliability and robust, real-time notification of outages

While the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 protects people with disabilities from discrimination in nearly all facets of life, including transportation, New York City continues to prevent disabled people from accessing the most convenient form of transit, in turn perpetuating inequities in employment, housing, schooling, and healthcare. For too long, people with disabilities have been disappointed or cast aside in favor of other less necessary projects. New York City must commit to joining other cities around the country in its commitment to providing excellent service for riders of all abilities.