JENIFER RAJKUMAR STATEMENT ON PERPETRATOR STABBING THREE NEW YORKERS

 

Today our mental health system and justice system failed New Yorkers. A perpetrator who suffered from severe mental illness roamed through Manhattan and stabbed three innocent people at different locations, in random acts of violence. Two of those victims died – a 36-year-old construction worker and a 68-year-old man who was fishing. A third victim, a 36-year-old woman, is fighting for her life. 

As your Comptroller, I will prioritize ending the systemic failures that led to today’s senseless tragedy. I am committed to a full and complete review of our mental health system, NYPD, and Courts, performing a deep dive that will identify gaps in services, policy, and coordination.

The alleged perpetrator reportedly resided at the Bellevue Men’s Shelter, a general population shelter not specialized for people with mental illness. He had 8 prior arrests, including one case still pending. The perpetrator interacted with multiple apparatuses of City government but was not in inpatient treatment. Were there warning signs that were missed? Was there appropriate coordination between government agencies to get the man the mental health care he needed? I am committed to a comprehensive review to answer these pressing questions and create a safer City for all.

News, updates and more from NYC Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Jr.

 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

CS 150 $1,000,000 CHECK PRESENTATION 

 

I’ve often spoken of my experience growing up in the South Bronx and how that has impacted my tenure as an elected official.

My experience came full circle during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at CS 150 — my Alma mater — where I presented them with a $1,000,000 check for their renovated playground and outdoor space. In total, I have proudly allocated $3.9 million to CS 150 to support their educational infrastructure. 

 With the Bronx being historically underfunded, it should come across as no surprise that our schools and our students have been left behind as well

 To fix this inequitable, educational gap, I made the important decision to put our youth first — having allocated to-date over $30.5 million to our District 17 schools

STORYLAND IN THE BRONX!

 

Friday was Epic … @storyland_thebxbookhaven officially opened, dedicated to increasing literacy and love for reading in #TheBronx.  Thank you @nopelomalo_sulma for allowing our young adults - Aidan included - to showcase their talents.  #investinginourfuture

CROTONA VII WALKTHROUGH 

 

Throughout my time at the New York City Council, I’ve fought for increased access & preservation of affordable housing for my District 17 constituents. 

I continued this work, conducting a walkthrough of Crotona VII on Hoe Avenue to discuss the proper financial resources needed to ensure that critical infrastructure repairs can be made. 

 With our current stock aging, I will continue working with government partners to protect affordable housing in the Bronx

IN THE NEWS

BRONX TIMES

 

“I wanted to make sure I took care of home. This playground is part of the redevelopment of the South Bronx. This means the world to me.”

Read more

https://www.bxtimes.com/cm-salamanca-cuts-ribbon-on-new-play-space-at-his-childhood-school-in-longwood/

Visit our District Office at: 
1070 Southern Boulevard
Bronx, New York 10459
(718) 402-6130
salamanca@council.nyc.gov

Statement from NYGOP Chair Ed Cox on Approval of Congestion Pricing

 

 

"Kathy Hochul's blatant flip-flop on congestion pricing immediately after the election is politics at its most cynical.

 

"She has betrayed working New Yorkers, saddling the people who can least afford it with even higher costs to make up for the failures of her own leadership. This is an outright attack on the middle class - and one more reason for working families to seek economic opportunity in other states.."

IN RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL INJURY PREVENTION DAY, ACS REMINDS PARENTS AND CARETAKERS TO KEEP MEDICINES, CANNABIS-INFUSED EDIBLES, GUNS & OTHER POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS HOUSEHOLD ITEMS IN LOCKBOXES

 

Lockboxes Can Prevent Children From Being Hurt from Unintentional Household Injuries 

In recognition of “National Injury Prevention Day,” the NYC Administration for Children's Services (ACS) is reminding parents and caretakers about the importance of safely storing medicines, cannabis-infused products, guns button batteries, and other potential household poisons or dangers in lockboxes.  Lockboxes prevent children from accessing dangerous items.

 

“There is nothing more important than keeping our children safe, and that includes preventing

-unintentional injuries from happening,” said ACS Commissioner Jess Dannhauser. “In recognition of National Injury Prevention Day, ACS wants parents and caregivers to know that storing medications and other potentially dangerous household items out of children's reach and in lockboxes helps prevents injuries and tragedies.”

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 60,000 children go to the emergency room every year after getting into medicines. Parents should ensure all prescription medications are stored out of sight and reach of children, make sure medications have

child-proof lids, and educate children about medicines and why a parent, caregiver or a trusted adult must be the one to give it to them. Never tell children medicines tastes like candy or gum to get them to take it. Similarly, other household dangers should also be locked up and stored up high and out of the reach of children. In the event of unintentional ingestion, call the NYC Poison Center and, in case of emergency, call 911 immediately. 

 

The ACS Office of Child Safety and Injury Prevention supports ongoing work to keep children safe through public awareness campaigns, trainings, and concrete support around injury prevention. This work includes promoting safe storage of prescription medications and other, potentially dangerous household items, including cannabis-infused edibles, which can look identical to desserts and sugary snacks like candies and chocolate bars. Parents should know the importance of storing these items ‘up and away’ and out of sight and reach of children.

 

For more information contact the NYC Poison Center at 212-POISONS (212-764-7667).  For more information about child safety visit https://www.nyc.gov/site/acs/for-families/your-childs-safety.page

 

 

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli: Local Sales Tax Collections Up 2.3% in October

 

Local sales tax collections in New York state increased by 2.3% in October compared to the same month in 2023, according to data released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Overall, local collections totaled $1.84 billion for the month, up $41 million year over year.

“October growth in statewide sales tax collections was led by New York City, buoying monthly performance after virtually flat statewide growth in September,” DiNapoli said. “Recent volatility in sales tax collections warrants caution for local governments as they finalize their budgets for next year.”

In October:

• New York City’s collections totaled $842 million, an increase of 4.1%, or $33 million, compared to the same time last year.
• County and city collections in the rest of the state totaled $884 million, an increase of 0.4%.
• Over 63% (36 of 57) of counties experienced year-over-year increases.

These monthly sales tax collections are from the cash distributions made to counties and tax-imposing cities by the state Department of Taxation and Finance. The amounts are based on estimates of what each municipality is due. In the third month of each calendar-year quarter, these distributions are adjusted upward or downward, so that the quarter as a whole reflects reported sales by vendors. The next quarterly numbers (for October-December) will be available in January 2025.

Data

Monthly Local Sales Tax Collections by County and Region

Related Report

Third Quarter 2024 Local Sales Taxes

CITY CORRECTION OFFICER PLEADS GUILTY TO ATTEMPTING TO KICK A PERSON IN CUSTODY WHO WAS RESTRAINED BY OTHERS

 

Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced the arrest and guilty plea of a Correction Officer with the City Department of Correction (“DOC”) in connection with attempting to kick a restrained Person in Custody (“PIC”) in Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward in May 2024. The incident was captured on surveillance video. The Office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is prosecuting the case. 

CAROL GARCIA, 54, was arrested and charged with Attempted Assault in the Third Degree, a class B misdemeanor, and Harassment in the Second Degree, a violation. The defendant pleaded to both counts as part of a plea agreement. Pursuant to that agreement, the defendant must complete 10 days of community service, attend all court appearances and not be arrested for the next six months. If the defendant successfully fulfills these obligations, the prosecution will ask that the court allow the defendant to withdraw her guilty plea to Attempted Assault in the Third Degree and she will be sentenced to time served for the Harassment offense.

DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “There is no excuse for this defendant, or any Correction Officer, to attempt to assault a person in custody. The victim here was restrained at the time that the defendant tried to kick him, and did not pose a threat to her. Correction Officers face violence on the job, and other tremendous challenges, as this defendant did, but that cannot justify her attempted use of force. I thank the City Department of Correction for its cooperation during this investigation and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for its partnership on this investigation and prosecution.”

According to the plea agreement, and as the defendant admitted at the plea proceeding, at approximately 3:20 p.m. on May 6, 2024, while GARCIA was assigned as a Correction Officer at the Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward (“BHPW”), PIC Ramon Rivera (“Rivera”) approached GARCIA, struck her in the leg with his foot and smacked her across the face. BHPW staff, assisted by other inmates, immediately pulled Rivera away from GARCIA, restrained him, and pinned him on the floor. GARCIA approached Rivera, pulled back her right foot, and kicked at Rivera, intending to cause Rivera physical injury and to harass him.

GARCIA has been employed by DOC since November 2005 and receives an annual base salary of approximately $101,590.

Commissioner Strauber thanked Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his staff for their prosecution of this matter; and DOC Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie and her staff for their cooperation in this investigation. 

Attorney General James Secures $250,000 from Movie Theater Operator for Failing to Protect Employees’ Personal Information

 

National Amusements’ Data Breach Affected More Than 23,000 New York Employees

New York Attorney General Letitia James secured $250,000 from a global movie theater operator, National Amusements, Inc. (National Amusements), that operates movie theaters in the Bronx and on Long Island for failing to protect their former and current employees and contractors’ personal information. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) determined that National Amusements failed to implement strong data security, which left it vulnerable to a data breach that compromised the information of more than 23,000 New York employees. The OAG’s investigation also revealed that the company delayed telling affected employees of the breach for more than a year, in violation of the New York Shield Act. As a result of today’s agreement, National Amusements has agreed to pay $250,000 in penalties to New York and update and improve their cybersecurity infrastructure to protect employee data. 

“No worker should have their social security and personal information stolen because their employer failed to protect them,” said Attorney General James. “Today’s agreement will strengthen National Amusements’ cybersecurity so that employees in New York and around the country can rest assured that their private information is protected. I urge all companies to follow the guidance from my office to better secure their systems to protect private information and data.”

National Amusements operates a chain of movie theaters globally, including in the Bronx and on Long Island. In December 2022, National Amusements was alerted by a vendor to suspicious activity and possible malware in their systems. Upon learning of the incident, National Amusements disabled internet access to their systems, reset all users’ passwords, and launched an investigation into the data breach incident. The investigation determined that the hacker stole an employee’s credentials to infiltrate National Amusements’ systems. Although National Amusements had multifactor authentication (MFA) in place, MFA was not enforced for certain channels, helping the hacker gain access. 

The breach affected a total of 82,128 individuals, of which 23,365 were New York residents. Information that was exposed by this breach included name, date of birth, social security number, passport number, financial account number, driver’s license number, and health insurance account number. The OAG’s investigation determined that National Amusements failed to notify employees of the breach in a timely manner and waited more than a year to tell affected individuals. 

National Amusements maintains that consumers who visited any one of their movie theaters were not impacted by this incident and that the breach was limited to the personal information of former and current employees and contractors. 

As a result of this agreement, National Amusements will pay New York $250,000 in penalties and adopt a series of measures to strengthen its cybersecurity practices going forward, including:

• Maintaining a comprehensive information security program designed to protect the security, confidentiality, and integrity of private information;
• Encrypting all personal information, whether stored or transmitted;
• Maintaining reasonable password policies that require the use of complex passwords, password rotation, and ensuring that stored passwords are protected for unauthorized access;
• Maintaining a reasonable testing program designed to identify, assess, and resolve security vulnerabilities within the computer systems; and
• Establishing, implementing, and maintaining an incident response plan for potential data security issues.

Attorney General James has taken several actions to hold companies accountable for having poor cybersecurity and to improve data security practices. In October 2024, Attorney General James secured $2.25 million from a Capital Region health care provider for failing to protect the private information and medical data of New Yorkers.

Weekly News from State Senator Gustavo Rivera!

 

SENATOR RIVERA ON THE RESULTS OF THE 2024 ELECTION

INFORMATION ABOUT BRUSH FIRES FROM THE FDNY

Brush fires can happen anywhere. While many think of brush fires as more common in dry, rural areas, the City’s parks, greenways, and other vegetated spaces can also be susceptible to fire, especially during prolonged periods of dry weather that we are experiencing. 

 

With the recent rise in brush fires, the FDNY is urging all residents to stay informed and prepared, as these fires can be highly dangerous and spread rapidly in dry conditions. Below are essential safety tips to ensure New Yorkers help reduce the risk of these incidents:

 

Help Reduce the Risk:

• Avoid outdoor burning, including campfires, bonfires, and any other open flames.
• Grilling is banned in New York City parks while drought conditions persist.
• If you smoke outdoors, be mindful and always dispose of cigarette butts and matches properly.
• Stay on designated trails when enjoying our parks to protect surrounding vegetation and reduce the risk of accidental fires.
• Remember, fireworks are illegal across New York City.
• Remove litter and any excessive brush or leaves from sidewalks abutting residences and businesses.

 

Stay vigilant and help keep our community safe. To learn more safety tips please the share following link Brush Fires - FDNY Smart. 

 

Additionally, throughout next week, FDNY Fire Safety Education will be located at parks throughout New York City sharing educational tips. Please share the location of our team with your constituents:

 

Bronx

Tuesday November 19 (12pm-2pm)

Crotona Park

E 173rd Street and Crotona Park W

Bronx, NY 10457

 

Tuesday November 19 (3pm-5pm)

Van Cortlandt Park

Manhattan College Parkway and Broadway 

Bronx, NY 10471

 

Staten Island

Wednesday November 20 (12pm-2pm)

Clove Lake Park

Clove Road and Victory Boulevard 

Staten Island, NY 10301

 

Wednesday November 20 (3pm-5pm)

Gateway National Park

Buffalo Street and Highland Boulevard

Staten Island, NY 10306

APPLY NOW FOR THE HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (HEAP)

New York State Parks is looking to fill Park Ranger positions statewide for the 2025 Summer season. Park Rangers serve as ambassadors for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. They help oversee a variety of environments including campgrounds, tourist attractions, beaches, marinas, trails, park offices, and more!

Park Ranger job duties range from responding to calls for assistance to proactively engaging with visitors in the parks and helping to maintain a safe environment for all. If you have a passion for the outdoors and love to connect with people, this could be the job for you! Apply before December 31.