Tuesday, October 2, 2018

New York City Police Commissioner O'Neal Visits a Build a Block Precinct Meeting




  This meeting is between the New York City Police Department 47th precinct, and the community of the local church located at 1015 East Gun Hill Road. It was important enough for Police Commissioner O'Neal to attend and answer questions from the community. 

  The Build a Block Program by the NYPD is to hold meetings between the community and the police officers who are patrolling the area. The NYPD has gone to a Neighborhood Community Officer  (NCO) program to be at the community level and try to stop crime before it even happens. These Build a Block meetings are being held in every police precinct which now have the NCO program. 


Police Commissioner O'neal listens to a question from Ms. Grace Lovag, and then responded. With the commissioner were the Precinct commanders of the 47th, 49th, and 52nd precincts. Also sitting next to the commissioner is Chief Hoffman, who is in charge of community affairs for the NYPD, and is the former commanding officer of the 52nd precinct. 

Borough President Diaz, Assemblyman Dinowitz, and Councilman Cohen Break ground on New Library



    After each elected official spoke about the lack of adequate funding to the Bronx Public Library system, and how this new library will benefit the community, all grabbed shovels to officially break ground for the new Van Cortlandt Village public library which will be located in a much larger two story building on Cannon Place. This new library is just a few blocks away from the old out dated one story building the city has been leasing on Sedwick Avenue. The building is an already existing building that is being converted to house the new library branch, which will be one of the most up to date libraries in the New York Public Library system. The projected first day of operation is expected by July 2019.


Above - Mr. Tony Marks of the NYPL tells a little about the new features of that this library will have, as he introduced the elected officials who were on hand.
Below - Councilman Andrew Cohen says a  few words about helping to secure funding so this new public library could be built. 




Above - Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. was also proud to have allocated funding for this new area public library.
Below - Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz the veteran elected official of the three in attendance was glad to see this new library be built,




Bronx Borough President Diaz Jr. marveled at the back of the new library with its rock outcroppings and vegetation. There is a large area behind the building that will be used for several different events and learning experiences. 

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES SEA CHANGE IN JUVENILE JUSTICE AS THE AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY IS RAISED TO 18 YEARS OLD


16- and 17-year-olds have moved off Rikers Island into more age-appropriate facilities with expanded access to programs and services

  Mayor de Blasio welcomed the beginning of a series of fundamental reforms that treat 16- and 17-year-old juveniles involved with the legal system in an age appropriate manner. “Raise the Age,” which passed last year, builds upon the tremendous work that has already been done to transform the juvenile justice system in New York City, including the implementation of the Close to Home Program and cutting the juvenile population by more than half over the last four years. As of today, all 16- and 17-year-olds have moved from Rikers Island to dedicated juvenile facilities with the services they need to help them get their lives back on track. 

“No one under 18 will go to Rikers Island. Kids will be treated like kids instead of adults,” said Mayor de Blasio. “This is an historic moment for criminal justice reform and another step toward replacing Rikers Island with smaller, safer, more humane facilities that are closer to communities and loved ones.”

New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, “As Speaker of Assembly I have made Raise the Age and comprehensive criminal justice reforms in New York a top priority. Evidence shows that 16- and 17-year-olds should not be treated the same as adults – in the courts or in our prisons. Passing this legislation and removing youth from Rikers are significant steps that give young people a second chance to grow up and pursue meaningful rehabilitation for non-violent mistakes without forfeiting their futures. While there are still some wrinkles that need to be ironed out and addressed, these critical changes to our criminal justice system would not be possible without the tireless advocacy of my colleagues in the Assembly Majority and support of our partners in government. I thank Mayor de Blasio for his efforts in helping to make a difference in the lives of so many young people.”

Over the last year, New York City has completely overhauled an entire facility to prepare for entry of these young people into the juvenile justice system. Raise the Age takes effect today for 16-year-olds and for 17-year- olds on October 1, 2019, but as of today, no 16- or 17-year-old will be detained on Rikers Island and they will all receive the same treatment as other juveniles in New York City custody, including programs and services. Once fully implemented, most cases involving 16-and 17-year-olds will be moved to Family Court, with others going to a new specialized Youth Part to address 16- and 17-year-olds charged with more serious crimes. 

The City worked closely with State agencies to meet these shared goals, including close collaboration with New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Commission of Correction and the Office of Children and Family Services.

As of yesterday, New York City has successfully transferred all 16- and 17-year-olds off of Rikers Island and into overhauled facilities, which provide services and programming aimed at reducing re-offending and helping them get their lives back on track. Teens moving off of Rikers Island have been transferred to the newly renovated Horizon Juvenile Detention Center, where they will have better access to age-appropriate services, including education and counseling. To reduce the number of 16- and 17-year-olds in detention, the de Blasio administration has also invested $8 million in diversion programming like supervised release, case expediting, and intensive mentorship.

The de Blasio administration completed the overhaul of the Horizon facility on a greatly accelerated timeline and with significant investment. The facility has been renovated top-to-bottom, including reconstruction of housing units, intake, administrative facilities, staff service areas and upgraded recreational areas as well as new building systems. The facility is staffed by ACS program counselors, Correction Officers, and DOE staff. Over the next 18 months, DOC will gradually phase out correction officers and ACS will take over administration of the facility completely. 

The renovations join significant investments into the entire system. There is $329 million in capital funding dedicated to upgrading juvenile facilities for Raise the Age, with over $100 million in work well underway at Crossroads and Horizon, ACS's two secure detention facilities. Implementation of other facets of Raise the Age includes an initial investment of $108 million in Fiscal Year 2019, growing to $131 million in FY20. The renovation and upgrade of the Crossroads and Horizons facilities were managed by the New York City Department of Design and Construction for ACS.

The passage of Raise the Age legislation is a significant moment for the state of New York. Moving these youth off of Rikers Island — into facilities that are closer to their families and community supports — is aligned with the City’s broader mission of replacing Rikers Island with a smaller, safer, community-based jail system. Until now, New York and North Carolina were the only two states in the country not to recognize and codify what research has confirmed—adolescents are children, and prosecuting and punishing them in adult facilities neither advances the goal of rehabilitating youth nor protects public safety.

“This is a historic day, as we witness the implementation of one of the most groundbreaking juvenile justice reforms in New York’s history: Raise the Age,” said ACS Commissioner David A. Hansell. “Under Raise the Age, New York State’s justice system will finally acknowledge what volumes of research in adolescent brain science has shown us: treating young people as young people produces better outcomes for youth who are involved in the justice system. We have developed a unified set of standards and practices to ensure the law and spirit of Raise the Age is implemented with youth development as the focus, all while preserving the safety and security of youth and staff and protecting public safety. Under Raise the Age, youth—including those who were at Rikers—will be provided with education, counseling, family support and more. This is an opportunity to build on the successful work that has already been done to transform the juvenile justice system in New York City through the Close to Home program, a national and international model.” 

“I want to personally thank the officers and staff members who worked hard to ensure this transition is a smooth one,” said Department of Correction Commissioner Cynthia Brann. “Our officers underwent special, youth-based training to prepare them for this historic move. The safety of both the 16 and 17-year-olds and our personnel remain our highest priority and we look forward to partnering with ACS on this critical move. We are committed to helping make sure these young people live in a safe and constructive environment.”

Elizabeth Glazer, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, said, “Today is a landmark day when New York State joins the rest of the nation in adhering to a basic standard of decency that ensures that children are treated as children in our justice system.  It came about because of decades of work by armies of dedicated public servants, service providers, advocates, scholars and others. They deserve tremendous credit for making our system fairer and we are grateful for their ongoing partnership as New York City continues its push to make every aspect of our justice system as fair and effective as possible.”

Chief Judge Janet DiFiore said, “The New York State Courts have worked tirelessly to prepare for this groundbreaking law. We’ve created and staffed new Youth Parts, expanded capacity for Family Court proceedings, especially in New York City, for the older adolescents that court will now address, and expanded access to court for youth arrested after hours to ensure they go before specially trained criminal court “accessible magistrate” judges to be promptly heard on detention status.  In addition, we’ve created a new case management system to carefully track and provide statewide data regarding all raise the age impacted youth.  Our Judges and non-judicial staff are well-trained and prepared.” 

Since the law passed last year, New York City has been working to create this new system for older youth and to establish the infrastructure to support it. The Department of Probation has increased its staff to accommodate the influx of new cases and will continue to leverage its expertise to offer diversion options for appropriate cases coming into Family Court as well as effective alternative to placement programs to keep young people safely in their communities and new pre-trial options in the Youth Parts. 

Currently, ACS operates two secure detention facilities—Horizon in the South Bronx and Crossroads in Brooklyn. Under the initial phase of Raise the Age implementation, Crossroads will house youth under the age of 17 who are charged with certain levels of crimes, and will be staffed primarily by ACS, with DOC serving in an advisory capacity on security issues. Horizon will house the adult-charged 16- and 17-year-olds who are currently on Rikers, as well as newly arrested 17-year-olds who will continue to be charged as adults until October 1, 2019. Horizon will be jointly operated by both ACS and DOC during this transition phase. 

Youth in Crossroads and Horizon receive education, health care, mental health services (including psychiatric and psychological care), dental care, access to recreational activities, and case management onsite. Youth also attend the NYC Department of Education’s (DOE) District 79 Passages Academy, a full-time educational program that is operated by DOE across the City’s entire juvenile justice residential landscape. 

Raise the Age will impact youth across the entire juvenile justice continuum in New York City. For instance, Crossroads and Horizon Juvenile Detention Centers house arrested youth who are awaiting their court resolution. New York City also operates the Close to Home Program for youth who have been convicted of a crime. Close to Home is inextricably linked to Raise the Age because many of the 16- and 17- year old youth who otherwise would have gone through the adult criminal justice system will now be placed in Close to Home residences within the City and close to their families and communities. 

The legislation also establishes a Youth Part in the New York State Unified Court System, which includes a presumption of releasing Adolescent Offenders on their own recognizance. 

The City has launched a number of programs to ensure that young people in the criminal justice system are treated in a developmentally appropriate way, maximizing their opportunity to build a productive future. According to the Columbia University Justice Lab, since the launch of New York’s Close to Home program, there’s been a significant improvement in public safety outcomes. Specifically, there has been a 53 percent decline in youth arrests and a 37 percent decline in youth detention.

"The Raise the Age legislation will allow us to create a developmentally-appropriate justice system, which our young people deserve and require,” said Commissioner Ana M. Bermúdez, Department of Probation.  “The Department of Probation has learned what works in engaging with young people and will be providing them with the kinds of evidence-based programs, resources and people, such as credible messenger mentors, that can make the biggest difference in their lives.  Our probation officers who work with young people have been trained in how to engage with them in an age-appropriate, one-size-fits-one way.  We are ready and honored to be part of this historic shift in how we, as a system, effectively respond to young people who have made mistakes, so that they can avoid a future of justice involvement.”

COALITION OF DISABILITY ADVOCATES, TRANSPORTATION ORGANIZATIONS & ELECTED OFFICIALS KICK OFF 2018 "RIDERS RESPOND TRANSIT TOUR" TO ASSESS SUBWAY DIRECTLY FROM RIDERS


Elected officials, disability and transportation advocates at a kickoff press conference prior to boarding the subway at the Van Cortlandt Park/242nd St. Station on Wednesday, October 3 at 7:00 AM, outside the station at the corner of 242nd St. and Broadway. 
 
The station at Van Cortlandt Park/West 242nd Street has been plagued by the ongoing issue of offering no options of  accessibility for people living with disabilities, in the midst of the MTA upgrading and renovating subway stations.

   Route below:
  
Wednesday, October 3

Time
Station (Train line)
7:00am -7:30am
Van Cortlandt Park 242st (1)
 
Press Conference
7:40am - 8:00am
West 231 St (1)
 
8:20am- 8:40am
168th St. (1, A, C)
 
9:00am- 9:20am
59th St (A/B/C/D/1)
 
9:40am-10:00am
West 4th (A,B,C,D,E,F,M)
 
10:10am - 10:30am
Delancey St/Essex St (F,J,M,Z)
 
10:40am- 11:00am
City Hall/Chambers St (4/5/6/J,Z)
 
11:05am-11:25am
Canal St (J,N,Q,R,W,Z,R,6)
 
11:50am- 12:10pm
125th St Harlem/Lexington (4/5/6)
 
1:20pm- 1:40pm
161st St-Yankee Stadium (4/B/D)
 
1:50pm- 2:10pm
3rd Ave & 149th St (2/5)
 
2:35pm- 2:55pm
59th St - Lexington Avenue (5)
 
3:05pm- 3:25pm
Grand Central (4/5/6/7/S)
 
4:05pm- 4:25pm
Times Square (F/A/C/E/1/2/3/7/N/Q/R/S)
 
4:45pm - 5:05pm
East Broadway (F)
 
5:15pm -7:00pm
 
DISCUSSION
 
Thursday, October 4
 
Time
Station (Train line)
7:00am-7:30am
Astoria Ditmas Blvd (N,W)
 
 
7:45am-8:05am
Queensboro Plaza (N/W/7)
 
8:20am- 8:40am
Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Ave
 
9:00am- 9:20am
Sutphin Blvd-Archer Ave (E/J)
 
9:45am- 10:10am
Broadway Junction (A/C/J/Z/L)
 
10:35am- 10:55am
Jay St./Metro Tech (A/C/F/R)
 
 
11:15am -11:35am
36th St (R/N/D)
 
12:15pm -12:35pm
Coney Island (F/N/D)
 
(transfer at Smith/9th for G)
2:35pm-2:55pm
Metropolitan Ave (G)/ Lorimer St. (L)
 
(Take L train, transfer at 14th St to R train)
3:30pm - 3:50pm
(Walk from Whitehall Station to Staten Island Ferry)
 
3:55pm - 4:30pm
Take Ferry to SI
 
4:40pm - 5:00pm
Stapleton (SI Railroad)
 
 
5:30pm - 6:00pm
Staten Island Ferry to Bowling Green
 

6:15pm 7:00pm
Press Conference
 

Bronx Chamber of Commerce Italian Heritage Luncheon honors Six Distinguished Individuals


BP DIAZ PROVIDES $2.5 MILLION TO CUNY CAMPUSES


  As part of his FY2019 capital allocations, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced today that his office will provide $2.5 million in funding to projects at the borough’s three City University of New York college campuses.

“Education at all levels is a top priority of my administration,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “I myself an a CUNY ‘two-fer,’ having graduated from both Lehman College and LaGuardia Community College, so I understand just how important it is to keep our public colleges operating at a high level. I am always proud to support CUNY any way I can, and with this funding we can provide critical upgrades to our three Bronx CUNY campuses.”

This year’s projects include $1,000,000 to build smart classrooms at Hostos Community College, $750,000 for gymnasium renovations at Bronx Community College, $500,000 to install new seating at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts and $250,000 for network and technology upgrades in 220 classrooms at Lehman College.

Since 2009, Bronx Borough President Diaz Jr. has invested $15,642,000 in capital funds towards higher education across 29 projects.

This year, Borough President Diaz’s office has provided $23,250,000 in total capital dollars across 81 projects. Since coming to office in 2009, Borough President Diaz has provided $271,897,000 in total capital funding to 806 projects.

Senator Rivera on Senate Republican Public Hearings on State's Current Parole Policies


  "It's unfortunate that Senate Republicans are using a public hearing, such a critical legislative tool, as an obvious political ploy. This questionably timed hearing is clearly a stunt that will not be conducive to what should be our ultimate goal as legislators: to closely examine important issues affecting our State in an objective, non-partisan manner. 

While there may be legitimate concerns around our State's current parole policies and the restoration of voting rights for New Yorkers on parole, the fact is that my Republican colleagues are rushing these hearings a mere four weeks before November's general election in their attempt to score cheap political points and mobilize their base of voters. 

Furthermore, we cannot deny that one of the main goals of these hearings is to deepen the public's distrust against incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, even after they have paid their debt to society, and have been rehabilitated.

In the meantime, I will continue to advocate for common sense measures, such as my bill to implement discretionary release as part of the parole process (S8346). If adopted, this bill would make a real difference in creating a fairer system, especially for low-income communities and people of color. 

Without a doubt, the road to reforming our State's criminal justice system will be long and filled with obstacles. That is why we cannot allow elected representatives to play political games that undermine true efforts to improve the parole process for both victims and incarcerated individuals."

Next Croton FMC meeting will be held on October 16th at 6:30pm.


  The next Croton FMC meeting will be held on October 16th at 6:30pm. Please note the new location -- Mosholu Montefiore Community Center at 3450 Dekalb Avenue, basement. Attached is the agenda for this meeting.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Effie Ardizzone | Bronx Borough Coordinator | NYC Environmental Protection
Bureau of Public Affairs & Communications
(O) 718-595-3493 | (M) 646-438-0773

Agenda

Croton Facility Monitoring Committee Meeting (CFMC)

Thursday, October 16, 2018 – 6:30 PM

Mosholu Montefiore Community Center – 3450 DeKalb Avenue

I Welcome and Call Meeting to Order Bill Hall, Chair

II Consider, Adopt October 16th Agenda CFMC Representatives

III Consider, Adopt Minutes from CFMC Representatives
April 11, 2018 CFMC Meeting

IV Update on Project to construct Pedestrian Bridge Department of Design and Construction over Major Deegan Expressway to Connect Sections Representatives of Van Cortlandt Park

V Update on Golf Clubhouse Department of Design and Construction Representatives

VI Croton Costs and Construction Update Bernard Daly/ Arne Fareth, DEP

VIII Old Business CFMC Representatives and Public

IX New Business CFMC Representatives and Public