NYPD Announces Release of First Quarterly Report on Citywide Vehicle Encounters

 

Overall Stops for January through March Reflect the NYPD’s Equitable Traffic Policing and Precision Crime-Fighting Approach

 The NYPD shared precinct-level data on police officers’ encounters with motorists across New York City during the first quarter of 2022, in accordance with the reporting requirements of an amendment to Local Law 45 passed last year.

The 176,753 recorded vehicle stops in the first three months of this year show the race of those vehicle operators to be roughly proportional to the city’s overall racial demographics.

Officers involved in the vehicle stops encountered conditions necessitating 4,222 arrests (2.4% of all traffic stops). The arrests reflect a level of intelligence-based enforcement that highlights the NYPD’s work on all fronts to battle serious crime and help create a safe and prosperous city for all New Yorkers. Arrests, as well as the 88 times (.05% of all traffic stops) officers were required to use some level of force in all recorded traffic encounters to date, occurred most frequently in areas of the city beset by crime upticks.

Police officers work to intervene and prevent crime in areas of the city where the predominance of citywide violence occurs. They do this by identifying the drivers of violence, interdicting vehicles with illegal, paper license plates, stopping speeders who show no regard for their neighbors, and focusing intently on seizing illegal guns, particularly in high-intensity narcotics-trafficking zones.

"We are proud to share data on traffic policing that is integral to our collective understanding of the good work NYPD officers do every day to improve our city, maintain safe roads and highways, and ensure consequences for those individuals who choose to break the law," said Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. "We often say that traffic safety is public safety – we have no tolerance for even one criminal motorist. In a city made more vibrant by the free-flow of automobiles, a robust vehicle-safety strategy is a fundamental tool in assuring everyone’s right to safe travel. The transparency of this data helps serve that mission."

The data released today by the NYPD has been shared directly with the Office of the Mayor of the City of New York, and the Speaker of the City Council, and has been posted publicly on the Police Department’s website. Please click https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/stats/reports-analysis/vehicle-stop-reports.page to view the report.

Governor Hochul Announces State Police, Local Law Enforcement to Crack Down on Impaired and Reckless Driving This Memorial Day Weekend

 

Enforcement Campaign to Run Through May 31 

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York State Police and local law enforcement statewide will increase patrols to combat drunk, impaired, and reckless driving throughout Memorial Day weekend. The STOP-DWI enforcement period starts at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, May 27, 2022, and runs through 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Memorial Day is one of the busiest travel holidays of the year, and police will be out in full force to remove impaired and reckless drivers from our highways.

"Impaired driving is a reckless, dangerous choice that puts far too many people at risk of costly and possibly deadly consequences," Governor Hochul said. "As we prepare to travel and get together with friends and family for Memorial Day weekend, I urge all motorists to drive responsibly and plan for a safe ride home. Don't get behind the wheel if you've been drinking so you can enjoy your weekend without endangering yourself or others."

Drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols by State Police and local law enforcement agencies during this holiday weekend. Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) vehicles as part of this crackdown in order to more easily identify motorists who are violating the law. CITE vehicles allow the Trooper to better observe driving violations.  These vehicles blend in with traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.

State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen said, "For many New Yorkers, Memorial Day marks the start of the summer travel season, which means additional traffic and increased risks on our roadways. As you prepare your holiday weekend, remember to make safety your top priority.  Wear your seat belt, remain alert and above all, drive sober. If you drink or use drugs, do not get behind the wheel of any vehicle - instead, plan for a safe ride home. Troopers will be vigilant in keeping our roadways safe throughout the holiday weekend and will be targeting reckless and impaired drivers."

Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder said, "There will be many more motorists on the road this Memorial Day weekend as the summer travel season begins. We want everyone to reach their destinations safely, so we are urging drivers to make responsible choices to avoid senseless tragedies. Do not drive if you have been drinking or using drugs. Also, please follow the rules of the road and share the road safely with others."

According to the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research at the University at Albany, 516 people died and 5,067 were injured in crashes that involved impaired drivers in New York State during 2020.

This initiative is partially funded by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC). The GTSC and the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation remind motorists that their "Have a Plan" mobile app can help New Yorkers find a safe way home from a celebration where they may be drinking. The free app allows users to designate a driver, call a cab or ride share, and review the consequences of impaired driving. Users can even use the app to report a drunk or drugged driver. The app is available for Apple, Android and Windows smart phones. 

On Memorial Day weekend in 2021, Troopers arrested 185 people for drinking and driving, issued 9,214 total tickets, and investigated 163 personal injury crashes, which resulted in two fatalities. In addition to the New York State Police, numerous counties and agencies throughout the state also participated in last year's Memorial Day Crackdown.

Attorney General James Issues Warnings to More Than 30 Retailers to Stop Overcharging for Baby Formula

 

Consumer Reports Show Online Retailers and Stores Overcharging for Baby Formula amid National Shortage 

AG James Encourages Consumers to Continue to Report Baby Formula Price Gouging to Her Office 

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today issued warnings to more than 30 online and brick-and-mortar retailers across the state to stop overcharging for baby formula after consumers reported unreasonably high prices. Due to recalls and supply chain disruptions, there has been a nationwide shortage of baby formula. New York’s price gouging statute prohibits merchants from charging excessive prices for essential goods or services during abnormal market disruptions. In cease-and-desist letters to more than 30 online retailers and stores across the state, Attorney General James ordered these businesses to immediately stop overcharging for baby formula and warned of the legal consequences of price gouging.

“It’s unconscionable that some retailers are taking advantage of the national baby formula shortage while parents are struggling to find food for their children,” said Attorney General James. “Amid this crisis, families already have enough to worry about and should not have to worry about being price gouged. We are warning all retailers that New York will not tolerate price gouging of baby formula, and I encourage anyone who sees this to continue reporting it to my office.”

Earlier this month, Attorney General James issued a consumer alert warning retailers against price gouging of baby formula and encouraging consumers to report it to her office. Since then, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has received several consumer complaints of baby formula price gouging at local retailers across the state, primarily in New York City. For example, one consumer reported that a 19.8 ounce can of Enfamil Nutramigen formula, which typically sells for $44.99, was being sold by an Erie County retailer for $59.99. Another consumer reported that a 32-ounce ready-to-feed bottle of Enfamil NeuroPro was being sold by a Bronx retailer for $17.99 when it previously sold for $11.99.

In her letters, Attorney General James makes clear that wholesalers and distributors are also prohibited from price gouging and encourages retailers to notify her office if they are being overcharged. New York’s price gouging statute is expansive and covers actors throughout the supply chain. The law also prohibits price gouging not just of consumers but also of small businesses and state and local governments.

The OAG encourages parents having difficulty finding formula to speak with their child’s doctor before attempting to water down formula or make their own, both of which can be potentially dangerous to a child. Due to the nationwide shortage, OAG advises consumers to buy only as much formula as they need and not to unnecessarily stock up. Panic buying may intensify the shortage and could encourage sellers to engage in illegal price gouging. The OAG also reminds consumers that it is not price gouging for retailers to limit the amount of formula they sell to individual consumers.

When reporting price gouging to OAG, consumers should:

• Report the specific increased prices, the dates, and places that they saw the increased prices, and the type and size of formula being sold; and,
• Provide copies of their sales receipts and photos of the advertised prices, if available.

New Yorkers should report potential concerns about price gouging to OAG by filing a complaint online or call 800-771-7755.

Statement From Governor Kathy Hochul on New York State Electric and Gas and Rochester Gas & Electric Proposal to Raise Utility Rates on New Yorkers

 

"It's outrageous and unacceptable that utility companies are proposing the largest rate increase in recent history for more than 1.2 million consumers in Upstate New York. The Department of Public Service is legally required to review all proposed rate increases, and I urge them to scrutinize every number and word of this proposal to protect New York families from unjustified and unfair rate increases. At a time when so many families are struggling because of global economic headwinds and nationwide inflation, I will keep fighting to get money back in the pockets of New Yorkers by accelerating middle class tax cuts, giving consumers a gas tax holiday that begins next week, and providing rent and utility relief to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers."

EDITOR'S NOTE:

We see that Governor Hochul is angry that her gas and electric rates are going up where she lives in upstate New York, but we have not heard a word from her about the very high downstate cost of electricity and gas. 

It looks like this is an upstate governor, with an upstate Lieutenant Governor who knows nothing about what is going on downstate, and probably doesn't care about the downstate area of New York State, just some photo ops with downstate elected officials.

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES NYC TEST & TRACE AND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAVE ADMINISTERED OVER 2 MILLION COVID-19 IN-SCHOOL SURVIELLANCE TESTS THIS SCHOOL YEAR

City Will Provide Additional 4 Million At-Home Tests To Schools Each Week Until End Of The School Year  

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Education (DOE) Chancellor David C. Banks, the New York City Test & Trace Corps (Test & Trace), and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) today announced that the city’s in-school surveillance testing program has administered over two million PCR COVID-19 tests to students and school staff this school year. In addition to supporting the city’s “Stay Safe, Stay Open” plan, an additional four million at-home tests will be delivered to schools each week until the end of the school year.

“New York City schools are the safest place for our kids to be because of the steps we’ve taken to make testing accessible,” said Mayor Adams. “We know what works — by doubling COVID-19 testing in schools, getting our students vaccinated, and sending students, teachers, and staff home with at-home tests, we have kept our schools open and students learning in-person. I want to thank the dedicated school testing team that has helped make this possible and provided our students an undisrupted, world-class New York City education.” 

“So many people across the city live in intergenerational family homes, with K-12 students, mom, dad, and grandparents all together,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Family members with preexisting conditions may be at higher risk of contracting the virus and suffering more severe disease symptoms. Thus, surveillance testing in schools has been integral to keeping not only the student but the whole family safe. Thank you to the Test & Trace team, DOE, and everyone who makes this work happen every day in schools across all five boroughs.”

“Thanks to the resilience of our school communities, the continuance of our gold standard approach to health and safety, and our robust surveillance testing program, schools have remained open and students have remained in classrooms receiving the supports they need,” said Chancellor Banks. “I’m proud of our continued partnership with New York City Test & Trace Corps and grateful that we are able to continue to provide the resources needed to keep our students, staff, and communities safe.”

“Our COVID-19 surveillance testing program has proved that schools are the healthiest and safest place for our students to be, and has enabled us to keep our schools open during every stage of the pandemic,” said Dr. Ted Long, executive director, NYC Test & Trace Corps; and senior vice president for Ambulatory Care and Population Health, NYC Health + Hospitals. “I am so proud that in New York City we have created a national model for how to offer safe, in person education – which has been and will be crucial to helping our students recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

 

“These two million tests have protected families, friends and communities, and kept our children in the place where they are safest and healthiest — our schools,” said DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “Schools are among the safest places from COVID-19 transmission and that is a result of a team effort in mounting this incredibly successful testing effort.” 

In-School Surveillance Testing
The city’s school surveillance testing program, an interagency effort coordinated by the DOE,  DOHMH, and Test & Trace manages testing at over 1,900 school locations, conducting nearly 80,000 tests per week to ensure city schools were and continue to be the safest place for young people to be during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The school surveillance testing program — the largest in the nation — expanded in February to double the number of individuals tested in each school by including both unvaccinated students and vaccinated students, as well as staff. The random in-school surveillance program continues to provide public health experts with an accurate look at COVID-19 in schools. 

 

All families, regardless of whether their young person is vaccinated, should consent to in-school testing or return a signed consent form to their school.

Keeping Schools Open

An additional four million additional at-home tests will be delivered to students and school staff each week from the beginning of May until the end of the school year to support the city’s Stay Safe, Stay Open plan. There have been over 16 million at-home tests delivered to schools since the resumption of classes on January 3, 2021.  

 

In accordance with the “Stay Safe, Stay Open” plan, every student and adult in a classroom with a positive case will immediately receive an at-home rapid test kit and need to take two tests in five days. Students who are asymptomatic do not need to quarantine and can continue attending school if their tests are negative. This policy is more expansive than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance, which applies to only designated close contacts.  

VCJC News & Notes 5/26/22

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful! Reminders Shabbos Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar. Here are the times you need:   Shabbos Candles Friday 5/27/22 @ 7:59 pm Shabbos morning services at 8:45 am.  Please join the services if you can do so safely.  Shabbos Ends Saturday 5/28/22 @ 9:03 pm Kiddush sponsored by BenZion Panush in memory of his aunt, Sara Lustig   Memorial Day The office will be closed on Monday, May 30, in observance of Memorial Day.    Shavous Saturday, June 4, is Erev Shavous.  In addition to schedule information to be sent via this newsletter, times will be posted on the front door and the lobby bulletin board.  Van Cortlandt Jewish Center 3880 Sedgwick Ave Bronx, NY 10463

Housing Lottery Launches For 6375 Broadway In North Riverdale, The Bronx

 The affordable housing lottery has launched for 6375 Broadway, a seven-story residential building in North Riverdale, The Bronx. Designed by Marin Architects, the structure yields 65 residences and 36 parking spaces. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 23 units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $61,715 to $187,330.

Amenities include assigned parking spaces, a shared laundry room, gym, community center, elevator, and an on-site resident manager. Units come equipped with energy-efficient appliances. Tenants are responsible for electricity.

At 130 percent of the AMI, there are four studios with a monthly rent of $1,800 for incomes ranging from $61,715 to $138,840; 16 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,000 for incomes ranging from $68,572 to $156,130; and three two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,350 for incomes ranging from $80,572 to $187,330.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than June 17, 2022.

The NYS Division of Consumer Protection Reminds New Yorkers to Wear Their Bike Helmets

 

Warmer Weather Prompts More Outdoor Activities

May is National Bike Safety Month 

Helmets Reduce the Risk of Severe Head Injury and Can Save Lives

 The New York State Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) and the New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) alert New Yorkers, of all ages, the importance of wearing a helmet when riding a bike. The warmer weather provides individuals more opportunities for outdoor activities. During National Bike Safety month, New Yorkers are urged to make safety a priority by wearing helmets which will reduce the risk of severe head injury and save lives.

“Helmets are vital safety gear that saves lives, when we are exercising and enjoying a bike ride with family and friends,” said New York Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez. “As the summertime is upon us and we enjoy the warm weather biking in New York’s many beautiful bike trails, parks and on the streets, I urge all New Yorkers to be smart while having adventures on two-wheels by wearing a helmet and proper gear while riding a bike.” 

In 2021, according to preliminary data from the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research (ITSMR), there were 1,455 police-reported bicycle crashes statewide in which a helmet was used. Of those, seven crashes resulted in at least one fatality, and 121 crashes resulted in at least one serious injury. In comparison, there were 3,946 police-reported bicycle crashes statewide in which a helmet was not used. Of those, 32 crashes resulted in at least one fatality, and 378 crashes resulted in in at least one serious injury.

“The statistics clearly show that wearing a helmet while bicycling significantly reduces the chances of death or serious injury in the event of a crash,” said GTSC Chair and NYS DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder. “Please wear a helmet every time you ride a bicycle. It could save your life.” 

Consumers stay safe by choosing and wearing their helmets safely:

• Pair the activity to the helmet. You shouldn’t wear any helmet to go bike riding. Different activities can result in different impact to your head. Use a helmet that fits the activity, so if an accident occurs, you are better protected.
• Read the directions. With helmets, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Every helmet can fit and operate differently.
• Make sure it fits. Bike helmets should have a snug but comfortable fit on the rider's head. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also has a guide on properly fitting bicycle helmets, helmet certifications and laws, and more.
• Buckle up! A helmet only works when it is worn properly for the duration of an activity. Make sure your helmet has a chin strap and buckle that lays flat and stays fastened. Wear your helmet level on your forehead, not tilted back.
• Conform to regulations. The CPSC oversees helmets for many activities, including bike riding. For instance, bicycle helmets must conform to five separate standards[1].  When buying a bike helmet, look for the label that reads: “Complies with U.S. CPSC Safety Standards for Bicycle Helmet.” Don’t add anything to the helmet, such as stickers, coverings, or other attachments, that didn’t come with the helmet upon purchase. These could affect the helmet’s performance.
• After a crash or injury, replace. Once a helmet protects a person from a fall, it should no longer be used. Any damage to a helmet can reduce its effectiveness. Replace it before the next ride.
• Replace your helmet when needed. You should follow the manufacturer’s guide for when to replace your helmet. If no guidance is provided, helmets should generally be replaced within 5-10 years of purchase if properly cared for and stored. If there are cracks in the shell, worn foam lining, or other such imperfections that may occur during regular use, you should consider replacing it.

More details and tips from the CPSC: https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/sports-fitness-and-recreation-bicycles/which-helmet-which-activity.

About the New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee

The New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee coordinates traffic safety activities in the state and shares useful, timely information about traffic safety and the state's highway safety grant program. 

About the New York State Division of Consumer Protection

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection provides resources and education materials to consumers on product safety, as well as voluntary mediation services between consumers and businesses. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumer-protection.

For more consumer protection tips, follow the Division on social media at Twitter: @NYSConsumer and Facebook: www.facebook.com/nysconsumer.