Reining in Broken Windows + Bob Capano blasts DSA
No 18
Monday, June 19, 2017
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Local News
- City officials have directed the NYPD to issue civil tickets rather than criminal summonses for petty offenses such as public drinking, being in a park after dark, and public urination. The city estimates that the new policy will divert about 100,000 people each year from the criminal justice system. Nevertheless, the Mayor remains publicly committed to Broken Windows policing.
- In related news, a federal judge approved a $75 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit against the NYPD for issuing Broken Windows summonses to meet quotas. The city denied that the NYPD has used quotas, but agreed to send a notice to police officers stating that quotas are banned and are subject to Internal Affairs investigations.
- The MTA’s plan to update its outdated signal system–a major reason for the recent surge in subway delays–is years behind schedule and underfunded by billions of dollars, according to a report released by the City’s Independent Budget Office on Tuesday. The Governor’s office criticized the report, and Cuomo continues to prioritize drivers ahead of mass transit by announcing expedited road construction ahead of this summer’s Penn Station shutdown.
- The Land Use committee of Community Board 9 in Brooklyn held a hearing about the Bedford-Union Armory project last Tuesday, and the full CB9 is slated to make a decision about whether to support the deal later today. The next step in the ULURP process will be for the Brooklyn Borough President to review the project.
- Village Voice union workers are threatening to go on strike in response to management proposals for their new contract that would eliminate guarantees for health care and diversity in hiring.
- Republican state senators are hoping to extract concessions on charter school caps in order to grant an extension of mayoral control of schools to de Blasio. With less than a week to go before the end of the legislative session, Cuomo publicly supports such a compromise.
- The State’s Commission on Forensic Science voted to allow police to broaden DNA searches to include close but inexact matches in some cases, a policy that has been called “genetic stop-and-frisk.”
Elections
- Republican candidate and Curtis Sliwa endorsee for City Council in District 43 (Bay Ridge) Bob Capano publicly attacked Khader El-Yateem for his affiliation with DSA. NYC-DSA co-chair Zelig Stern issued a strong rebuke to Capano, and Rev. El-Yateem was quick to affirm his appreciation for DSA in a Facebook post.
- There are currently are three New York statewide ballot measures likely to be included in November’s general election. The most contentious should be the Constitutional Convention Question, which was recently endorsedby the New York City Bar Association.
- The New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO announced that it made initial endorsements in 36 races for New York City Council.
- All three main contenders in the mayoral race (Bill de Blasio and Republicans Paul Massey and Nicole Malliotakis) pulled out of a faith-centered candidates forum at the last minute.
