Week in Review In NYC

Stonewall Vigil – The City came together to mourn the horrific loss of life in Orlando. Thousands gathered to hold a vigil for the 49 victims. City Hall and the Municipal Building were lit up in Pride colors to show solidarity with the LGBT community in Orlando and around the world. The Mayor and Police Commissioner continue to speak to the increased steps the City is taking to keep New Yorkers safe.

Keeping NYCHA Residents Safe – Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the completion of 305 new LED light fixtures across Brooklyn’s Bushwick Houses as part of the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP). In its first year, the MAP strategy brought physical improvements to public housing and facilitated joint problem-solving between police and residents. The results so far have been promising. Between fiscal years 2014 and 2015, New York City saw a 6.9 percent decrease in violent crime, while violent crime in the 15 MAP developments dropped by 11.2 percent. Additionally, in March, MOCJ announced a comprehensive study in which 40 public housing developments will receive 400 exterior lights in an effort to evaluate the effect of light on crime.

Crane Safety – The Crane Safety Technical Working Group, appointed by Mayor de Blasio and Buildings Commissioner Chandler following February’s crane collapse, issued 23 recommendations to improve crane safety. Among other measures, the Working Group recommends equipping cranes with the latest technology and phasing out older cranes; increasing industry accountability for crane operations; and requiring more training for those who operate the largest cranes. Commissioner Chandler called these recommendations “solid, sensible, and doable.”

AP for All –DOE announced that 63 high schools will offer new Advanced Placement courses, including 35 that previously offered no AP courses during the 2015-16 school year. The expansion comes in the first full year of the AP for All Initiative, one of the eight initiatives in Mayor de Blasio’s Equity and Excellence agenda. The goal of AP for All is to increase college readiness among New York City students; research has shown that the rigor of these courses and exams better prepare students for college. Through AP for All, 75 percent of high school students will have access to at least five AP classes by fall 2018 and all high school students will have access by fall 2021. 

Violations in non-cluster homeless shelters dramatically reduced – The Shelter Repair Scorecard for May revealed that the Shelter Repair Squad and shelter providers have cut outstanding building violations in non-cluster homeless shelters by 27 percent over the last month. Since the end of January 2016, open violations in non-cluster shelters are down 69 percent.

Leading Training Program for Medical Examiners – The New York Times profiled a fellowship program at the Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), which has established the national model for training forensic pathologists. Since 1990, the program has produced 100 medical examiners, including current and former chief medical examiners in more than 20 jurisdictions, and helped to insulate New York City from the pressing national shortage of board-certified forensic pathologists, where only about 500 such experts exist nationwide. The majority of medical examiners trained at OCME have been women.

Raising DACA’s Importance To New York City – June 15, 2016 marked the fourth year since the implementation of President Obama’s first executive action on immigration, DACA.  Member cities of Mayor de Blasio’s Cities for Action coalition joined MOIA and other city agencies in a social media campaign that explains why #DACAWorks. The Supreme Court is expected to rule in the next two weeks on the legality of the executive action.

East Harlem Health Neighborhoods – DOHMH, in partnership with the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) and Mount Sinai Hospital, awarded $225,000 to nine community-based organizations for community activation projects at the East Harlem Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative Health in Action Summit. The goal  of the projects are to enhance neighborhood health, such as increasing access to affordable healthy foods, improving the built environment, linking residents to community services, and bolstering economic opportunities. 

Citywide Ferry – Citywide Ferry took another big step forward, with Mayor de Blasio releasing renderings of the modern, efficient boats that will be used when the service launches in summer of 2017. Go tocitywide ferry to learn more and to enter for a chance to win a free annual pass!