News From City Council Member Eric Ulrich

NYC Council Member Eric Ulrich Celebrates Opening of Rockaway Beach for Summer

Council Member Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) joined Parks Department officials, residents and colleagues in government on the boardwalk at Beach 97^th Street in Rockaway on Friday to celebrate the annual opening of the city’s public beaches. After reminders from Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe to stay safe this summer, the officials and residents sampled some of the food available on the boardwalk this summer and tried their hand at beach tennis.

Ulrich said, “As we all know, Rockaway continues to be one of the city’s best kept secrets. It’s a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family, and to enjoy the beach. There are lots of new and exciting amenities this year, and I encourage everyone in Queens to visit this summer and discover the beauty Rockaway has to offer.”

In all, the City boasts 14 miles of beaches that attracted 19 million visitors last year. New this year will be food concessions run by Rockaway Beach Club, LLC, which will serve tacos, po’ boys, arepas, enchiladas, Italian ices and more at snack bars at Beach 86^th, 97^th and 106^th streets. In addition, a mile of new boardwalk is open this year along stretches between Beach 23^rd and Beach 81^st streets.

NYC Council Member Eric Ulrich: Additional Police Presence Needed at Aqueduct

Council Member Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) is asking the NYPD to assign additional police officers to the 106th Precinct in advance of the planned September opening of video lottery terminals at Aqueduct Race Track in Ozone Park.

The new racino is expected to draw more than eight million visitors each year, and local residents and Community Board 10 have already expressed concerns about the current staffing levels at the local precinct.

Ulrich said, “In order to keep our streets safe, we are going to need more cops at the 106^th Precinct. My constituents should not have to worry about any rise in crime that might emanate from Aqueduct. We need to do everything we can to guarantee a good quality of life for the neighborhoods surrounding the track. This request is more than reasonable.”

Ulrich had the opportunity to speak directly with Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly during a recent Public Safety Committee hearing and in a May 18 letter to the department. He requested that the new officers be assigned beginning in the new fiscal year so they will have time to acclimate themselves to the area before the racino opens.

In the letter to Commissioner Kelly, Ulrich wrote, “While the new racino is scheduled to open later this summer, many of my constituents are still concerned about the level of police protection the community will receive from the NYPD. Despite the fact that vehicular and foot traffic will increase, it still remains unclear if and when the local precinct will receive additional police personnel. Undoubtedly, more police officers will be needed to patrol the residential neighborhoods surrounding the facility… I believe this request is warranted given the size and scope of the new venue and the necessary planning that will go into maintaining a good quality of life for area residents.”

NYC Council Member Eric Ulrich Statement on Mayor's Plan to Close Engine 294 and Other Fire Companies

Council Member Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) released the following statement on the Mayor's plan to close 20 fire companies around the City, including Engine 294:

“The Mayor’s plan to close Engine 294 and other fire companies around the city is downright dangerous. Response times will go up and lives will be put at risk. Woodhaven and Richmond Hill desperately need adequate fire protection and emergency services, especially since many of the homes there are attached, wood-frame structures. We simply cannot balance the budget by putting people in harm’s way. Mark my words - budget cuts like these can be deadly and I will do everything in my power to fight them.”

NYC Council Member Eric Ulrich Co-Sponsors Bill to Prevent Children from Being Exposed to Pornography in Public Libraries Council Members Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) and David G. Greenfield (D-Brooklyn) announced bipartisan legislation on Sunday that will protect children at New York City’s public libraries from exposure to Internet pornography. The legislation would make it a misdemeanor criminal offense for any adult to view pornographic materials within 100 feet of a minor in a public library. Ulrich said, “This is a common sense piece of legislation aimed at protecting our children while they spend time at the library. Kids shouldn’t be exposed to sexually explicit content, and taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for it either. This is a serious concern for many people who don’t want their children subjected to this form of public indecency.” Greenfield said, “I am a strong supporter of our public libraries and the value and rich experiences that they provide to New Yorkers. Part of that experience, however, should not be traumatizing children by exposing them to sexual predators and debasing pornography. Our bipartisan legislation would send an unmistakable message to sexual predators: expose yourself to children and you will go to jail.” The legislation would make viewing pornography within 100 feet of a child a misdemeanor carrying fines of between $1,000 and $10,000 and the possibility of jail time, as determined by a judge. Because the proposed legislation is narrowly tailored to protect children, it is expected to pass any constitutional challenges.

NYC Council Member Eric Ulrich Statement on Mayor’s Proposed Budget

Council Member Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens) today released the following statement in response to Mayor Bloomberg’s FY 2012 Executive Budget:

Ulrich said, “This is a very difficult budget. Even though years of prudent fiscal planning helped the city weather the recession better than most, cuts still seem inevitable. I’m especially concerned about the impact potential teacher layoffs will have on class size in our schools, and I’m also worried about the proposed firehouse closings. As an alternative, I am encouraging my colleagues to seriously consider some of the recommendations that have already been made by the Independent Budget Office. Rest assured, before the City Council adopts the budget, I will do everything in my power to protect vital services and persuade the Mayor to find money elsewhere.”

New York City (NYC) Poll * March 16, 2011 * Mayor's Approval Rating At Low - Quinnipiac University

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New York City voters disapprove 51 – 39 percent of the job Mayor Michael Bloomberg is doing, his lowest score since a 51 – 37 percent disapproval November 23, 2003, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Only Manhattan voters approve of Mayor Bloomberg’s job performance, 55 – 34 percent, while disapproval in the other boroughs ranges from 49 – 35 percent in The Bronx to 66 – 27 percent on Staten Island, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.

Republicans approve 47 – 42 percent, while disapproval is 52 – 39 percent among Democrats and 51 – 40 percent among independent voters.

Bloomberg has the lowest score of any citywide elected. Other officials score their highest approval ratings ever:

• 44 – 16 percent for Public Advocate Bill de Blasio;
• 54 – 16 percent for City Comptroller John Liu;
• 55 – 25 percent for City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
  Police Commissioner Ray Kelly gets a 67 – 20 percent approval, including 57 – 27 percent among black voters. The new Schools Chancellor, Cathleen Black, gets a negative 17 – 49 percent approval rating, with 34 percent undecided.
  New York City voters give President Barack Obama a 70 – 26 percent job approval.
  “Is it the snow, the third-term blahs, the weekends away, the presidential chatter? Whatever the explanation, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s once-upon-a-time stretch of 70-plus job approval numbers has gone south. This is his first negative number since 2003,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

“President Barack Obama’s job approval is inching up in a lot of places. In New York City, it’s zooming. Starting with the lame-duck congressional session, he’s looking better.”

Rating the Bloomberg Administration’s overall handling of snow removal this winter:

• 2 percent say excellent;
• 26 percent say good;
• 31 percent say not so good;
• 38 percent say poor.

Mayor Bloomberg favors Manhattan over the other boroughs, voters say 70 – 22 percent. Opinions range from 52 – 34 percent in Manhattan to 84 – 11 percent on Staten Island.

New York City voters say 72 – 25 percent that where the mayor goes on weekends or vacations is a private matter and the public does not have a right to know. All groups support this opinion by large margins. This is little changed from an 80 – 18 percent finding on this question in a February 4, 2004, Quinnipiac University poll.

The media should not follow the mayor and report on his time-off activity, New York City voters say 79 – 17 percent.

But when the mayor leaves the city, he should have to say who is in charge, voters say 84 – 13 percent. And voters say 72 – 26 percent that the mayor should report the whereabouts of the person left in charge of the city.

By a 56 – 38 percent margin, New York City voters do not believe Bloomberg when he says he is not interested in running for president. Voters say 74 – 18 percent that he would not make a good president, his lowest score ever. The negative rating is shared by Republicans 70 – 25 percent, Democrats 75 – 17 percent and independent voters 74 – 21 percent.

But 67 percent of New York City voters say Bloomberg’s involvement in national issues is good for the city, while 28 percent say his involvement distracts him from the day-to-day business of running the city.

“Wherever Mayor Mike wants to fly away to is his business, New Yorkers say, just as they said years ago. Leave him alone, they tell the press,” Carroll said. “But when the mayor’s away, voters want to know who’s in charge – and where they are.”

From March 8 – 14, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,115 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.



The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio and the nation as a public service and for research.


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For more data or RSS feed– http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201, or follow us on Twitter. 

Police Commissioner Calls Queens Slaying a Hate Crime by Joseph Goldstein - NYTimes.com

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Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said Tuesday that the fatal beating of an 18-year-old man in Queens early Saturday “falls into the category of a hate crime.”

The victim, Anthony Collao, was at a party at a house in Woodhaven when five gate-crashers, none older than 17, pushed their way inside, Mr. Kelly said. Once indoors, they began “making homophobic remarks” and writing messages on the wall in red markers, said Mr. Kelly, who was asked about the case after a City Council hearing.

As Mr. Collao, who the police said was at the party with a girlfriend, left about 1 a.m., he encountered the same group outside the house, on 90th Street. One of the teenagers had a metal bat and another had a cane, according to a criminal complaint.

With a shout of “this is my hood,” the teenagers chased Mr. Collao down 90th Street and set upon him in a storm of punches, kicks and blows from “an object that appeared to be a stick,” according to the complaint.

Mr. Collao was taken to Jamaica Hospital and died late Monday after he was taken off life support, Mr. Kelly said. The attack and the death were reported by The Daily News on Tuesday.

When the police arrested one of those suspected in the attack, Christopher Lozada, he had an Atlanta Braves cap that belonged to Mr. Collao, according to the complaint. The police also discovered blood on Mr. Lozada’s clothing and on the sneakers of a second person arrested in the case, according to the complaint, which said that a metal pipe with blood on it was recovered from the crime scene.

Mr. Lozada and three other suspects were arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Monday on charges of manslaughter, gang assault and weapons possession. The police are still searching for a fifth suspect, whose name they did not release. The criminal complaint does not make any mention of antigay slurs, or offer any suggestion as to what motivated the attack. Mr. Kelly said that investigators with an expertise in hate crimes were looking into the case.

David Franzese, a lawyer for one of the defendants, Luis Tabales, 16, said that his client had nothing to do with the assault and “doesn’t know the other individuals he was arrested with.”

Mr. Franzese said the party was at an abandoned home that had become a hangout for teenagers.

Police Badges of 29 NYPD Officers Who Died from 9/11-related Diseases Come to Nation’s Capital as Senate Prepares to Consider 9/11 Health Bill

Senator Gillibrand, NYPD Commissioner Kelly Unveil Week Long Exhibition

Leading Up to Historic Senate Vote, Gillibrand Brings 29 Police Shields of Fallen Heroes To Washington To Lie In Repose For One Week In Russell Rotunda

Lead Sponsor of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health Bill, Gillibrand Working to Secure More Republican Support This Week

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Representative Jerrold Badler viewing the NYC police badges on display in Washington, DC

U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles E. Schumer, together with U.S. Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, Peter King, Anthony Weiner, and New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly today stood with labor leaders and 9/11 survivors, family members and advocates to unveil a special exhibition of police badges belonging to members of the New York City Police Department who assisted in rescue efforts at Ground Zero and later died from 9/11-related illnesses.

The first exhibition of its kind, the 29 badges are intended to attract Republican support for the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which will likely be brought up for debate in the Senate this month. In partnership with the NYPD, Senator Gillibrand brought the shields to Washington, DC to highlight the human toll of 9/11-related illnesses and the importance of passing the legislation during the lame duck session.

“These badges are much more than a symbol of the men and women we’ve lost. These shields should serve as a call to action – a call for us to do what’s right and pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act now,” Senator Gillibrand said. “The men and women who lived through 9/11 and came to our rescue on that day were not Democrats or Republicans or Independents – they were Americans. Now we have a duty to provide them the health care and compensation they and their family need. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act fulfills our moral obligation to the brave men and women who did not think twice before risking their lives in service to our country. They were bound by duty and a love of our nation and a love of their fellow Americans. They joined hand in hand with heroes like them from every corner of America to come to our rescue and help us turn toward a path to recovery.”

The New York lawmakers were joined by leaders from the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, Sergeants Benevolent Association, Lieutenants Benevolent Association, Captains Endowment Fund, Detectives Endowment Association, the New York City Police Museum, and representatives of Community Board 1.

The badges, which come from the New York City Police Museum, will be housed in the Russell Senate Office Building next to the U.S. Capitol. This is the first time that such an exhibition has traveled outside of New York City. In addition to the shields, selected work from New York City courtroom artist Aggie Kenny, will also be on display. Kenny’s moving sketches depict the first responders who worked, lived, ate, and slept at the burning ruin of the former WTC site.

The 29 badges belonged to the following members of the NYPD:

Detective	Sandra Adrian	New York, NY
Police Officer	Thomas G. Brophy	Smithtown, NY
Police Officer	Madeline Carlo	Bronx, NY
Police Officer	Daniel C. Conroy	Smithtown, NY
Police Officer	Renee Dunbar	Hempstead, NY
Captain	Edward C. Gilpin	Manalapan, NJ
Police Officer	James J. Godbee	New York, NY
Sergeant	Claire T. Hanrahan	Whitestone, NY
Detective	Kevin A. Hawkins	Staten Island, NY
Police Officer	Robert B. Helmke	Hauppauge, NY
Detective	William J. Holfester	Mastic Beach, NY
Police Officer	Louise M. Johnston	Brooklyn, NY
Police Officer	Vito S. Mauro	Brooklyn, NY
Police Officer	Gary G. Mausberg	Floral Park, NY
Police Officer	Christopher S. McMurry	Orangeburg, NY
Lieutenant	Brian S. Mohamed	Mt. Vernon, NY
Detective	Michael P. Morales	Staten Island, NY
Police Officer	Robert Nicosia	Wantagh, NY
Police Officer	Patrice M. Ott	Pearl River, NY
Police Officer	Angelo Peluso	Staten Island, NY
Lieutenant	Gerald Rex	Staten Island, NY
Detective	Roberto L. Rivera	New York, NY
Sergeant	Michael W. Ryan	Smithtown, NY
Sergeant	Edward D. Thompson	Staten Island, NY
Police Officer	Ronald E. Weintraub	Holbrook, NY
Detective	Robert W. Williamson	Nanuet, NY
Inspector	Richard D. Winter	Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Detective	John T. Young	Highland Mills, NY
Detective	James Zadroga	White Plains, NY

“This powerful exhibit reminds us that the attacks of September 11th were, first and foremost, attacks upon America,” said New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. “Those who responded heroically that day and in the months that followed did so on behalf of the entire nation. And as a nation we owe them and their families our support.”

“In the past two weeks I’ve attended funeral services for two New York City police officers who died from toxic exposure while responding to the nation’s call on 9/11,” said Patrick J. Lynch, President of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association. “More NYC police officers have now died since the attack than were killed in the collapse of the World Trade Center. Twenty-threeofficers died in the collapse and 30 have died since. And there are 84 more NYC police officers fighting gallantly for their lives as we stand here today. These men and women didn’t question or debate when their nation called them to duty, they responded. America owes them and their families a debt. It is time for the US Senate to stand up and do what is right and cast their vote in favor of the Zadroga bill.”

“The time to pass the legislation is now,” says Mike Palladino, President of the Detectives Endowment Fund. “Detective Zadroga was the first , but won’t be the last to succumb to a 9/11 related illness. Many first responders are counting on the medical monitoring and treatment this bill would provide.”

“Nine years ago local law enforcement was called upon to be the first line of defense for our country as the United States was attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001,” said Roy T. Richter, President of the Captains Endowment Association. “The days, weeks and months after September 11th were spent restoring order to our nation and searching for our colleagues and fellow citizens trapped in the wreckage of the World Trade Center. We worked in a toxic environment of airborne toxins, burning rubble and pulverized structures without adequate safety equipment. Today tens of thousands of first responders are dying from the exposure to these toxins having sacrificed their health for our country. Their sacrifice should not be forgotten by our country. I urge the Senate to pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to provide much needed care and coordination of medical treatment to those who came to the defense of the United States in its time of need.”

“Nothing should be more important to our elected officials than getting The James Zadroga 9/11 Healthcare and Compensation Act passed by the Senate," said Ed Mullins, the President of the New York City Sergeants Benevolent Association, whose 11,000 members make it the fifth largest police union in the country. "A total of 23 NYPD and 37 Port Authority police officers were killed on 9/11, but the number of police officers who are seriously ill or have since died from ailments associated with their rescue and recovery efforts is much greater than that. There is no end in sight to the ever-growing list of 9/11 casualties. While I applaud Senator Gillibrand and the other elected officials who have worked hard to get this bill passed, it is disheartening and downright disappointing to know that some of their colleagues are using these selfless heroes as political pawns. If there was ever a case for bipartisan politics, this is it. It's about time that everyone involved put politics aside and just did the right thing."

“The New York City Police Museum is honored to be sharing the heroism of the first responders and the important work they did in the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001,” said Julie Bose, Executive Director of the New York City Police Museum. “Our entire nation is indebted to them for their service.”

“It is unconscionable that numerous responders have become ill and died during the period that this bill has languished,” said Catherine McVey Hughes of Manhattan Community Board 1. “For the sake of all responders and survivors sickened as a result of the WTC collapse, the US Senate must pass the 9/11 Health Bill in this session.”

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act in September with bipartisan support from 17 Republican Representatives. The bill was immediately sent to the U.S. Senate, where, at Senator Gillibrand’s request, the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid invoked Senate Rule 14 Process, which fast tracked the bill for floor consideration, bypassing the much longer and uncertain committee consideration process that the vast majority of bills undergo.

While this process does not guarantee consideration or passage, it does remove obstacles, including a lengthy committee process that can stall the bill for months, or kill it before it is brought to the floor.

**Out of the 29 badges displayed, 2 badges belong to officers from Queens who helped in 9/11 rescue efforts and later passed away. Their names are:

Sergeant	Claire T. Hanrahan	Whitestone, NY
Police Officer	Gary G. Mausberg	Floral Park, NY

NYPD Inspector Kills Himself in Office Just Before Tour of Duty by Rocco Parascandola and John Lauinger - NY Daily News

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A high-ranking NYPD cop shot himself to death in his Queens office shortly before he was scheduled to go on duty Thursday afternoon, police sources said.

Inspector Anthony Tria, 47, who headed the department's capital construction unit, committed suicide moments before 4 p.m. at his office in Fort Totten, the sources said.

It wasn't immediately clear what drove him to take his life, investigators said.

In a statement issued last night, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly offered condolences to the Dix Hills, L.I, man's family and friends on behalf of the entire force.

He described Tria as a "dedicated 26-year veteran of the NYPD, who a was responsible for every major building project involving the Police Department, including the new police academy, the joint operations center, and the back-up 911 facility, which are all currently underway.

"Inspector Tria was a consummate professional who worked tirelessly on behalf of the Police Department and the people of New York," Kelly said.

NYPD Ready to Blow Up Your Illegal Fireworks Display by Stephen Geffon - Leader-Observer

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With the Fourth of July approaching, local precinct police officers will be taking a zero tolerance stance on fireworks use.

“For children’s safety and the safety of all residents, we are going to make sure that we prevent the discharge of fireworks,” said a police department official.

Fireworks burn at an extremely high temperature and can quickly burn through clothing and skin, causing serious injuries. Items such as sparklers are mistakenly thought to be safe, when in fact they can be very dangerous. Fireworks should only be handled by trained professionals, authorities said.

NYPD strategy this year for combating fireworks use includes sending crime prevention officers into areas where past fireworks incidents have occurred and warning residents that using fireworks will result in fines and arrests.

A law passed by the City Council imposes an additional $750 penalty – on top of existing fines – on anyone caught using fireworks.

Flyers will be put in residents' mailboxes warning about this tougher stance, which includes a policy of confiscating automobiles used in fireworks trafficking. The flyers also publicize a reward of $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals possessing or distributing fireworks.

On July 4, additional NYPD officers are expected to be assigned to the 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. shift with officers in plainclothes and in uniform specifically assigned to strictly enforce the law.

“The illegal use of fireworks is a dangerous activity, and their use often leads to tragic results,” said NYC Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

Kelly said the NYPD is increasing their efforts as the 4th of July approaches in order to ensure public safety in the city.

Top Ranks of Bloomberg Managers Are Largely White By David W. Chen and Jo Craven McGinty- NYTimes.com

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Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg naming Salvatore Cassano fire commissioner in December. In recent months, the mayor has named nine top officials, all of them white and all but one male.Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times

Since winning a third term in November, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has announced a parade of major appointments: bringing aboard three new deputy mayors and six commissioners and trumpeting most of those arrivals in the Blue Room at City Hall.

All nine are white. All but one is a man.

Chart (left): Click on image to enlarge

Those selections are hardly anomalous. Despite a pledge he made when he took office to make diversity a hallmark of his administration, Mr. Bloomberg has consistently surrounded himself with a predominantly white and male coterie of key policy makers, according to an analysis of personnel data by The New York Times.

The city’s non-Hispanic white population is now 35 percent, because of an influx of nonwhite immigrants and other demographic changes in the past two decades.

But Mr. Bloomberg presides over an administration in which more than 70 percent of the senior jobs are held by whites, and he has failed to improve on the oft-criticized diversity record of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani.

“Obviously, it demonstrates no greater commitment under Bloomberg than there was under Giuliani in appointing minorities to high-level positions in government,” said Abraham May Jr., executive director of the city’s Equal Employment Practices Commission, an independent agency that monitors diversity and discrimination in city government.

Moreover, New York lags behind the three cities closest to its population in diversifying its senior ranks.

In Los Angeles, 52 percent of the top advisers to Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa are white; in Chicago, that figure is 61 percent for Mayor Richard M. Daley; and in Houston, it is 55 percent for Mayor Annise D. Parker.

“The numbers — they’re sad,” said Kevin P. Johnson, a former assistant commissioner of the Department of Correction, who was responsible for equal-employment policies, but quit in December because he was frustrated by the administration’s efforts. “It’s terrible in a city with such a large minority population.”

The Times examined diversity in several top management tiers of the Bloomberg administration. Each tier showed a nearly identical pattern:

• Of the 80 current city officials identified by the Bloomberg administration as “key members” on its Web site, 79 percent are white, and 64 percent are men.
• Of 321 people who advise the mayor or hold one of three top titles at agencies that report directly to him — commissioners, deputy commissioners and general counsels, and their equivalents — 78 percent are white, and 60 percent male, according to a database created by The Times, based on public records and dozens of interviews with current and former officials.
• And of the 1,114 employees who must live in the city, under an executive order, because they wield the most influence over policies and day-to-day operations, 74 percent are white, and 58 percent are men, according to the mayor’s office.

In addition to their demographic similarity, many of the recent appointees fall into two broad categories: former Wall Street executives and loyalists from City Hall or the mayor’s re-election campaign.

“Given Bloomberg’s background, we shouldn’t really be surprised,” said Bruce F. Berg, a political scientist at Fordham University who has studied racial diversity in New York City government. “He’s picking from the business world, his key advisers are from the business world, and this is still very much a white male bastion.”

Mr. Bloomberg declined requests for an interview to discuss the findings.

But his press secretary, Stu Loeser, acknowledged in a statement that “there is always more we can do.” Mr. Loeser said, however, that “we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished over the last eight years” in diversifying the city’s management ranks, noting that almost half of the people in citywide programs intended to identify and develop future top managers are people of color.

In addition, he said, managers — the nearly 6,000 employees who rank just below the top level administrators — have become more diverse in recent years under Mr. Bloomberg.

“These talented up-and-coming managers are positioned to be the next generation of assistant and deputy commissioners, then agency heads, of city agencies,” Mr. Loeser said of those in the training programs.

Still, Mr. Bloomberg has conceded that he has fallen short, acknowledging at a news conference last year that “the diversity of our administration has not been as diverse as the city itself.”

The homogenous composition of the administration is especially striking in crucial areas where city personnel deal with issues predominantly affecting minority residents, like education, homelessness and child welfare.

At the Department of Homeless Services, the Department of Education and the Administration for Children’s Services, 80 percent of the top officials are white, according to the Times’s research — including the newly installed commissioner of homeless services, Seth Diamond. And while the Bloomberg administration, early on, featured minority commissioners at the Department of Finance, the Human Resources Administration and the Administration for Children’s Services, all those positions are now held by white men.

“I have chaired and been present at one too many meetings where every senior person happened to be Caucasian, representing the administration,” said Bill de Blasio, the city’s public advocate, and a former City Councilman who was the chairman of the General Welfare Committee. “It’s not really an acceptable situation.”

Since the 1990 census, the city’s non-Hispanic white population has dropped to 35 percent, from 43 percent. And that change is reflected in the overall city government work force, which dropped from 46 percent white in 1994 to 38 percent in 2008.

Still, little change has occurred in the most senior ranks.

Diversity, of course, is one of the most delicate issues and hardest goals to achieve in any workplace. Many employers want a workplace, especially in the public sector, that has highly qualified managers who reflect the broader community and can engage in a vigorous exchange of ideas by people of different backgrounds. So failing to name minority employees to high-level positions, time after time, not only can dampen employee morale, but also send a message that an employer is insensitive or indifferent, according to political analysts and human resources professionals.

“This is the most diverse city in the world, and to be respected and seen as the mayoral administration of that city, you want to be pushing hard to build a much more diverse pool of people from which to draw expertise,” said Andrew White, director of the Center for New York City Affairs at the New School. “So if you’re not making that effort, your pool is going to be severely limited, and you’re going to go for the kinds of people that you’ve always worked with.”

Mr. Bloomberg pledged during his first campaign, in 2001, to hire people of different backgrounds. And shortly after taking office, he underscored his commitment to diversity, saying that “if you have that as a goal, and you have a process that gets lots of input from various communities, you will wind up with an administration that is reasonably diverse.”

More than eight years later, many people credit Mr. Bloomberg with achieving real progress on race relations, by discussing racial issues forthrightly, supporting immigration reform and meeting with different groups regularly on issues like public health, economic development and basic quality-of-life services.

“Even though minorities may not be filling out the ranks of his cabinet, in proportion to their ranks in the population at large,” Professor Berg, of Fordham, said, “Bloomberg goes out of his way, on many occasions, to assuage minority leaders, and include them.”

No longer, some say, is race viewed as the lightning rod in the way it was under Mr. Giuliani.

“Together with a City Hall that listens to every community across the five boroughs,” Mr. Loeser said in a statement, “we’ve helped contribute to creating a city where people are almost universally seen as getting along together better than at any time in memory.”

But while his language has been inclusive, that has not translated into concrete changes in the highest ranks at city agencies.

A telling measure involves the commissioners who are frequently the faces and voices of the administration at City Council hearings and town-hall-style forums. And the numbers suggest that Mr. Bloomberg has fewer people of color than some previous administrations.

According to the mayor’s office, 72 percent of his commissioners and agency heads are white. That percentage is higher than the 63 percent figure during Mr. Giuliani’s first year, in 1994, and his 69 percent in 1998. Mr. Giuliani’s predecessor, David N. Dinkins, who is black, meanwhile, had a cabinet that was slightly more than half white, in keeping with his goal of a “gorgeous mosaic” of an administration.

And comparing the “key members” identified by the Bloomberg administration with people in similar posts in the past yields striking results: 79 percent white under Mr. Bloomberg, about 75 percent white under Mr. Giuliani, and 55 percent under Mr. Dinkins, according to a review of earlier city rosters and interviews with former officials.

To be sure, some sectors of the Bloomberg administration are more diverse. The New York City Housing Authority is dominated by minorities at the top tier and led by two black officials whom the mayor tapped last year: John B. Rhea, the chairman, and Michael Kelly, the general manager.

And at the Police Department, where for the first time ever a majority of patrol officers are minority, Raymond W. Kelly, the commissioner, promoted two Hispanics to department chiefs in the last year and Chief Rafael Pineiro as first deputy commissioner — the highest rank achieved by a Hispanic.

Such moves, though, stand out in part because they have been relatively infrequent, current and former city officials said.

Mr. Johnson, formerly with the Department of Correction, recalled that at regular meetings, a top official at the city’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services would invariably boast about the administration’s diversity record. Afterwards, a few equal employment officers would huddle, and scratch their heads.

“We would say to each other, ‘What are they talking about? This administration is not diverse,’ ” said Mr. Johnson, who is now an investigator for lawyers.

He said that he still had “a lot of respect for the mayor.” But he feels disillusioned, after Mr. Bloomberg’s initial inclusionary talk in 2002.

“The message is: Make me a believer again,” he said.

Where's the Honesty? Bloomberg Flies High on Luxury Jet, But Trips Aren't Listed on Disclosure Form by Adam Lisberg - NY Daily News

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He's a jet-setter! Mayor Bloomberg leaves his luxurious Dassault Falcon 900s. Maisel/News

When Mayor Bloomberg wants something, he has plenty of tools to help him get it - friends in high places, a bully pulpit, six-figure donations to political parties and money for influential city nonprofits.

One of his most prestigious and mysterious perks, however, has two wings and three engines.

Bloomberg refuses to talk about the Dassault Falcon 900s in his private air fleet, which shuttle him and his entourage around the globe.

The jaunts may be a trifle to a billionaire, but for those who've flown Air Bloomberg, it's a tantalizing taste of luxury - and a world away from taking off your shoes at security.

In 2002, Bloomberg famously brought Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and then-Senate President Joe Bruno to his Bermuda home for a weekend, taking them for rounds of golf to try to break the ice. Each dutifully reported the trip on his annual state disclosure form, which specifically asks about paid travel.

In 2008, Bloomberg took City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to a conference in Belfast on his jet, while then-Controller William Thompson and then-Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum had to fly coach.

City disclosure forms ask the question differently, though - and Quinn didn't list her trip.

Then last week came word in a New York magazine profile of Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly that "Bloomberg gives Kelly lifts on his private jet. Bloomberg goes to Bermuda. Kelly and his wife get off in Florida, where they have a weekend retreat."

"'It's great,' Kelly says of flying Air Bloomberg. 'Only way to travel.'"

Bloomberg's spokesman declined to comment on the trips, and Kelly's spokesman didn't respond to a request for comment.

No trips are listed on Kelly's disclosure forms back to 2004, the oldest available.

Two longtime Bloomberg staffers (and occasional Air Bloomberg passengers) said they were stunned to hear the mayor gave a top agency head a lift to Florida for a vacation, not for work. After all, what's the difference between a boss giving his underling a lift on his jet and the boss giving his underling a couple of airline tickets?

The Conflicts of Interest Board declined to comment. In one of its advisories for city employees, though, the board offers this guidance: "If the gifts from the superior to a subordinate start to get fairly regular and extravagant, people may begin to wonder what kind of silence the superior is attempting to buy."

Bloomberg is a big fan of putting out information, except when it applies to his own operations, saying just last week: "Disclosure is the thing that keeps us free and keeps government honest."

We only know about Kelly's and Quinn's trips because they mentioned them to reporters. Who else is in the mayor's debt after taking a free ride on Air Bloomberg?

Federal Bureau of Investigation - New York City Police Department Detective Arrested on Federal Civil Rights Charges for Sexual Misconduct...

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Victims Were Female Arrestees and the Relative of an Arrestee

A criminal information was unsealed this morning in Brooklyn federal court charging New York City Police Department Detective Oscar Sandino, a 13-year veteran of the NYPD who was assigned to the Queens North Narcotics Bureau from June 2006 until March 2008, with violating the civil rights of three women through sexual misconduct. Sandino was arrested earlier today and will make his initial appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Viktor V. Pohorelsky at the U.S. Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York.

The case was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New, George Venizelos, Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and Raymond W. Kelly, Commissioner, New York City Police Department.

As alleged in court filings by the government, in February 2008, Sandino arrested a woman identified in the Information as Jane Doe 1 (“the victim”) and her boyfriend on drug distribution charges following the execution of a search warrant at their apartment. During the arrest, Sandino forced the victim to undress in front of him in the bedroom of the apartment. Later, at the precinct, Sandino told the victim that she was going to jail and would lose her children unless she had sex with him. When the victim went to the restroom at the precinct, Sandino followed her inside and made her perform oral sex. Upon the victim’s release from custody, Sandino told her that he expected her to have sex with him at a later time. Thereafter, Sandino called the victim on numerous occasions. The victim subsequently reported Sandino’s misconduct to NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, which began an investigation. In March 2008, Sandino was removed from active duty.

As further alleged in the government’s court filings, Sandino engaged in similar misconduct in the summer of 2006 in connection with the arrest of another drug dealer. On that occasion, Sandino coerced a female cousin of the drug dealer, identified in the Information as Jane Doe 2, to engage in sex acts with him based on threats he made concerning the lengthy prison sentence faced by the drug dealer.

More recently, in September 2009, Sandino allegedly engaged in lewd sexual behavior in front of a female arrestee and then forced her to raise her shirt to expose her upper body.

“This prosecution affirms our commitment to vigorously protect the constitutional right of individuals to be free from sexual misconduct by officers whose duty it is to uphold the law,” stated United States Attorney Lynch.

FBI Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge Venizelos stated, “The citizens of New York expect and deserve honest police officers. There is a trust that must exist between law enforcement and the citizens, and Detective Sandino allegedly broke that trust. Threats and coercion against anyone, whether a criminal subject or not, cannot and should not be tolerated.”

NYPD Commissioner Kelly stated, “I want to commend the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau for its important work in uncovering police misconduct and in bringing to justice those who dishonor themselves and the department.”

Sandino has been charged with three misdemeanor counts. If convicted of all counts, he faces a maximum sentence of three years’ imprisonment.

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Pamela Chen and Licha Nyiendo.

The Defendant:

OSCAR SANDINO
Age: 37

Surprise Visit by Police Commissioner Ray Kelly to the Woodhaven Residents Block Asssociation Meeting - October 21st, 2009

I attended the Woodhaven Residents Block Association (WRBA) October meeting held at the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps on October 21st...

I had been debating whether to go to the 102nd Precinct Community Council meeting or the WRBA meeting since I knew NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was going to be at the 102nd Pct meeting, but I opted to go WRBA meeting...less hassles and nice people...

Much to my surprise Chief Kelly made an unannounced visit to the WRBA meeting after attending the 102nd Precinct Community Council meeting held at the nearby Moose Hall in Richmond Hill...

I imagine he doesn't have to stop at traffic lights or get speeding tickets, so it's only a few minute drive, lol...

Also in attendance and speaking were State Assemblyman Michael Miller, he spoke about pending and proposed legislature in the New York State Assembly...

City Councilman Eric Ulrich and City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley's representative Kate Mooney spoke about the upcoming municipal elections and initiatives they've undertaken in the community....

And, four members of the Franklin K. Lane student government were on-hand to inform the civic and it's members of their upcoming dance night..

I cross-posted the WRBA blog's newest post regarding their next meeting on November 7th, below the slide show...

Here are a few photos from the meeting...

Click here to view these pictures larger

Woodhaven Town Hall Saturday « Wrba's Blog:...

Here’s a reminder that the next Woodhaven Town Hall will be held this Saturday, November 7th, at 1 PM at the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corp – 78-15 Jamaica Avenue. Do you like the direction the neighborhood is taking? Do you have problems but don’t know where to turn? Do you have good ideas but feel like no one is listening? Then come on down!

We get a healthy turnout — and the meetings are never dull. We also get good attendance from our local represetatives. And sometimes we get a surprise guest, like we did last month when we were visited by New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

You are more than welcome to come in, sit down and join the discussion!

NYC Buy-Back Nets 919 Guns - New York Post

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New York City officials say 919 guns were collected during a one-day buy-back program at six Queens churches.

The program paid $200 to anyone who turned in a gun. A pellet or BB gun was worth $20. The officials say they paid a total of $158,880.

The weekend buy-back results were announced Tuesday by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

Since last summer, similar programs in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island - plus the Queens effort - have netted more than 3,500 guns. More than half of them are handguns.

The goal is to reduce crime and tragic accidents.

5-year-old Queens Girl Recovering After Gang Shooting by Colleen Long -- Newsday.com

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A 5-year-old girl walking with her parents along a residential street in a neighborhood rife with gang-related violence was shot in the back after she was caught in a rumble, police said Tuesday.

The girl suffered a collapsed lung and was hospitalized in stable condition after the incident Monday evening in the Ridgewood neighborhood in Queens.

About 10 members of the notorious Bloods gang walked up behind the family, possibly to brawl with members of a rival gang known as the Trinitarios, police said.

The girl's father saw a man on a stoop in front of them draw a machete, and he started to run for cover with the family when the girl was struck in the back, police said.

A 28-year-old man also was wounded in the shooting and was hospitalized in stable condition.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said at least two guns were used in the attack.

There have been previous gang disputes between the Bloods and its offshoots and the Trinitarios in the area and in bordering neighborhoods, Kelly said. Additional police patrols have been set up, and detectives and narcotics officers are watching the area.

"The gang division is focused on that area," Kelly said.

Police arrested a 19-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy who supposedly are members of the Trinitarios and were involved in the dispute. Police said they believe a member of the Bloods gang shot the girl, but they didn't release the person's identity.

Crime remains 3 percent lower this year than last year, but there was a slight increase in crime from last year in the three precincts where the gang violence is occurring, police statistics show.

The New York Post reported last week that a new offshoot of the Bloods gang known as the Pretty Boy Goonies has been clashing with the Trinitarios since September, fighting for turf in Rodney Park under the Brooklyn- Queens Expressway near the Williamsburg Bridge, not far from Ridgewood.

City Councilwoman Diana Reyna said the groups have been fighting in broad daylight, wielding machetes and screwdrivers. The Trinitarios are a Dominican gang, and the Bloods were founded in Los Angeles.