ShotSpotter Online Within 52nd Precinct

By DAVID CRUZ A high-tech sound system aimed at detecting gunfire is now operational within the 52nd Precinct, covering the northwest Bronx. Commissioner Bill Bratton announced that ShotSpotter, billed as a gun fire detection system with pinpoint accuracy, was installed throughout the 52nd Precinct, along with six others throughout the Bronx. Inspector Nilda Hofmann, the precinct’s commanding officer, had spent several weeks mulling over where to install acoustic sensors needed to detect gun shots, which required building owners consent. The system is activated once gunshots are picked up by sensors, where a real-time signal is sent to a 911 operator’s computer

By DAVID CRUZ Crespo Leads Bronx County As expected, Assemblyman Marcos Crespo was crowned the new leader of the Bronx Democratic County Committee, succeeding Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. It’s certainly a steppingstone for Crespo, who’s yearned to raise his profile. The vote was unanimous, something lawmakers kept emphasizing at a dinner party shortly after the March 5 vote, perhaps to ensure party unity remains intact.

Crime Spike at 52nd Precinct Borders

By DAVID CRUZ On one hand it’s number two. On the other hand, it’s number four. But regardless of how crime is assessed in the 52nd Precinct, the trend has shifted upward, resisting a continued drop in crime across the Bronx.

Funding public schools in New York City

By Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz The state of public schools in New York was rightly highlighted in Governor Cuomo’s State of the State address in January. With fewer than 36 percent of students in grades 3 through 8 proficient in math, fewer than 32 percent of students proficient in English literacy, and only 38 percent of high school students deemed college ready, it is undeniable that much more must be done to improve our public school system in New York.

Stringer’s Office Urges The Related Companies to Resolve Heat Issues

By DAVID CRUZ Following pressure from community activists and elected officials, Comptroller Scott Stringer has sent a letter to the head of a multi-billion real estate firm to resolve nagging heat issues in buildings purchased with city pension funds. Among the bigger requests is the real estate giant to come to the table. Offering a diplomatic take on a mounting situation, Stringer drafted the letter to Jeff Blau, CEO of The Related Companies, requesting Blau send representatives to hear out residents experiencing heat issues in one of 36 buildings the firm purchased. A portion of the $253 million used to

By MONICA MELTON Every Tuesday, the whining sounds of bagpipes can be heard in a basement at St. Margaret’s Church on Delafield Avenue. It’s the sound hearkening back to Old Sod, where bagpipe music symbolized revelry and in many instances a warning to the enemy.

Property Housing Struggling Healthcare Nonprofit in Norwood Up For Sale

By DAVID CRUZ An office building home to a struggling social services firm in Norwood is up for sale, amid heavy selling and buying in the Bronx. The building has been home to Federation Employment & Guidance Service (FEGS), an 81-year non-profit that offers education, healthcare, disability care, housing and employment services primarily for the Jewish community, according to its website. The organization boasts 350 other locations citywide. A report in the New York Daily News in January said the firm is on the edge of filing for bankruptcy after laying off several dozen employees and revealing it’s $20 million in debt. Massey Knakal Realty

COVE Teens Premiere their Spring 2015 Film Shorts

This Norwood community center is getting ready for its close-up. Community Organized for Vision of Excellence (COVE) will host a screening produced by some of the center’s burgeoning student filmmakers from the neighborhood on Friday, March 13 from 7:00 to 9 p.m. Supporters will view these short films at Montefiore Medical Center Grand Hall at 107 E. Gun Hill Rd. This season The COVE teens embraced the theme of social media addiction. Students have created two Public Service Announcements that makes one contemplate “does social media truly help or inhibit one’s ability to socialize on a basic human level?” This

Stagg Purchases Corner Parcel on Grand Concourse

By DAVID CRUZ A vacant parcel of property at a prominent part of Bedford Park is slated to become the next signature development by a real estate giant. The Stagg Group, which has been buying properties in Bedford Park/Norwood, purchased a defunct mechanic shop at 150 Van Cortlandt Avenue East on the corner of Grand Concourse and Van Cortlandt Avenue East. Through loans, The Stagg Group, purchased the site for $7.1 million to convert it to what it dubbed “signature development,” another sign of the developer’s here to stay in the northwest Bronx. The property was marketed and sold through Massey