Op-Ed: Parent Engagement for a Remote World

By RICHARD A. CARRANZA

As we approach the end of an unprecedented year, I reflect on the past eight months with a deep sense of gratitude and awe for the unwavering commitment parents have shown to their children and New York City. I always say parents are our partners in everything we do, and at no point has that ever been more true than throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Each of you has gone above and beyond during this crisis, and your continued investment and engagement in our school communities has been vital as we move forward together. As a parent myself, I know how

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Shirley Lawson, 16, reported missing in 43rd precinct, which covers Westchester Avenue, Castle Hill Avenue, White Plains Road, and Parkchester. A photograph of Shirley is attached. She was last seen on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020, at around 11 a.m., inside her home at 1153 Commonwealth Avenue in the Soundview section of the Bronx. Shirley is described as female, Hispanic, 5 feet, 3 inches tall, weighs 90 pounds, and was last seen wearing all dark clothing. Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Kaitlyn Nuñez, 14, reported missing in the 44th precinct, which covers Grand Concourse, Bronx Terminal Market, and Yankee Stadium. A photograph of the Kaitlyn is attached. She was last seen on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, at around noon, inside her home at 1150 College Avenue, close to the Morrisania and Claremont Village sections of the Bronx. Kaitlyn is described as female, Hispanic, 5 feet, 5 inches tall, and weighs 128 pounds. Her clothing description at the time she was last seen is unknown. Anyone with information in regards to

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD confirmed on Thursday, Dec. 10, that Deynea Fludd, 11, has been found in good health at a family member’s home. Police had been seeking the public’s assistance in locating Deynea, who, prior to being located, had last been seen at her home at 5050 Iselin Avenue in the Fieldston section of the Bronx, NY 10471 on Saturday Dec. 5, 2020 at 9.19 a.m. She was described as female, Black, 11 years old, 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing 120 pounds, with brown eyes, black hair and had last been seen wearing a black and white jacket,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD is asking for the public’s assistance identifying the individual who appears in the attached surveillance video and photo, who is sought in connection with a gun point robbery in the 52nd precinct. On Friday, Nov 27, 2020, at around 3.40 a.m., a 63-year-old male Uber driver was in front of 364 East 197th Street in Bedford Park waiting for a passenger when an unidentified man approached the driver’s side window [of the vehicle] and simulated a firearm that was covered in a dark bag. The suspect pressed the apparent firearm against the victim’s chest and forcibly

By DAVID GREENE

An early morning shootout in Wakefield left two deputy U.S. Marshals wounded, at least one NYPD detective injured, and the suspect, wanted for questioning in a prior shooting of a Massachusetts State trooper, was shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire with police. Sources say the four marshals from the New York / New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, joined members of NYPD’s Warrants Bureau as they executed a search warrant at 4085 Ely Avenue in Wakefield at 5:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 4. The alleged suspect, Andre Sterling, 35, allegedly shot Massachusetts Trooper, John Lennon, in the

By DAVID GREENE

A pair of local, elected officials joined housing advocates and attorneys in taking a bow during a recent virtual discussion, following the passage of “Jashawn’s Law,” which establishes deadlines for landlords to make court-ordered repairs to buildings. State Sen. Robert Jackson joined Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz in a Zoom conference call on Monday, Nov. 16, along with officials from the Legal Aid Society and housing advocacy groups, Take Root Justice and the Fordham-Bedford Housing Corporation. The bill was put forward by Dinowitz in 2003 in response to the Aug. 6, 2002 blaze at 3569 DeKalb Avenue in Norwood that

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

In her campaign to replace incumbent councilman and congressman-elect, Ritchie Torres, on the City Council, Elisa Crespo wants to focus on the issues affecting the residents of the 15th District more than on her candidacy. Among the most pressing issues, she finds, is the high rate of unemployment. “We are at Great Depression level [un]employment rates in the Bronx,” Crespo told the Norwood News in a phone interview. “In some parts of this council district, there’s a 30 percent unemployment rate.” Together with her mom and siblings, Crespo, 30, experienced job and housing insecurity growing up in Brooklyn,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD released body-worn camera footage on Friday, Dec. 4, from an officer-involved shooting that occurred on October 22, 2020, in the 41st precinct, which covers Hunts Point and Longwood. The video includes available evidence leading up to the incident as well as during the incident. The NYPD said it was releasing the video for clear viewing of the totality of the incident. All NYPD patrol officers are equipped with body-worn cameras. The police said the benefits of cameras are clear: transparency into police activity, de-escalation of police encounters and accountability for police officers, through an independent