Law Enforcement in the Bronx Sees Cracks in 2020 Criminal Justice Reform

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Local law enforcement and judicial officials in the Bronx point to the recent uptick in crime borough wide as a sign that aspects of the newly implemented criminal justice reform is making it harder to keep communities safe, following a position repeated from high-ranking NYPD officials. So far this year, the 52nd Precinct has experienced a 113 percent increase in robberies so far this year, 55 percent more grand larcenies, and a 250 percent rise in car break-ins so far this year. Rapes has also risen by 200 percent. Notably, the murder rate remains the same as last year with

By DAVID CRUZ

When Marcos Sierra stepped down as male district leader for Norwood’s 80th Assembly District, which stretches from Norwood to Morris Park, he was on the verge of being a dad again. His mother, meantime, was facing critical surgery. It was too much for Sierra, once a member of Community Board 7 who now serves as assistant program director for R.A.I.N., who decided to step down. John Zaccaro Jr., also a former CB7 member and current chief of staff to Councilman Rafael Salamanca Jr., soon stepped up, appointed by the Bronx Democratic Party to fill the post. Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez currently

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Members of the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club—which has heavy influence in local races—kept club matters status quo this week after its incumbent president Michael Heller overcame a challenge by newcomer Morgan Evers by a count of 243 to 153 for club president. The election drew hundreds to the American Legion Hall in Kingsbridge, where candidates were given five minutes to lay out their platforms. Heller pointed to his decades of public service and politics dating back to his teenage years when Mayor John Lindsay spoke at his junior high school. “Through my entire life I’ve chosen to work in

The Bronx political landscape was thrown into a tailspin when Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced out of nowhere that he would not be running for mayor of New York City. For anyone following Diaz Jr.’s career such as this publication, one would know that rumors of a mayoral run began more than a decade ago. Then Diaz Jr., then in his 30s and with a receding hairline, represented the energy the Bronx needed at the moment. He brought a charisma that sought mega projects arrive to the Bronx, though some remain pending. Even so, he had the makings of

The Push to Expand Right to Counsel, Diaz Jr. to Retire: Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s third edition of the Norwood News for 2020 is out with plenty of community stories to read and share. We have packed 28 pages full of news from this corner of the Bronx, so let’s start with page one! Our top story focuses on a bill being championed by Councilman Andrew Cohen and housing advocacy groups that expands Right to Counsel. The act–which provides free legal counsel to those facing eviction–covers those considered extreme low income. New legislation looks to expand the income eligibility standards. Jose A. Giralt breaks it all down for us. Inside the

By DAVID CRUZ

It’s something of an open secret: political incumbency serving as an entryway for incumbents to poke into matters happening within the district they seek to represent in the near future. And it’s a controversial tact that Councilman Fernando Cabrera, the 14th Council District representative, appears to have adopted, with one questionable trick in his employ. Cabrera is now seeking the 14th Congressional District seat occupied by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who, given her massive campaign war chest and national popularity with uber-left Democrats (Ocasio-Cortez is now in Iowa to campaign with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders), gives her a well-defined competitive

Cohen Backs Bills to Expand Right to Counsel, Which Could Benefit Thousands

By JOSE A. GIRALT

Bronx residents in fear of landlords’ common use of initiating eviction proceedings are waiting for two bills before the City Council to pass soon. And while few New York City Council members from the Bronx have committed to backing the bill, they have support from Norwood’s Councilman Andrew Cohen. The two bills—Intros 1529 and 1104—look to expand Right to Counsel not only geographically but also economically. The bills, signed into law in 2017, are collectively known as Right to Counsel (RTC). New York City was the first in the country to implement them. On Jan. 15, local residents joined housing

Bronx Projects Take Center Stage in State of the City

By DAVID CRUZ

The chances of the Bronx seeing one of its own run City Hall–and being the city’s first Latino mayor–have come to an end. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced he is withdrawing his run for Mayor of New York City and not seeking any other elected title when his current tenure ends in 2021, an unexpected move as many believed his entire career was built for a mayoral run. The news, first reported by The New York Times, sent shockwaves throughout the Bronx political landscape. Diaz Jr. cited his need for spending more time with his family as a

As Blake Gets Backing from 1199SEIU and 32BJ, Mark-Viverito Endorsed By Former Employer

In his quest for the 15th Congressional District race, Assemblyman Michael Blake picked up the endorsement of the city’s biggest labor unions. Meantime, his rival, former Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito received the endorsement from a political action committee where she once served as interim president. The two unions, 1199SEIU and 32Bj, endorsed Blake for the South Bronx seat, with 1199SEIU president George Gresham telling the New York Daily News him an “advocate for healthcare, jobs, wages, social justice, and equity for Bronxites.” The union has heavy influence in New York City politics as it has 19,000 members in the district Blake looks