FBI searches homes of NYC police boss, 3 top mayoral deputies

Former Gov. Cuomo to testify before Congress on the handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes

Former aide to New York's governor is charged with being an agent of the Chinese government

Mayor Adams, City Council makes education, affordability announcement in East Flatbush

Court documents reveal district leader, board of elections employee charged with bribery, extortion

Mayor Adams launches initiative to help deliver benefits to New Yorkers

bronx

News 12 Staff

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Back to this episode of Power and Politics here on news 12, the Bronx a shooting inside of an Allerton mcdonald's last weekend where the targets were two young boys has neighbors taking a stand and lawmakers stepping in. Police say those victims are just 12 and 13 years old. Still no arrests. In this case, it happened last Saturday night just before nine at this mcdonald's on White Plains Road. The latest in an alarming trend of shootings involving kids. I think that we need some changes in the state. People are running around with guns, weapons masks on their face and getting away with it is absolutely disgusting. This is going to take a multi approach, you know, from the federal government down to city and state government, right? This is all government working together to fund, you know, programs and to make sure that we're stopping the flow of guns that are coming into our communities and joining us now to further the discussion on how we can curb these crimes is assembly member John Zaccaro Junior. John, thanks so much for being with us this week on power and politics. Thank you so much for having me, of course, we just heard you say that this issue needs all levels of government to come together and address it. Can you give us some insight on the conversations that are happening? Of course, at the state level and perhaps across all levels right now when it comes to combating crime and how to do that? Yeah. So look, you know, right now, we, we lack a comprehensive federal response for gun safety and gun control. Um, and I can tell you Christy, you know what we've done here in the state of New York, New York has led when it comes to gun safety and gun control. Uh, and we need the country and our nation to follow suit. And while there's been much work that's been done on the state level here in New York and in certain states, the lack of a comprehensive and robust response by the federal government to address gun violence and gun safety, um, is troubling. And so, you know, there's a lot of, a lot of discussion, but we need more action. Um, and we're not just gonna pass the buck, I'm not here just to pass the buck on the federal government. We know that there's a lot of work to get done there. Uh, but we've also done a lot of, uh, work here in the State of New York. A lot of work that I'm, I'm, I'm proud of. Uh, and there's so much more to do and, and I really look forward to working with many of my colleagues in the state legislature to figure out how do we address this issue and continue to combat it, to ensure that families and communities that have suffered by the grips of, of, of guns and the illegal flow of guns and gun violence in our communities no longer have to continue to feel that pain and deal with that trauma when we talk about gun control. Can you elaborate a little bit about what efforts are being done at the state level right now? And what you do want to see from the federal government on that issue. So I can tell you what we've done right in the state of New York, extreme risk protection orders, right? Those are what we call red flag laws. Uh And those laws essentially prevent individuals to demonstrate signs of being a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or possessing any, any type of firearm. Uh Another thing we've done is cri criminal possession of a firearm, a rifle or shotgun in sensitive areas, right? We understand that when it comes uh to, you know, places of worship, when it comes to our libraries, our playgrounds, our parks, our zoos, uh and places where we find families. Uh It's ensure that New York, New Yorkers can no longer possess a concealed firearm or, or even if they have a carrying license in those particular areas, uh, we've gone as far as, uh, hampering down on background checks. Right. We have a new data system, um, that will, uh, allow us, um, you know, to, to ensure that we are doing the proper criminal background checks to ensure that people who don't need to have concealed weapons in their possession don't, don't have that. And John, I think what hits so close to home for so many with these stories is just how young the victims and even at times the suspects are, you did also mention programming. Can you point to specific opportunities that exist here in the Bronx on that front and how the state is supporting them right now? So I can tell you, look as a dad and as a father, I don't, you know, this is an issue that that really hits home for me. You know, the action, the incident that took place in our community over the past uh weekend with these young people is something that, you know, II I lose sleep over when it comes to my Children. And for the sake of any family that has to deal with Children, this is a real issue. And what we've done over the last state budget uh is we have infused uh millions of dollars into programs uh and things to ensure that our young people are active and our young people are engaged. Uh so they're off the street so they're not getting involved in things that, that will lead them to activity, uh that, you know, could potentially show up in, in, in issues of gun violence. $55 million we've done for the youth employment uh summer program, which essentially makes all you young people eligible from the age of 14 to 20. Uh to get summer jobs. That's a $5 million increase from last year's state budget. Uh We've done $2.5 million in after school programming. I can't stress the importance enough. And one of the things that we did in allocating that funding is authorize a study for universal uh after school programming, it is in, it is, it is crucial for families to be able to have the tools and the resources they need to keep their young people occupied uh and ensure that they're receiving not just sports education but receiving academic, you know, uh studies and, and assistance. And after school programming that's so desperately needed. Uh in our communities, we did $10 million in additional funding to operate a grant program for uh nonprofit organizations and for community based organizations to be able to apply for grants that will help them, you know, purchase equipment, purchase uniforms and, and, and uh rent facility spaces uh and be able to get staff and, and do educational programming. These are some of the things in the investments that we know and we have seen a return uh come back on the young, on the lives of the young people in our community. And so I'm so grateful to have been able to vote on a budget that pri prioritized young people uh and ensuring that they got the services and the funding that they needed to be able uh to address some of the issues we're having in our community. And a great reminder to all of those watching of the resources and opportunities that exist right here at Home Assembly member, the parent that we also just heard from in that story mentioned that in his words, people need to stop getting away with it. I hear that, I think of bail reform. Do you think there's any chance that there might be changes to that down the line? Well, la well, last year, we did make some changes uh to some of the criminal justice reforms that came out of Albany back in 2019. Um You know, we, we expanded a lot on discovery. Uh we, you know, uh gave judges and, and district attorneys uh more discretion. Uh and, and we widened up some of the scopes to be able to prosecute some of these crimes. Uh And we're gonna continue to look those things and ensure that they're working, right? I I'm a firm believer that if, if, if there's a system that's in place that currently has shown not to work and not to be successful, uh We need to do everything we can to continue to go back and figure out how do we bring the relief that our communities are so desperately asking for assembly member, John Zaccaro Junior. Thank you so much for being with us and unpacking this conversation.

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Governor Kathy hope just signed a new law in an effort to crack down on lithium ion batteries. It mandates there only be one quality standard of batteries and that all others be banned. This new bill will also require sellers to include a manual and that all new bikes will need a red tag on the charging cord that warns against keeping the bike plugged after it is fully charged ground site say regulation is what's needed. That should be more regulations on the on the batteries obviously or the scooters, most of them are imported from China. So they not so many regulations over there. Just bring it in here, plug it in. People should be also more mindful. Uh not leaving it overnight charging it just charge it while you're watching it in case it cause fire, you can just unplug it in the bill. Firefighters will also be issued special training materials so they are better equipped to handle fires started by those batteries. Mayor Eric Adams is taking the next step forward in our city's trash revolution by announcing new waste bin rules for all New Yorkers starting November 12th of this year. Buildings with 1 to 9 residential units will be required to put their trash in those wheelie bins. The mayor says this will all be completed in a two year period. Something he says could not come sooner when I, when I go abroad and when I visit other countries, uh they are blown away that we still use plastic bags. We are leaders, we leave from the front and we're going to catch up with everyone else and make sure we get these plastic bags off our streets. And that is why as of November's 12th, our administration will have containerized 70% of our city's 14 billion pounds of annual trash. And what the mayor's got there is the city's official trash bin. He says they are durable but affordable. They cost less than $50 a piece. Now, if you'd like to purchase one of those, you can visit our website news, twelve.com under numbers and links a bill aiming to stop the reselling of gun parts that were meant to be destroyed is being introduced by elected officials. It is called the Firearm Destruction Licensure Act, aiming to stop the gun parts from getting into the hands of bad actors. That legislation would require those who are in the firearm destruction business to become licensed and directs the attorney general to appoint an acceptable method of destroying these guns. Leaders and elected officials are demanding new safety measures for beaches in an effort to prevent drownings. It comes after two bodies were found on a nearby beach over the weekend, leaders are calling for extended hours for lifeguards who are on duty as well as building new community pools so that there are options for safer swimming. That's all this week here on power and politics on news 12. Thanks so much for watching.

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Wrapping up another week in New York City politics. 

Power & Politics: An inside look at the bodega protection pilot program

Wrapping up another week in New York City politics.

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