What’s News, Breaking: Wednesday, February 7, 2024

February 7, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN LAMENTS INCREASE
IN RELIGIOUSLY-BASED HATE CRIMES

MARINE PARK — After vandals damaged stained glass windows and a cross at a Marine Park Church two weeks ago, the Diocese of Brooklyn expressed alarm at the increased frequency of such incidents. Four unknown individuals approached and allegedly tried to break into St. Columba Church on Kimball St. before dawn on Jan. 27, causing damage before fleeing the scene. John Quaglione, Deputy Press Secretary for the Diocese of Brooklyn, told the Eagle on Tuesday that “the increase in hate crimes incidents against different houses of worship and people of different faiths in New York City is alarming. Any persecution of faith defies our freedom of religion, which is at the very foundation of this country. We thank the New York City Police Department for their response and continued investigation.”

The church is named for St. Columba, a 6th-century Irish missionary and evangelist who spread Christianity in Scotland and founded a key abbey on Iona, which, for centuries, was a vital religious and political institution.

A closeup of the broken stained glass window at St. Columba Church. — A closeup of the broken stained glass window.

A closeup of the damage on a cross outside the St. Columba Church.<br>Photos courtesy Diocese of Brooklyn — A closeup of the damage on a cross outside the church.
Photos courtesy Diocese of Brooklyn

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VANDALS DAMAGE STAINED GLASS, CRUCIFIX
AT CATHOLIC CHURCH IN MARINE PARK

MARINE PARK — THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN AND THE NYPD 63RD PRECINCT SEEK THE PUBLIC’S HELP IN IDENTIFYING individuals wanted in connection with a hate crime criminal mischief incident at a Roman Catholic Church near Marine Park early Saturday morning, Jan. 7. According to John Quaglione, the diocese’s Deputy Press Secretary, “There were numerous unsuccessful attempts to enter the church from a side door, as well as a smashed stained glass window. The surveillance video also captured the vandals’ attempt to pull the Cross off the exterior wall of the church and damage the Cross with a series of punctures at the base.”

“We are a week away from Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten season,” added Quaglione. “It is our hope these individuals will have a conversion of heart during this time of repentance and seek forgiveness for their sins against this parish.

Suspected vandals who approached St. Columba Church around 2:45 a.m. on Jan. 23 are believed to have broken stained glass and damaged cross.<br>Photo courtesy NYPD/Crimestoppers — Suspected vandals who approached St. Columba Church around 2:45 a.m. on Jan. 23 are believed to have broken stained glass and damaged cross.
Photo courtesy NYPD/Crimestoppers

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POLICE LOOKING FOR CREEP WHO IS GRABBING BROOKLYN WOMEN

SOUTHERN/CENTRAL BROOKLYN — POLICE HAVE RELEASED PHOTOS OF A MAN WHO HAS BEEN GRABBING WOMEN in their private areas and then running off. Four incidents have been reported to date, including one in Midwood on Jan. 20, two in Homecrest on Jan. 23, and one in Bensonhurst on Jan. 23, across the 61st, 62nd and 70th precincts. The suspect sneaks up behind unsuspecting women and touches or grabs them, a crime called “forcible touching.” The women have not been physically injured. The man is described as having a light complexion, medium build, and approximately 30 years old. He was last seen wearing an orange ski mask, a beige jacket, black pants and black boots.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), or by visiting the Crime Stoppers website.

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‘PEACEFUL PROTESTS ARE BEDROCK OF DEMOCRACY’
SAYS NY ATTORNEY GENERAL ABOUT POLICING REFORMS

STATEWIDE — NY ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES ALSO ANNOUNCED the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York’s authorization of the agreement between her office, The Legal Aid Society, NYCLU, and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to reform NYPD’s policing of protests. This agreement requires the implementation of reforms, including the use of a four-tiered response system when responding to protests. The agreement also requires the NYPD to create a senior role within the department to oversee response to all public demonstrations, amend its internal discipline matrix and improve its treatment of members of the press.

“Peaceful protests are a bedrock of our democracy and for generations have been a catalyst for change and progress,” said Attorney General James. “The policing reforms led by my office, The Legal Aid Society, and NYCLU, and agreed to by the NYPD, will better protect New Yorkers’ public safety and their constitutional right to peacefully protest.”

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LEGAL AID SOCIETY, NYCLU PRAISE JUDGE’S
APPROVAL OF POLICING REFORMS AT PROTESTS

CITYWIDE — ASSERTING THAT THE “NYPD CANNOT POLICE ITSELF,” REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NY CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION AND THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY stated on Wednesday, Feb. 7, “We’re gratified that the Court saw the PBA’s opposition for what it was: a baseless hail Mary that would perpetuate the abuses we saw in 2020. “We know the NYPD cannot police itself, and we won’t let the PBA destroy a commonsense settlement to address the violence and reckless over-policing New Yorkers experienced firsthand when standing up for Black lives in the summer of 2020. We look forward to seeing these reforms unfold and will hold both the City and the NYPD accountable if its officers fail to implement these new and needed practices.”

The joint statement is attributed to Deputy Legal Director at the New York Civil Liberties Union Molly Biklen and Staff Attorney with The Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Law Reform Unit Jennvine Wong.

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FEDERAL JUDGE IN MANHATTAN: POLICE
REFORM AGREEMENT CAN TAKE EFFECT

CITYWIDE — THE NY CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION AND THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY ARE PRAISING A DECISION by US District Judge Hon. Colleen McMahon (Southern District federal court in Manhattan) who has green-lighted a major reform of NYPD practices at protests. Judge McMahon on Wednesday, Feb. 7, ruled as meritless the NYC Police Benevolent Association’s motion to reject the Payne v. de Blasio settlement, which was reached after a lawsuit charged the NYPD with “indiscriminate brutalizing of peaceful protestors” during the protests following the police killing of George Floyd. Last September, NY Attorney General Letitia James, The Legal Aid Society and the NYCLU announced a landmark agreement with the NYPD, holding the Department to its oath to protect New Yorkers’ right to protest. Judge McMahon’s ruling allows the Payne Settlement to take effect.

The legal advocacy group pointed out that even though the PBA opposed the agreement, it did have the support of Mayor Adams and both the Sergeants Benevolent Association and the Detectives’ Endowment Association.

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SUNY TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY OVER DOWNSIZING OF DOWNSTATE HOSPITAL IN BROOKLYN

EAST FLATBUSH — AFTER COMMUNITY AND UNION PROTESTS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK said on Wednesday it will launch a “community-driven visioning process” to shape a proposed $300 million capital investment to “build a stronger SUNY Downstate.” SUNY Chancellor John King said his administration is working with Gov. Kathy Hochul to create a “transformation plan” for the money-losing hospital, but the changes would involve relocating many services to neighboring facilities like Kings County. Brooklyn lawmakers are worried this could result in the diminishment of healthcare in the minority, low-income community. SUNY said its engagement process would include community surveys, five focus groups and stakeholder sessions in February and March.

The state proposes creating a SUNY Downstate “wing” at Kings County. SUNY Downstate would continue to provide primary, specialty care and ambulatory surgery, and expand urgent care. People can sign up for updates at DownstateTransformed.org.

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NITEHAWK THEATER TO UNIONIZE

PARK SLOPE — WORKERS AT THE POPULAR NITEHAWK THEATER IN PARK SLOPE, the second location of the restaurant/cinema chain, are planning to join the United Auto Workers union, reports Jacobin, following the success of similar efforts at two city Alamo Drafthouse locations last year; organizers say they want increased pay and benefits and lighter workloads, citing difficulties meeting customer and management demands during last summer’s “Barbenheimer” movie event (the release of blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” on the same weekend in July) as a flash point for worker dissatisfaction. Nitehawk has reportedly declined to recognize the unionization; leadership says they intend to file for recognition with the National Labor Review Board on Wednesday.

The workers at City Point Alamo Drafthouse similarly cited Barbenheimer madness during their own unionization effort in August, joining the UAW Local 2179.

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HOUSE EXPANDS CHILD TAX CREDIT

NATIONWIDE — NEW YORK FAMILIES STAND TO BENEFIT FROM A BIPARTISAN EXPANSION of the Child Tax Credit passed by the House of Representatives last week, reports NY1, with as many as 887,000 children statewide who are currently excluded from the credit now potentially covered under it, in what supporters describe as a major stroke in the fight against child poverty. The new bill would, for three years, offer the full benefit of the tax credit to 16 million children nationwide whose families’ incomes are too low to receive the full benefit under current law; however, some Senate Republicans have signaled opposition, citing both concerns about the $35 billion price tag and reluctance to deliver a policy win to President Biden in an election year, according to NY1.

“We continue to deliver real results,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X (Twitter) on behalf of the Democrats.

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BLACK FUTURE FESTIVAL AT BROOKLYN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

CROWN HEIGHTS — THE BROOKLYN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM IS SET TO HOLD THE Black Future Festival later this month, a celebration of African heritage in honor of Black History Month presented in collaboration with local arts groups and creators. Families can learn about dance, storytelling, cultural traditions from across the African continent and diaspora, Brooklyn history and environmental knowledge; educators will help conduct workshops for kids to create craft projects like traditional masks with cowrie shells, Afrofuturistic comic art, Ghanian-inspired adinkra photo frames and winter plant snowglobes.

The Black Future Festival will take place at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum with different daily programming from Feb. 19 to Feb. 25; tickets for museum admission can be purchased online and are $15 for both children and adults, with discounts available for grandparents, some city and health workers, EBT/SNAP card holders and members of affiliated institutions.

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FUNDRAISER FOR FAMILY OF WORKER KILLED IN BUILDING COLLAPSE

BOROUGH PARK — THE GRIEVING FAMILY OF Juan Ildefonso Tamay Ganzhi, killed in a partial collapse at an unsafe job site on Friday, is holding an online fundraiser to cover immediate expenses, reports Patch, and has raised $2,500 from donors so far; Ganzhi was buried by rubble when the first floor of 1266 50th Street in Borough Park collapsed into the basement on Feb. 2 and passed away from his injuries despite efforts by the FDNY to free him. Department of Buildings Commissioner James Oddo said the work had been done in violation of a partial stop work order issued in December, and that “absolutely no plans” had been approved for excavation work at the site; the owner had been previously fined for unapproved work on Jan. 4.

“Juan was not just a construction worker; he was a dedicated family man, known for his unconditional love and vibrant smile. Your support and prayers are invaluable as we go through this difficult moment. We truly appreciate your kindness and generosity during this time of profound grief as we seek justice,” Ganzhi’s wife, Maria Tamay, wrote on GoFundMe.

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LIBRARY CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH

BROOKLYN — THE BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY IS HONORING BLACK HISTORY MONTH this February with events for all ages at branches across the borough, including storytimes, craft projects, arts and culture programming, movie nights and more. Highlights include teen soul food cooking classes with the Brooklyn CookMobile at the Saratoga Library, an African dance class for families and a storytime musical safari by multi-talented performer Akwesi Munir Asante at the Macon Library, a live concert for tots by music educator Miss Alex of Lavender Blues and a book talk with artist and author Willie Mae Brown at the Park Slope Library, grab-and-go craft kits inspired by abstract artist Alma Thomas at the Talea Beer Co. pop-up library, and a panel discussion on pan-African cultural institute The East at the Center for Brooklyn History; screenings of movies like “Black Panther” and “Soul,” and discussions of books like “Mae Among the Stars” and “Sula,” will take place throughout the month.

Information on these and many more events can be found online on the BPL’s website; attendance for the Lavender Blues concert is capped by the fire marshal, and guests must register online beforehand.

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NEW BILLS WOULD BLOCK FEDERAL FUNDING TO
CAMPUSES THAT PROMOTE ANTISEMITISM

CAPITOL HILL — BROOKLYN CONGRESSWOMAN NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS (R-11) ON TUESDAY, FEB. 6, INTRODUCED TWO BILLS TO COMBAT what she and others see as a rise of antisemitic hate crimes and protests on college campuses. Specifically, the “Combatting Antisemitic Messaging & Promoting Unity in School Act” (CAMPUS Act), would prohibit federal funding from going to institutions of higher education that provide funding, tuition assistance, support, or a platform to an organization that engages in antisemitic behavior or fails to hold a faculty member who promotes antisemitism accountable. The bill provides for a period of investigating and redressing any reported incidents. Malliotakis also introduced the “No Visas for Antisemitic Students Act,” which would revoke student visas of foreign students in the United States who engage in antisemitic behavior.

However, Palestinians, and Arabic as a tongue, are also part of the Semitic language group (which includes Syriac and languages spoken in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Iraq, Iran and Malta). A growing number of New Yorkers assert that limiting the definition of Semitic to one ethnic or religious group is harmful.

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BISHOP HEZEKIAH WALKER HEADLINES CONCERT
FOR NYC KIDS RISE SCHOLARSHIP ACCOUNT PROGRAM

EAST NEW YORK/LONG ISLAND CITY — BROOKLYN-BORN Bishop Hezekiah Walker, a popular American gospel music singer, will headline the Concert for College 2024, to raise money for the NYC Scholarship Accounts of students at nine elementary schools in Queens through the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program. The ticketed concert takes place Wednesday, Feb. 7, at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in Long Island City. Multi-Grammy-award winner Bishop Hezekiah Walker and the Love Fellowship Tabernacle Choir will bring together faith, civic, business, and community leaders and organizations, government and elected officials, school communities, and neighborhood residents to support the children and celebrate the fact that nearly every student in elementary school in the community now has an NYC Scholarship Account. Other performers include the Community School 111 Gospel Choir, Spirit in Motion (dance), and Center of Hope International Praise Team.

Walker has released several albums on Benson Records and Verity Records as Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Crusade Choir.

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KINGS BAY LIBRARY TAKES FIRST PLACE IN BPL’S ROBOTICS CHAMPIONSHIP

KINGS BAY — THE KINGS BAY LIBRARY ROBOTICS TEAM took top honors in Brooklyn Public Library’s robotics championship over the weekend, besting 15 teams from libraries around the borough for first place. Cortelyou Library and New Lots Library took second and third place respectively. BPL’s Robotics League, in partnership with NYC First, provides youth the opportunity to learn about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) by coding, building and programming robotics. The three top teams will participate in a citywide semi-final on March 3.

The theme for this year was “Masterpiece,” focusing on new ways to create and communicate art. Teams worked to build, program and code a robot to accomplish tasks like placing artwork on a pedestal and moving it safely to a museum, or moving a camera across a dolly to shoot a movie.

The Kings Bay Library robotics team at the Robotics League Finals 2024 — The Kings Bay Library robotics team.

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NYS BOARD OF ELECTIONS VOTES TO KEEP TRUMP ON GOP PRIMARY BALLOT

STATEWIDE — THE NEW YORK BOARD OF ELECTIONS voted on Tuesday to keep Donald Trump on the state’s Republican primary ballot, City & State reports. The decision by the four-member board went against arguments that Trump should be kept off under the 14th Amendment’s disqualification clause, which says no one should hold office if they’ve engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States. The two Republican BOE commissioners, who exercise authority over the Republican primary, said they based their decision on state ballot eligibility rules pertaining to candidates’ campaign finances and their national prominence.

The commissioners’ decision can still be challenged in state court if filed in the next couple of days, according to City & State.

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BROOKLYN GANG MEMBER GETS 25 TO LIFE FOR DRIVE-BY MURDER

DOWNTOWN — A BROOKLYN GANG MEMBER WAS SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE for opening fire into a BMW parked in Flatlands, where a 21-year-old rival gang member was sitting with his girlfriend, Brooklyn D.A. Eric Gonzalez announced on Tuesday. The victim managed to push his girlfriend out of the car before collapsing, shielding her from the gunfire before he himself was killed. “Anthony Francis was a beloved son, brother, nephew and cousin who was just 21 years old when he was shot and killed in a senseless act of gang violence,” Gonzalez said.

Brooklyn resident Tarell Herbert, 30, was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Heidi Cesare. His co-defendant, Tristan Murray, 31, also of Brooklyn, was sentenced by Justice Cesare to 35 years to life in prison last June.

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NYPD: CRIME CONTINUES TO DROP IN NYC, BROOKLYN

NYC/ BROOKLYN — NYPD REPORTED “CONTINUED DECLINES ACROSS MOST MAJOR CRIME CATEGORIES” during January 2024, compared to January 2023, including “substantial drops in murder, rape, burglary and felony assault.” For the second month in a row, the number of vehicles stolen in New York City also dropped, by at least 3.8%, NYPD said on Monday. Overall index crime dipped 2.9% citywide in January compared to the same month in 2023. Despite the substantial decrease in crime, arrests for all major index crimes citywide increased 5.7% in January compared to the same time period a year ago.

CompStat figures for Brooklyn North precincts show an overall decrease in major crimes of 10.8%, with just slight increases in Grand Larceny Auto and a 15.2% increase in robberies. Figures for Brooklyn South show a decrease in major crimes of 7.6% year to date, with only Grand Larceny Auto up 60.8% and robberies up 17.5%.

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UNIONS RALLY IN ALBANY TO KEEP SUNY DOWNSTATE OPEN

ALBANY — HIGHER EDUCATION UNION UNITED UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONS (UUP) joined other unions at a “New York and Brooklyn Need Downstate” rally on Tuesday in Albany, urging the governor and SUNY to scrap their proposal to shutter SUNY Downstate Hospital in Brooklyn. “Over a decade of neglect and disinvestment by the state has threatened patients’ access to equitable, high-quality health care services in Brooklyn,” UUP said in a statement. Union leaders are calling for a public process in which all stakeholders are engaged and all data examined before a decision is made. NYS DOH data show that Brooklyn residents, especially low-income residents and people of color, have poor access to health care services.

UUP also slammed the state’s plan to leave SUNY Downstate out of the federal government’s Section 1115 waiver funding to bail out cash-strapped hospitals. The plan calls for $2.2 billion for other struggling hospitals in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Westchester County, but nothing for Downstate.

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DOCTOR WHO WAS BORN AT MAIMONIDES WINS THREE AWARDS FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICES

BOROUGH PARK — DR. SCOTT CHUDNOFF, CHAIR OF MAIMONIDES MEDICAL CENTER’S Obstetrics & Gynecology Department, has been awarded three top doctor recognitions. He was recognized as a Castle Connolly 2024 Top Doctor and a 2024 New York Super Doctor. He also received a 2024 Women’s Choice Award. All three awards are given to doctors who reflect dedication and passion to supporting patient well-being and care within their field. A Brooklyn native, Dr. Chudnoff has led Maimonides’ Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women’s Health services through several recent major changes, including the 2023 creation of the Women’s Health Institute and the hospital’s expansion of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), completed just last month.

Dr. Chudnoff’s career now comes full circle as he leads a program from which he himself is a personal patient alumnus. He was born at Maimonides Medical Center in 1973.

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STOPPED FROM BOARDING CRUISE, ILLINOIS MAN CHARGED IN BROOKLYN COURT WITH PONZI SCHEMES

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — AN ILLINOIS MAN WAS ARRAIGNED TUESDAY, IN FEDERAL COURT IN BROOKLYN on a nine-count indictment charge including wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and bankruptcy fraud. Alan John Hanke, the sole member of IOLO Capital (IOLO), was arrested on Jan. 25 in Florida as he attempted to board an international cruise. He was arraigned Feb. 6 before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo. Defendant Hanke was involved in Ponzi schemes involving millions of dollars to induce investors to purchase speculative investments, misappropriate the funds, and then use the bankruptcy system to discharge his debts to his victims.

If convicted, Hanke faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy counts, and five years’ imprisonment on the securities fraud conspiracy, bankruptcy fraud and false bankruptcy declaration charges.

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LEGIONNAIRES’ DISEASE KILLS ONE, SICKENS ANOTHER AT BROWNSVILLE NYCHA HOUSES

BROWNSVILLE — THE CITY IS ADVISING RESIDENTS OF THE LANGSTON HUGHES Houses in Brownsville to avoid shower and faucet usage after a sick tenant tested positive for the bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease last week, reports The City; another tenant in the same development died of the disease in July of last year. The city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene says it is currently conducting testing of the buildings’ water supply and has assured residents that the water is safe to drink but not to shower in, as the bacteria is only dangerous if inhaled through water vapor. Tenants, however, say that messaging from the city has been confusing and contradictory, with signs hung by NYCHA allegedly claiming that the water was safe to use as normal.

Legionnaires’ disease is a form of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacterium, which can sometimes be found growing in poorly maintained water tanks or HVAC systems.

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NATIONAL BAGEL AND LOX DAY FRIDAY

GREENPOINT – NATIONAL BAGEL AND LOX DAY IS COMING TO BROOKLYN THIS WEEK thanks to a team-up between Greenpoint’s Acme Smoked Fish smokehouse and Bagel Point bakery, reports Greenpointers. Doors open at 8 a.m. for free Bagel Point half-bagels featuring Acme’s signature nova scotia lox while supplies last. Acme will also be offering limited-edition merch, as well as samples of new products.

The “bagelebration” will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9 at Acme Smoked Fish at 30 Gem St. The store expects the free bagels to go quickly, so hungry locals are encouraged to come early.

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NEW LAW: NO MORE HIDDEN CREDIT CARD SURCHARGES

STATEWIDE – A NEW STATE LAW SET TO TAKE EFFECT ON SUNDAY WILL DO AWAY with hidden credit card surcharges for New York consumers, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday. Starting Feb. 11, businesses must display prices including credit card surcharges before checkout, as well as limit those surcharges to the amount taken by the card provider. Prices must be listed in dollar amounts for each item, with businesses given the option to list a separate credit and cash price if one is offered. According to the Governor’s Office, signage and price tags that indicate increases or discounts with percentages only are not sufficient for informing consumers.

The state Department of Consumer Protection on Sunday will open a complaint portal for New Yorkers who feel they have been overcharged to receive refunds; more information on the new law for consumers and merchants both can be found online on the DCP’s website.

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NYCHA STAFFERS IN BROOKLYN REPORTEDLY AMONG THOSE CHARGED WITH BRIBERY AND EXTORTION

CITYWIDE — BRIBERY AND EXTORTION CHARGES WERE UNSEALED ON TUESDAY, FEB. 6, AGAINST 70 CURRENT AND FORMER EMPLOYEES OF NYCHA HOUSING COMPLEXES, IN ALL FIVE BOROUGHS, INCLUDING SEVERAL IN BROOKLYN. The U.S. Department. of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office/Southern District of New York said it was the largest number of federal bribery charges on a single day in DOJ History. The defendants, at least nine of whom resided in Brooklyn, demanded amounts totaling over $2 million in corrupt payments from contractors in exchange for awarding over $13 million worth of no-bid contracts, over the course of one and even two decades in some cases.

A low-resolution map provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office seemed to show that at least two of the involved NYCHA complexes were in or near Downtown Brooklyn, in the Navy Yard area, and in Red Hook near the waterfront.

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NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE DENOUNCES CONDUCT OF ARRESTED NYCHA EMPLOYEES

CITYWIDE — CALLING IT ‘SHAMEFUL CONDUCT,’ NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE WILLIAMS SPOKE TUESDAY AFTERNOON, FEB. 6, ON THE ARREST OF THE NYCHA 70, those employees who were arrested on corruption charges. “Our office has consistently raised the failures of management at NYCHA as the worst landlord in the city, but the charges today are nonetheless a staggering statement on the widespread abuses of power and tenant trust at the core of the agency’s deficiencies,” said Williams. “The shameful conduct alleged ultimately harms not only tenant trust but tenant safety, as it corrupts the repair process and contributes to dangerous conditions at complexes across the city — which can prove deadly, as with the recent death from Legionnaires disease.”

After a NYCHA tenant at the Langston Hughes Houses in Brownsville had died last July of Legionnaires Disease, an investigation revealed bacteria clusters, making the water in this complex the focus of continuous testing, and the elderly and vulnerable residents being advised against the basic hygiene of showering. In January, a second resident was diagnosed with Legionnaires Disease.