Talk Bronx New York

 Former Co-op City Board President Sentenced To Jail Time For Accepting Kickback Payments

MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that IRIS HERSKOWITZ BAEZ, the former President of the Board of Co-Op City in the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today for accepting approximately $10,000 in kickback payments in exchange for her assistance in steering a Co-Op City painting contract worth approximately $3.5 million.

BAEZ, 59, a resident of the Bronx, was sentenced by United States District Judge RICHARD J. SULLIVAN to six months’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release. In addition, BAEZ was ordered to forfeit $10,000. According to the Indictment filed in Manhattan federal court and statements made during BAEZ’s guilty plea and sentencing proceedings:

Co-Op City is a New York State Mitchell-Lama housing cooperative located in the Bronx, New York. As a Mitchell-Lama development, Co-Op City was established for the purpose of providing affordable housing for middle-income residents. To effectuate that purpose, Mitchell-Lama developments such as Co-Op City charge rents that are considerably lower than the rents that qualified residents would have to pay for comparable housing on the open market.

The New York City Housing Authority ( “NYCHA” ) is a New York City agency responsible for, among other things, supervising a Section 8 rental assistance program, which program is regulated and fully funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development ( “HUD” ). As part of the Section 8 Program, HUD pays subsidies, typically in the form of vouchers, for people to live in private housing.

Neither HUD nor NYCHA place any restriction on how Co- Op City can spend the federal subsidies. Accordingly, the housing cooperative was permitted to use the federal funds for capital improvements such as renovations to, and painting of, apartment units. New York State, however, imposes certain regulations on how Co-Op City may spend money on capital improvements, such as requiring — for any job in excess of $50,000 — that Co-Op City put the work out for bid, memorialize the agreement with the bid winner in a formal contract, and subject the contract to approval by the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal ( “DHCR” ), which regulates the housing development.

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Bronx Community College Automotive Program Receives National Certification

The automotive training program at Bronx Community College of The City University of New York has received certification by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) and The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).

To achieve this coveted recognition, the program underwent rigorous evaluation in areas such as instruction, facilities and equipment. The certification in engine performance, electrical and electronic systems, and suspension and brakes is a great boost for BCC’s automotive program that has gone through significant change in recent years.

BCC’s designation to lead CUNY’s sustainability efforts provided the opportunity to refocus the College’s Automotive Technology Program, in existence for nearly 15 years.

Over the last 17 months, Clement Drummond a 35-year automotive industry veteran, has worked to create a leading-edge training program that includes state-of-the-art labs, equipment and teaching facilities; and a comprehensive curriculum for associate in applied sciences degree (A.A.S.), and one-year automotive technician certificate program.
Additional focus on alternative fuel and hybrid cars also expands the scope of the program’s offerings.

In collaboration with the Center for Sustainable Energy and the Office of Institutional Advancement, the BCC automotive program has received three grants in support of curriculum updates as well as facilities and equipment upgrades totaling $1.2 million.

“This is great news for automotive-minded young people,” said Donald Seyfer, NATEF Chair.

“Because this program increases cooperation between local education and industry leaders, it gives added assurance that Bronx Community College’s graduates will be employable entry-level technicians. As a result of the quality education provided by Bronx Community College, the motoring public will benefit since better repair technicians will join the work force.”

Upon completion of the evaluation, NATEF recommended that Bronx Community College be certified by (ASE), a national non-profit organization that tests and certifies repair technicians, in addition to certifying automotive training programs.

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Queens, Bronx Drive Up City Murder Rate

With the year’s first quarter nearly in the books, the murder rate in the city has increased by 20.7% compared with the same period last year, a spike chiefly due to an increase in killings in Southern Queens and the Bronx.

The number of murders has increased to 17 from eight within Patrol Borough Queens South, a command that patrols neighborhoods such as Jamaica, Ozone Park, and Far Rockaway, a 112.5% jump compared to the same time last year, according to the most recent police statistics. In the Bronx, murders have spiked by 42.8%: There have been 30 homicides recorded this year, compared with 21 during the same period last year.

While elected officials that represent the two areas offered differing theories as to why there has been an increase in homicides, most share similar fears regarding the size of the police department.

“New York is the safest it’s been in 40 years,” the president of the Bronx, Adolfo Carrion Jr., said. “These efforts will become increasingly more difficult if we continue to lose veteran police officers to areas outside of New York that offer higher salaries and if our recruiting numbers continue to decrease due to low starting salaries.”

As part of citywide budget cuts, the police department has proposed to shrink its head count by 1,000 officers, a move that would result in the smallest force in 16 years.

The police department’s chief spokesman, Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne, said the increases in killings in Queens South and the Bronx are precisely why the precincts there have been targeted by Operation Impact, a program that saturates high crime areas with officers on foot patrol.

“That’s why Commissioner Kelly directed that all graduates of the last Police Academy class be assigned with experienced supervisors to impact zones there and where other spikes were experienced, and why he directed that the previous cadre of impact officers remain in place — effectively doubling the size of impact,” he said.

The trouble spots in Queens appear to be the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica, where murders have jumped to five this year compared with two last year, and the 101st precinct in Far Rockaway, where four murders have occurred this year compared with one last year. The City Council member who represents Jamaica, Leroy Comrie, a Democrat, said Operation Impact has been very effective, but that a majority of the murders recorded this year have been perpetrated outside of the impact zone, which is in the downtown area of the neighborhood.

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