BP Fossella Makes Statement On Student With Alleged Gun At Port Richmond High School

The incident [on March 8th] at Port Richmond High School, captured on video, shows a student allegedly dropping a gun from his backpack, picking it up, and exiting the school doors unhindered. This represents the latest in a string of warnings to our school system, Staten Island, and our society.

Sadly, too many kids are being raised to believe there are no consequences for their actions, either in their school or on the streets. To these kids, unlawful behavior is acceptable behavior, because they can get away with almost anything.
Do we have the courage to act and fix this now?

Let me be clear – there are many good things occurring in Port Richmond High School, thanks to the hard work of its principal, teachers and students. That makes incidents like this all the more unfortunate.

Recently, every elected official on Staten Island – Democrat and Republican – pledged to work together to establish clear rules and guidelines to keep our schools safe.

School Bus in front of sign. Image Credit – Jose Alonso

Call me “old school” but something needs to be done to send a clear message: enough is enough.

We pledge to work with our colleagues in government to help effectuate a change in the protocols that have allowed this type of activity to disrupt our schools.

Educators, police officers, school safety agents, the court system, community leaders, innocent kids, and parents are all frustrated because these incidents are allowed to continue. We need the cooperation of our City and State to bring about the changes that are needed.

Let’s end this frustration and take back our schools, once and for all.

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil is an approach that ultimately hurts our kids.

Statement of Assemblyman Mike Tannousis 
“Unfortunately, this is another example that demonstrates our need for increased safety in our schools. New York is in a public safety crisis and the situation is only getting worse. We need immediate action from all levels of government.”

Statement of Assemblyman Mike Reilly 
“This incident only highlights the need for enhanced safety measures in our public schools and greater support from the New York City Police Department. When are children are at school, their safety and security is the responsibility of the City of New York.”

Statement of Councilmember Kamillah Hanks 
“Parents send their children to schools expecting them to be safe. Gun violence is an immediate threat to our city and state. Incidents like this one should worry every member of our community. As Chair of the New York City Council Committee on Public Safety, preventing situations like the one that occurred at Port Richmond High School is absolutely a top priority. I fully intend to work with our local schools, NYPD, and city agencies to achieve that.”

Statement of Councilman David Carr 
“We have to keep guns out of schools and away from our children. Every parent in Staten Island and beyond should be able to have the confidence that their child is safe when they go to class for the day. It is unacceptable that someone can bring a gun to school and appear to suffer no consequences. The risk to students, faculty, staff, and visitors is too great, and the New York City Department of Education has to make the safety of those in its care the foremost priority.”

Banner Image: Handgun. Image Credit – Jacob Boavista

BP Vito Fossella

The Office of the Borough President has a responsibility to advocate for the entire Borough of Staten Island and all its residents, and represents the Borough's interests within City government. The Borough President communicates directly with the Mayor and the City Council to emphasize Staten Island’s budget priorities. In addition, the Borough President is responsible for reviewing major land use decisions and proposing sites for city facilities within the Borough. As the chair of the Borough Board, the Borough President leads Staten Island’s City Council delegation and Community Board chairs in the process of reviewing and approving the transfer of public properties to private use. The Borough President’s Office houses the Borough's Topographical Bureau, which maintains the borough’s official maps and assigns street addresses. The Borough President monitors the delivery of city services on Staten Island, and acts as a liaison between residents and city agencies when problems arise to devise solutions. The Borough President is also responsible for appointing one member to the Panel for Educational Policy and one member to the City Planning Commission, as well as some 150 members to Staten Island’s three community boards.