See below for the press conference held at Brothers Pizza:
Staten Island, NY – Borough President Vito Fossella and District Attorney Michael McMahon will renew calls for a greater police presence and institutional changes to State criminal law at a press conference at Brother’s Pizzeria on Wednesday, April 1st at 12:00 PM.
The press conference comes in response to elevated concerns about crime on Staten Island, which recently came to a head at an incident at Brother’s Pizzeria on March 22nd, in which an individual who was asked to leave the establishment returned to Brother’s with a knife, and was arrested.
For years, the Borough President and District Attorney have argued that the excessive lengths of the recent New York State criminal law reforms – Raise the Age, Bail Reform and Discovery Reform, in particular – have permeated an atmosphere that encourages criminal behavior, enables recidivism, and empowers juvenile and adolescent offenders through the elimination of meaningful consequences.
This state of affairs has been exacerbated, in part, by the gradual reduction in the number of police officers on Staten Island, which has put a logistical strain on the NYPD’s ability to deter crime. In the past year alone, the number of cops on Staten Island fell 6% across all ranks. And, more jarringly, that number has fallen 16% in the past five years – just as the population of Staten Island continues to increase.
At the press conference, the BP Fossella and DA McMahon will advocate, on behalf of residents and businesses like Brother’s Pizzeria, for the NYPD to increase its presence on Port Richmond Avenue, and conduct a steady enforcement for safety in the short term. Further, they will renew calls for fundamental changes to be made to the State law, in order to end the institutional catalysts encouraging criminal behaviors.
Banner Image: Press conference at Brothers Pizza. Image Credit – BP 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.
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