WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - THE CITY SCOOP: Cash Belonging to Thousands of Former Detainees Sits in the Rikers Island Commissary

 

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If you know anyone who might like this newsletter, send it to them. If this was sent to you by someone else, subscribe here — it's free!  Dear New Yorkers, Commissary accounts belonging to former Rikers detainees contain $4.2 million in cash belonging to them, not the city. The unclaimed millions — as of May 1 — were reported in the Department of Correction’s first report on the topic. (Friendly reminder: There’s more than $17 billion in New Yorkers’ lost and unclaimed money scattered across state departments. Find out more here.) Advocates for incarcerated people have long urged jail officials to do more to give back the money to a mostly low-income population, where every dollar can make a difference.  “It breaks my heart to know that families have sacrificed to get their money to the loved ones who are behind bars,” said JoAnne Page, president and CEO of The Fortune Society. “And that money is lost to the individual and to the family.” The department’s struggle to return the money comes as a possible federal third-party takeover looms after years of dysfunction behind bars.  Read more here. In other news: Memo Instructs Cops to Take Care With Car Chases NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey has issued an internal memo to a half-dozen top police officials instructing them to ensure their officers are familiar with the department’s policy on vehicle pursuits. The memo, which reiterates the rules that are currently on the books, comes in the wake of THE CITY’s reporting that NYPD vehicle pursuits have skyrocketed in the first half of the year — with more chases recorded in the first six months of 2023 than in the prior five years combined.  The reminder that “a vehicle pursuit must be terminated whenever the risks to members of the service and the public outweigh the danger to the community if the suspect is not immediately apprehended” comes as Maddrey’s second-in-command, Chief of Patrol John Chell, has publicly extolled the benefits of not letting criminals think they can evade police — even as the number of injuries stemming from such pursuits continues to mount. On Saturday morning, five Staten Island police officers were injured in the course of pursuing an alleged minivan thief, and on Sunday evening, two kids — ages 1 and 5 — were among the passengers in an SUV that flipped over when a suspected car thief crashed into it while cops were on his tail. And on Tuesday, a 54-year-old woman riding her bike was clipped and critically injured by a suspect fleeing “detectives investigating illegal firearms,” according to the Daily News, in a chase that began on the Lower East Side and went across Manhattan into the West Village.   The Lieutenants Benevolent Association shared Maddrey’s memo with its members — along with warnings about “possible criminal and civil repercussions” for those who engage in or approve pursuits that result in injuries, according to a copy of the letter obtained by THE CITY.  The LBA’s missive also noted the union’s belief that while many of the current district attorneys “will not proactively prosecute individuals for most crimes emanating from or initiated by vehicle pursuits,” those prosecutors  will “not hesitate” to charge police officers with crimes stemming from those pursuits. — Yoav Gonen Some other items of note: If you’ve noticed your Con Ed bill is higher than usual this summer, you’re not alone. Electricity typically goes up in the summer, and a recent rate hike isn’t helping. Here’s THE CITY’s explainer on why your electric bill is so high right now — and how to get financial help if you need it. Earlier this week, a landmark climate change case ruled that state agencies in Montana were violating people’s right to a habitable environment. Montana is one of only a handful of states whose constitution protects such a right — another is New York, which recently added a “green amendment” to its state constitution. Here’s what the Montana ruling might mean in New York. For the latest local numbers on COVID-19 hospitalizations, positivity rates and more, check our coronavirus tracker.  Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Wednesday's Weather Rating: 6/10. A nicer day than the past few, with partly cloudy skies and only widely isolated showers and storms. High temperatures reach the mid 80s and it’s still pretty humid out there. It's an improvement, but the vibes are still a bit unsettled today. Things To Do Here’s what’s going on around the city this week. Wednesday, Aug. 16: Shakespeare on the Beach, with a performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Five days through Sun. Aug 20, at Beach 94th Street and Shorefront Parkway, Rockaway Beach. 7:30 to 9 p.m. Free. Saturday, Aug. 19: August Farmhouse Family Day, with clay leaf printing activities, at Wyckoff Family Museum in Brooklyn. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free. Sunday, Aug. 20: Endea Owens: The Community Cookout at Marcus Garvey Park Sankofa Pavillion in Harlem, 3 p.m. Free. (Plan ahead: this is the first of many free events connected to the annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival next week.) THE KICKER: A proposed measure would bring more commercial cargo bikes to NYC streets, with the goal of making the last mile or so of package deliveries more environmentally friendly. Just two of the bikes can replace a delivery truck. The announcement of the proposal kicks off a 30-day public comment period. Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Wednesday. Love, THE CITY P.S. Love THE CITY? Our nonprofit newsroom runs on support from readers like you. Donate here.

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