WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC thecity THE CITY News Journal Update - THE CITY SCOOP: NYPD Car Chases Skyrocket Under Adams — Sometimes With Fatal Results

 

View this email in your browser 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, In late May, 36–year-old Samuel Williams was killed in a collision on his dirt motorbike on the University Heights Bridge between Manhattan and The Bronx after getting caught up in a police chase involving unmarked vehicles. While his family is still piecing together the details of what happened, an analysis by THE CITY has found a massive increase in the number of car chases. Two police sources say it is part of a deliberate but unofficial shift in enforcement tactics that puts civilians and cops in harm’s way, and disregards formal policies and guidelines that emphasize inherently dangerous pursuits should be a last resort.  The police gave chase 304 times in the first three months of 2023 — a nearly 600% jump from the same period last year and more than in all of 2021 and 2022 combined. This escalation is part of an aggressive enforcement push overseen by NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell, who took on that role in December 2022 — when there were a then-record 54 chases. The next month, there were 133.  Many of the pursuits are conducted by members of the so-called Community Response Teams, the plainclothes officers in polo shirts and khakis who drive unmarked vehicles, answer to Chell, and have been tasked with carrying out increasingly aggressive “quality of life” enforcement. Read more here. In other news: More Races Called From City Primaries A new ranked choice voting tally has delivered three fresh results from last week’s City Council primaries. Democrat and former Council member and state Senator Tony Avella won his primary in District 19 in Queens, which covers College Point, Whitestone and Bay Terrace. He will face Republican incumbent Vickie Palladino in November. In The Bronx, Republican Kristy Marmorato won the GOP primary in District 13, which covers Morris Park, Throggs Necks and City Island. She will face Democratic incumbent Marjorie Velázquez in November. And in Harlem, first-time candidate Yusef Salaam solidified his win over Inez Dickens, collecting 63.8% of the vote in the third-round vote tally released by the BOE yesterday. There will be no Republican on the ballot against him in November.   —Rachel Holliday Smith Some other items of note: The pandemic ushered in a reckoning among New York’s healthcare workers — Just this year, nurses struck and won raises and better staffing standards, and trainee doctors walked off the job. But the emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics who provide New York’s emergency medical services are still under stress driven by the lowest pay among first responders and unrelenting job demands, according to workers and union leaders. And EMTs are forbidden by law from striking.  On the latest episode of the FAQ NYC podcast, hosts Christina Greer, Katie Honan and Harry Siegel talk about the 109th mayor of New York City’s very public separation, the 110th mayor’s press strategy, and much more.  For the latest local numbers on COVID-19 hospitalizations, positivity rates and more, check our coronavirus tracker.  Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Thursday's Weather Rating: 5/10. Another day of warmth and humidity, although it's a bit less uncomfortable than yesterday with highs in the upper 80s. We should avoid storms for most of the day today, but it's still less than ideal out there. The vibes are all right! THE KICKER: The Bronx Children’s Museum — the first museum for kids in the borough — has a new permanent location in Mill Pond Park, and will be open three days a week this summer, on Tuesdays Thursdays and Saturdays. The interactive activities and exhibits are geared to kids up to nine years old. Tickets are pay as you wish (but require advance registration).   Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Thursday. Love, THE CITY P.S. If you liked something about today's newsletter, or didn't, let us know at zshah@thecity.nyc THE CITY's work is made possible, in part, through the support of our sponsors. Interested in becoming a sponsor of THE CITY? Contact us here.  Copyright © 2023 THE CITY, All rights reserved.