POLICY ISSUES: PUBLIC SAFETY 

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. believes law, order and civility are the foundations for a better Bronx. Through the combined efforts of residents, community organizations and government, The Bronx is experiencing some of the lowest levels of crime in decades. To continue improving public safety, the Borough President's OFfice has focused on monitoring and advocating for additional resources to effectively address crimes related to five key areas: prostitution, drugs, guns, gangs, and graffiti vandalism.

FOCUSING ON THE MOST PERVASIVE CRIMES 

Closing Down Motels
“Short-Stay Motels” or “Hot Sheet Motels” –motels where guests can rent rooms for as little as one hour- are often centers of illegal activities like prostitution and drug use. These motels are devastating to the quality of life in surrounding communities. One of the Borough President's Office first initiatives was to convene a special multi-agency task force to investigate these motels and send a strong message to the motel industry that illegal activities will not be tolerated. This task force resulted in the closure and fines of several motels. The Borough President's Office continues to actively monitor current and proposed motels to ensure that they do not promote illegal activity. 

Combating Drug Dealing
To help address drug abuse and drug dealing, the Borough President's Office launched The Bronx Anti-Drug Anonymous Tip Line (718-590-3551).  This hotline allows Bronx residents -who might otherwise be afraid to contact the NYPD directly- to anonymously report drug related crimes. Tips to the hotline are shared with NYPD. To date, hundreds of residents have called the hotline.  

Getting Illegal Guns off the Streets
To rid the Bronx of illegal guns, Borough President Diaz, Jr. has worked with residents, elected officials, and NYPD to raise awareness and demand action from our government. To discourage the use of guns and teach conflict resolution to students, the Borough President's Office partnered with the Department of Education (DOE) for the “Alternatives to Violence Day Conference.” This conference is a result of a Borough President’s working group with the DOE, New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, and law enforcement agencies.  

Addressing Gang Activity
Borough President Diaz, Jr. has worked to reduce gang activity in the Bronx by educating young people and pushing for laws that create stricter penalties for gang related crimes. Currently, the Borough President's Office is working with the Council for Unity and local Community Boards to identify issues facing youth and provide resources to address gang activity. To highlight the problems caused by gang violence, the Borough President's Office held a public hearing with the Bronx Borough Board resulting in the support of anti-gang state legislation. 

Removing Graffiti Vandalism
Graffiti vandalism is not a victimless offense. It lowers the value of property, is costly to remove, and creates a sense of lawlessness. To help clean up graffiti vandalism, the Borough President's Office created “Team Up to Clean Up the Bronx”, an annual event for residents to rid the borough of trash and graffiti. Borough President Carrion has also partnered with organizations like, Bronx Community Solutions and City Solve to remove graffiti vandalism. Most recently, the Borough President's Office allocated $170,000 to the Parks Department toward the purchase of two graffiti removal vehicles for Bronx parks. 

CONTINUING WORK FOR THE FUTURE 

Improving Police/Community Relations
Communication between law enforcement and the community is essential to increasing public safety. However, this crucial relationship has often been strained in the Bronx because of a long history of distrust between the police and many communities. Borough President Diaz, Jr. will continue to focus on opening lines of communication and increasing trust between community members and law enforcement.  

Preparing for Disasters and Terrorism
September 11^th and Hurricane Katrina demonstrated the critical need for emergency preparedness for acts of terrorism and natural disasters. Borough President Diaz, Jr. is partnering with the New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and has already established six Community Certified Response Teams (CERT) throughout The Bronx to help respond to emergency disasters and educate the community about preparedness. The Borough President’s Office will continue to work with OEM to establish CERT teams in every Bronx community.