Proposed Int. No. 1012-A
By Council Member Wills, Comrie, Williams, Vallone, Ulrich, King, Cabrera, Dickens, Ferreras, Barron, Jackson, Rose, Reyna, Lander, Koo, Vann, Rivera, Chin, Eugene, James, Koslowitz, Mealy, Mendez, Palma, Weprin, Mark-Viverito, Rodriguez, Dromm, Brewer, Levin, Richards, Crowley, Arroyo, Van Bramer and Halloran
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing a commission to address the root causes of violence.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Legislative findings and declaration. While the murder rate in New York City declined between 2011 and 2012, the rate of other serious crimes such as felony assault, rape, and robbery increased. Periods of high levels of crime such as the summer of 2012, during which seven murders and twenty-one shootings occurred in one weekend alone, raise concerns about existing measures to combat crime. The City has a responsibility to stem the rise of violence and improve outcomes in the most affected and vulnerable communities when crime reaches unacceptable levels. Further, some communities often face high levels of poverty, which research indicates may be linked to increased levels of crime. The Council finds that a commission dedicated to examining the root causes of violence and developing a plan to combat the rise of crime through the provision of social services is needed to help ensure the continued safety of New Yorkers.
§ 2. Chapter one of title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 17-198 to read as follows:
§ 17-198 a. Short title. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Community Violence Prevention Act."
b. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
1. "Assault" shall mean the offenses of assault in the first and second degree as such offenses are defined in article one hundred twenty of the penal law.
2. "Burglary" shall mean the offenses of burglary in the first, second and third degree as such offenses are defined in article one hundred forty of the penal law.
3. "Grand larceny" shall mean the offenses of grand larceny in the first, second, third, and fourth degree as defined by article one hundred fifty-five of the penal law.
4. "Grand larceny motor vehicle" shall mean the offenses of grand larceny in the first, second, third, and fourth degree involving the theft of a motor vehicle as defined by article one hundred fifty-five of the penal law.
5. "Murder" shall mean the offenses of aggravated manslaughter, manslaughter in the first and second degree, aggravated murder and murder in the first and second degree as such offenses are defined in article one hundred twenty-five of the penal law.
6. "Rape" shall mean the offenses of rape in the first, second and third degree as such offenses are defined in article one hundred thirty of the penal law.
7. "Robbery" shall mean the offenses of robbery in the first, second and third degree as such offenses are defined in article one hundred sixty of the penal law.
c. The department shall establish a commission to develop plans to address the root causes of violence in police precincts with high rates of crime. No later than the thirty-first day of January of two thousand fourteen and every three years thereafter such commission shall identify the ten police precincts with the highest total number of complaints for the crimes of assault, burglary, grand larceny, grand larceny motor vehicle, murder, rape, and robbery during the two preceding calendar years. Such commission shall develop a specific three-year plan for each identified precinct to recommend measures the city should take to combat crime in such precinct. Such three-year plans shall include, but not be limited to, recommendations for anti-violence programs, education programs, job development and readiness programs, poverty reduction, and health and mental health programs. The commission shall issue a report outlining each three-year plan to the mayor and council and make such three-year plans available on the department's website no later than ninety days after identifying such police precincts with high rates of crime. No later than ninety days following the designated end date of each three-year plan, the commission shall issue a report to the mayor and the council that includes an assessment of the extent to which, if any, each plan has been implemented, if all or some of each plan has not been implemented the reasons why, and the effect of each plan or parts thereof that have been implemented. No later than the thirty-first day of January of two thousand fifteen and every year thereafter the commission shall issue to the mayor and the council and make available on the department's website a summary of its activities during the previous year. The department shall accept and consider public comments to such three-year plans and annual summaries through email and regular mail. Any such comments shall be made available on the department's website.
d. Such commission shall consist of the commissioner, the commissioner of the administration for children's services, the commissioner of the department of social services/human resources administration, the commissioner of the department of youth and community development and the chancellor of the city school district of the city of New York, or the designees of such commissioners or chancellor. The mayor shall appoint two additional members, provided at least one such member shall have a background in crime prevention or youth violence. The speaker of the city council shall appoint three additional members, provided at least one such member shall have a background in crime prevention or youth violence.
e. At its first meeting, such commission shall select a chairperson from among its members by majority vote.
f. No member of the commission shall be removed except for cause and upon notice and hearing by the appropriate appointing official. Any vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
g. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation and shall meet no less than once a month during the period in which such commission is developing such three-year plans.
§3. This local law shall take effect immediately after its enactment into law.
KET
LS #3980
11/22/2013 4:33 PM