New York City Mayor Eric Adams swears in Jessica Tisch as the next commissioner of the New York City Police Department at One Police Plaza on Monday, November 25, 2024. -Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office By Mayor Eric Adams Community OpEd Queens Voice November 26, 2024   NEW YORK - From day one, we have put New Yorkers first, working to make this city safer, more affordable, and more livable.  Thanks to our strong fiscal management — including saving nearly $900 million in taxpayer dollars over just two fiscal years, last week, we were able to deliver the November 2024 Financial Plan Update that invests in public safety, the programs and benefits that New Yorkers rely on, and improves quality of life for our city’s 8.3 million residents. Because we made smart and tough budget decisions early on, we are able to continue investing in working-class New Yorkers and their families. And we are stepping up to fund critical programs that h...

New Video of Suspected Gunman The NYPD is searching for this man in connection with a shooting outside Queens Family Court. -Photo by NYPD By Dan Gesslein  Queens Voice  November 13, 2024  QUEENS - Cops are looking for a gunman who opened fire near Queens Family Court last week. One person was injured.  At around 3:30 pm on November 7, an 18-year-old male was standing in the vicinity of Archer Avenue and 153 Street in Jamaica. Cops said an unknown male pulled out a handgun and opened fire. One bullet struck the victim in the left shoulder. It is unknown at this time who was the intended target.  EMS transported the victim to Jamaica Hospital.  Investigators have found street surveillance video of the suspected gunman. He is described as a male with a dark complexion and short hair and is between the ages of 18 and 25. He was last seen wearing a gray windbreaker with a blue hood.  Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call ...

  The aims of the bills, which include curbing illegal evictions and keeping tenants safe during heatwaves, were broadly supported by those testifying — but implementation challenges lingered. This article originally appeared in The City. By  Rachel Kahn NEW YORK - The City Council took one step closer to expanding protections for tenants against illegal evictions and mandating that all tenant-occupied buildings have access to cooling during the summer. In a committee hearing, council members heard testimony on a slate of bills addressing the issues. Councilmember Lincoln Restler, who is the primary sponsor of the air conditioning bill, acknowledged that the bills were “bold” but maintained that they were necessary — especially because extreme temperatures are the “number one climate killer.” “It’s not wildfire, or hurricanes, or tornadoes,” he said. “It’s heat.” Though currently city landlords are required to provide heat in residential buildings during “heat season...

DOT Announces Completion of Boulevard Redesign   Queens Voice  November 12, 2024 NEW YORK  – New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced the completion of the sixth and final phase of the city’s transformative, Vision Zero redesign of Queens Boulevard, once known as the “Boulevard of Death.”  The project, which began in 2015, has already resulted in a dramatic decline in traffic deaths and injuries. The final section, between Skillman and Roosevelt Avenues, includes parking-protected curbside bike lanes to enhance cyclist safety; pedestrian islands to shorten crossing distances while encouraging slower, safer turns; and additional adjustments to traffic signal timing to allow more time for pedestrian crossings before lights turn green.    The redesign has brought safety enhancements along the entire length of Queens Boulevard, transforming this Vision Zero Priority Corridor into a multi-modal boulevard f...

  Many early voters said they hadn’t thought much about the Assembly race again pitting Democratic incumbent Stacey Pheffer Amato against Republican Tom Sullivan. This article originally appeared in The City. By  Haidee Chu QUEENS - Incumbent Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Queens) is once again facing off against Republican challenger Tom Sullivan after holding onto her seat by just 15 votes two years ago.  Many local early voters, though, said on Thursday they’ve paid little mind to what’s expected to be a tight rematch, instead letting the names at the top of the ticket carry the rest of their ballots. “I really, really haven’t paid attention to it, to be honest,” said 78-year-old Emilia, a 45-year Howard Beach resident who declined to provide her last name, of the Assembly race as she spoke to THE CITY after casting her ballot at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy in Howard Beach, Queens.  “It never even came up in conversation.”

By Mayor Eric Adams Op-Ed  Queens Voice  November 4, 2024  NEW YORK - Recently, I was with community leaders and senior officials in our administration on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, which is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in our city. It is where New Yorkers from all over the world come to live, work, raise their families, and strive for the American Dream.  However, Roosevelt Avenue — a major thoroughfare with the 7 train running above it — has become a site of crime, disorder, and exploitation as illegal brothels, illicit vendors, and unlicensed food carts have taken over and quality-of-life offenses have skyrocketed.   It was not my first-time visiting the neighborhood. In January, I was there as we shut down 12 illegal brothels. And year to date, the NYPD has made over 3,000 arrests and issued over 9,500 summonses in the area. But we know arrests and summonses alone won’t get the job done, and that we must bring together partners from across governm...