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VIDEO: Brooklyn Borough President Adams Declares his Support for Greenfield’s Private School Safety Bill


IMG-20150513-WA0253[VIDEO & PHOTOS BY HILLEL ENGEL IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams declared his support for Councilman David G. Greenfield’s bill Introduction 65, which would guarantee nonpublic schools a NYPD school safety agent at the school’s request. Borough President Adams, who worked as an NYPD Officer for 22 years, announced his support of Councilman Greenfield’s legislation alongside Community Board 12 Chair Yidel Perlstein, Community Board 12 District Manager Barry Spitzer, and other community leaders including Rabbi Heshie Dembitzer of Bobov. Adam’s endorsement comes on the heels of Public Advocate Letitia James’ support as well 46 of 51 New York City Council Members who have co-sponsored Greenfield’s legislation.

“The importance of today is that we have a borough wide official representing 2.6 million people, our Borough President, who has come out to stand with us in support of this legislation that will protect all of New York’s school children. That is something of incredible significance,” explained Councilman David Greenfield. “The bottom line is that our Mayor, Bill de Blasio, has proposed a budget that will spend $3.8 billion more than last year. The question is simple: do we value our children’s safety to spend a small amount of that money protecting our children.”

“I want to thank the Councilman for introducing this bill. We all have one thing in common and that is the protection of children throughout the entire City. We need to right a wrong and turn back the hands of time and ensure that we can return to ensuring all of our children are protected. This is the right thing to do for the children of New York. This bill is the right thing in the right time. We should really thank the Council Member for having a vision and listening to his constituents across the city that we must ensure proper protection for our children,” said Borough President Eric Adams in his enthusiastic endorsement of the school safety bill.

IMG-20150513-WA0246“The issue is of great importance to us,” said Rabbi Nachman Blasbalg of Bais Yaakov of Boro Park. “As an administrator of Beth Jacob of Boro Park, I have sleepless nights. Our buildings were originally built with the intent to get the children in and out as easy as possible and that turned out years later to haunt us from a security perspective. We need to look into everything we can do to secure these buildings. This is a great bill and we hope it is passed.”

“I would thank Councilman Greenfield for taking the lead, for getting this issue done. When he wants something, he gets it done. To the rest of the City Council, there isn’t much to say: when it comes to kids and safety, just get it done,” said Yidel Perlstein, Chairman of Community Board 12.

“I would like to thank David Greenfield and Eric Adams for starting this bill. As a parent and a member of St. Athanasius School, just like David every day we worry about the safety around children. We have over 350 students at St. A’s and over 800 students in our religious education department. It is imperative that this bill is passed just for the safety of our children. So we certainly appreciate it from the Catholic community,” said Anna Cali, Secretary of Community Board 12.

“This is such common sense legislation. We have 46 members of the Council who signed on and it boggles my mind that is not law yet and the funding for it is not in the budget. It’s high time that this should get done. I know Councilman Greenfield and he is very persistent so I am confident that he will not rest until all New York City children are safe,” said Barry Spitzer, District Manager of Community Board 12.

Greenfield’s legislation would require the NYPD to assign a school safety agent to any school, public or private, that requests one. Every public school in New York City currently has school safety agents. However, nonpublic school such as yeshivas do not. There is ample precedent for providing these services. NYC already provides free busing, crossing guards and nurses to any nonpublic school that wants these.


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(YWN Desk – NYC)

 

 



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