Rikers Island is a 413-acre (167.14-hectare) prison island in the East River in the Bronx that contains New York City's largest jail.
Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito were former New York City Police Department (NYPD) detectives who committed various illegal activities on behalf of the Five Families of the American Mafia,principally the Lucchese and Gambino crime families. The two subsequently became known as the "Mafia Cops".
Adam Clayton "A.C." Powell IV is an American politician from the state of New York. He was a member of the New York State Assembly from 2001 to 2010. From 1992 to 1997,he served as New York City Council Member representing East Harlem and parts of the Upper West Side and the South Bronx. Beginning in 2001,Powell represented the 68th Assembly District,which includes parts of Harlem and East Harlem. He was defeated by Charles Rangel in the 2010 Democratic Primary for the seat of the 15th Congressional District.
Inez E. Dickens is the Assemblymember for the 70th district of the New York State Assembly. She is a Democrat. The district includes portions of El Barrio,Hamilton Heights,Harlem,and Morningside Heights in Manhattan. She formerly served on the New York City Council from 2006 to 2016,representing the 9th district.
Crime rates in New York City have been recorded since at least the 1800s. The highest crime totals were recorded in the late 1980s and early 1990s as the crack epidemic surged,and then declined continuously from around 1990 throughout the 2000s. As of 2023,New York City has significantly lower rates of gun violence than many other large cities. Its 2022 homicide rate of 6.0 per 100,000 residents compares favorably to the rate in the United States as a whole and to rates in much more violent cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans.
The New York City Department of Correction (NYCDOC) is the branch of the municipal government of New York City responsible for the custody,control,and care of New York City's imprisoned population,housing the majority of them on Rikers Island. It employs 7,060 uniformed officers and 1,727 civilian staff,has 543 vehicles,and processes over 100,000 new inmates every year,retaining a population of inmates of around 6,000. Its nickname is New York's Boldest. Its regulations are compiled in title 39 of the New York City Rules.
Frederick W. Thiele Jr. is an American politician who serves in the New York State Assembly from the 1st district since 2013 and the 2nd district from 1995 to 2012,as a member of multiple political parties. Thiele was originally elected as a member of the Republican Party,but switched to the Independence Party of New York in 2009. He joined the Democratic Party after the Independence Party lost its ballot position.
The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is a civil rights organization in the United States. Founded in November 1951 as the New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union,it is a not-for-profit,nonpartisan organization with nearly 50,000 members across New York State.
Carl Edward Heastie is an American politician from New York. Heastie has served in the New York State Assembly since January 2001,and was elected Speaker of the New York State Assembly on February 3,2015.
Eric Leroy Adams is an American politician and former police officer. Since 2022,he has been serving as the 110th mayor of New York City.
Throughout the history of the New York City Police Department,numerous instances of corruption,misconduct,and other allegations of such,have occurred. Over 12,000 cases have resulted in lawsuit settlements totaling over $400 million during a five-year period ending in 2014. In 2019,misconduct lawsuits cost the taxpayer $68,688,423,a 76 percent increase over the previous year,including about $10 million paid out to two exonerated individuals who had been falsely convicted and imprisoned.
Bradford S. Lander is an American politician,urban planner,and community organizer who currently serves as the New York City Comptroller. A member of the Democratic Party,Lander is a progressive politician,and has been described as "one of the most left-leaning politicians in the city."
Raymond Márquez,a.k.a. "Spanish Raymond",is an American criminal. He was the "king" of the illegal numbers racket in Harlem from the 1950s until his retirement in 2001.
Jesse Hamilton is an American lawyer and politician in New York City. A member of the Democratic Party,he represented the New York State Senate's 20th District,including parts of the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Crown Heights,Brownsville and East Flatbush from 2015 to 2018. Hamilton is a former member of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC),a group of Democratic senators who allied themselves with Senate Republicans. Hamilton is the Secretary of the Brooklyn Democratic Party,the official organization of the Democratic Party for Brooklyn. He was defeated in the September 2018 Democratic primary election by lawyer Zellnor Myrie.
Brian A. Benjamin is an American politician and businessman who was the lieutenant governor of New York from September 2021 until his resignation on April 12,2022. A member of the Democratic Party,he previously represented the 30th district in the New York State Senate from 2017 to 2021.
Alfred E. Taylor is an American politician serving as a member of the New York State Assembly for the 71st district. A Democrat,Taylor's district includes portions of Hamilton Heights,Harlem,Washington Heights,and Inwood.
The 2022 New York gubernatorial election took place on November 8,2022,to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of New York. Kathy Hochul ascended to the governorship in August 2021,upon Andrew Cuomo's resignation following allegations of sexual harassment. She sought a full term as governor. She appointed Brian Benjamin to the position of lieutenant governor and planned to run alongside him until he too resigned in April 2022. Congressman Antonio Delgado was appointed to replace Benjamin as lieutenant governor. Hochul defeated Jumaane Williams and Tom Suozzi in the Democratic primary for governor,while Delgado defeated Ana Maria Archila and Diana Reyna in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor.
George Floyd protests in New York City took place at several sites in each of the five New York City boroughs,starting on May 28,2020,in reaction to the murder of George Floyd. Most of the protests were peaceful,while some sites experienced protester and/or police violence,including several high-profile incidents of excessive force. Looting became a parallel issue,especially in Manhattan. As a result,and amid the COVID-19 pandemic,the city was placed under curfew from June 1–7,the first curfew in the city since 1943.
New York City has been the site of many Black Lives Matter protests in response to incidents of police brutality and racially motivated violence against black people. The Black Lives Matter movement began as a hashtag after the shooting death of African-American teen Trayvon Martin,and became nationally recognized for street demonstrations following the 2014 deaths of two African Americans,Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Garner was killed in the Staten Island borough of New York City,leading to protests,demonstrations,and work towards changes in policing and the law. Following the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota in 2020,the global response included extensive protests in New York City,and several subsequent changes to policy.
On March 25,2024,New York Police Department (NYPD) officer Jonathan Diller was shot while conducting a traffic stop in Far Rockaway,Queens. He was subsequently transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center,where he died due to his injuries.
