A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing a commission to study and make recommendations regarding the root causes of violence in the city

Int. No. 808

By the Public Advocate (Mr. Williams)

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing a commission to study and make recommendations regarding the root causes of violence in the city

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 17-199.6 to read as follows:

§ 17-199.6 Community violence commission. a. Short title. This section shall be known as and may be cited as the “community violence prevention law”.

b. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Assault. The term “assault” means the offenses of:

1. Assault in the first and second degree as such offenses are defined in article 120 of the penal law;

2. Gang assault in the first and second degree as such offenses are defined in article 120 of the penal law;

3. Assault on a peace officer, police officer, fireman or emergency medical services professional as such offense is defined in article 120 of the penal law;

4. Assault on a judge as such offense is defined in article 120 of the penal law;

5. Aggravated assault upon a police officer or a peace officer as such offense is defined in article 120 of the penal law;

6. Aggravated assault upon a person less than 11 years old as such offense is defined in article 120 of the penal law; and

7. Strangulation in the first and second degree as such offenses are defined in article 121 of the penal law.

Commission. The term “commission” means the community violence commission created by this section.

Murder. The term “murder” means the offenses of aggravated manslaughter in the first and second degree, manslaughter in the first and second degree, aggravated murder, and murder in the first and second degree as such offenses are defined in article 125 of the penal law.

Rape. The term “rape” means the offenses of rape in the first, second and third degree as such offenses are defined in article 130 of the penal law.

Robbery. The term “robbery” means the offenses of robbery in the first, second and third degree as such offenses are defined in article 160 of the penal law.

c. Commission; creation, composition, election of chair, removal of members and compensation. 1. A commission is hereby established to study the root causes of violence in city neighborhoods with high rates of violent crime and to make recommendations on how the city may address such violence from a public health perspective. This commission shall be known as the community violence commission.

2. The commission shall consist of the following members:

(a) The commissioner of health and mental hygiene or a deputy commissioner designated by such commissioner;

(b) The commissioner of children’s services or a deputy commissioner designated by such commissioner;

(c) The commissioner of social services/human resources administration or a deputy commissioner designated by such commissioner;

(d) The commissioner of youth and community development or a deputy commissioner designated by such commissioner;

(e) The chancellor of the city school district or a deputy chancellor designated by such chancellor;

(f) The director of probation or a deputy director designated by such director;

(g) The president of the New York city economic development corporation or a vice president designated by such president;

(h) Five persons, one residing in each borough and selected by a majority vote of the council delegation for each borough;

(i) One person, appointed by the mayor, who has a background in crime prevention, youth violence, victim support services, mental health or assisting the formerly incarcerated; and

(j) Two persons, appointed by the speaker of the council, who have a background in crime prevention, youth violence, victim support services, mental health or assisting the formerly incarcerated.

3. At its first meeting, the commission shall select a chair from among its members by majority vote.

4. No member of the commission may be removed except for cause and upon notice and hearing by the appropriate appointing or designating official or delegation. Any vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

5. 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 the one-year plans required by this section.

d. Commission objectives. 1. No later than March 1, 2018, and by each March 1 thereafter, the commission shall identify the 10 neighborhoods with the highest total number of complaints for assault, murder, rape and robbery during the two preceding calendar years.

2. For each neighborhood identified pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subdivision, the commission shall develop a specific one-year plan recommending measures the city should take to address violent crime in such neighborhood from a public-health perspective and other relevant perspectives. Each such plan shall include, but need not be limited to, (i) recommendations for health and mental health programs, anti-violence programs, education programs, job development and readiness programs, poverty reduction programs, and other similar programs, and (ii) an assessment of the effectiveness of any relevant programs overseen by the center for economic opportunity. No such plan shall require the allocation or reallocation of police department resources.

3. No later than 90 days after identifying neighborhoods with high rates of violent crime for each annual cycle pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subdivision, the commission shall issue to the mayor and the council a report outlining each one-year plan developed pursuant to paragraph 2 of this subdivision, and the commissioner of health and mental hygiene shall make those one-year plans available on the department’s website.

4. No later than 90 days after the designated end date of each one-year plan, the commission shall issue to the mayor and the council a report that includes:

(a) An assessment of the extent to which each plan has been implemented; and

(b) The effect of each plan or parts thereof that have been implemented.

5. No later than January 31, 2019, and every January 31 thereafter, the commission shall issue to the mayor and the council a summary of its activities during the previous year. The commissioner of health and mental hygiene shall promptly make the commission’s annual summary available on the department’s website.

6. The commissioner of health and mental hygiene shall accept by e-mail and regular mail, and shall consider, public comments on the one-year plans and annual summaries created pursuant to this subdivision and shall promptly make all such comments publicly available on the department’s website.

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.

ket/wcj/DA

LS #0115/Int. 1012-2013/Int. 1040-2015

LS 421

12/20/2017