NYPD Commissioner Steps Down + Adams Endorses Dickens
No. 327 | Monday, June 19, 2023
The NYC Thorn is a weekly roundup of local political news compiled by members of NYC-DSA.
Local News
The New York Police Department Commissioner, Keechant Sewell, is unexpectedly leaving her role after less than a year and a half. While Sewell did not give a reason for her resignation, reporting has suggested that Mayor Eric Adams, who appointed her in 2022, was limiting her power and meddling in the department. Edward Caban, who is likely to replace Sewell in the interim, was accused of threatening a suspect in a 2006 stop-and-frisk.
The failure to pass housing legislation in Albany this session may stem from the overrepresentation of landlords in the legislature. (The City has a review of what was passed in Albany this year.)
Fernando Cabrera, a homophobic former Council Member from the Bronx, announced he will step down as Mayor Adams senior faith advisor after 18 months on the job.
The nonprofit that manages New York’s electrical grid announced that many of the state’s dirtiest power plants, which were slated to be shut down by 2025, will need to stay open past that deadline since the state has failed to add enough green alternatives.
Mayor Adams and the United Federation of Teachers reached a tentative agreement on raises and remote learning options.
NYCHA sent mailings to 290 residents notifying them that they were “over income” and would have to pay additional rent and utilities.
In response to a batch of City Council bills to address homelessness, Mayor Adams issued an executive order lifting a rule requiring residents to stay in shelters for 90 days before applying for rental assistance.
Office occupancy in New York City crossed 50% for the first time since the pandemic began, according to The City.
Elections
Mayor Adams endorsed Inez Dickens in the race to replace Kristin Richardson Jordan in City Council District 9 (Harlem), one of the few districts with a competitive primary this month.
Other competitive primaries include attempts to unseat Christopher Marte in Lower Manhattan and Darlene Mealy in Brownsville, whose critics are charging her with absenteeism.
Nearly 40% of those who were elected to seats on the city’s Community Education Councils this month were endorsed by PLACE, a controversial group founded to oppose desegregation efforts in City schools, and whose members have likened Critical Race Theory to Nazi ideology.
As the State Legislative session wound down, the Legislature passed a bill to adopt universal vote-by-mail, despite hurdles presented by the State’s constitution.
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