Latest news with #publicSafety
New York Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Candidates' Shift on Crime Turned the Mayor's Race Upside Down
With early voting having begun in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary, the race looks to be between Andrew Cuomo, the freshly de-disgraced former governor, and Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist state assemblyman who is running to dispense expensive new entitlements. But it didn't have to be that way. As part of a journalist collective called the New York Editorial Board, I met with every major candidate over the past six months, except Mr. Cuomo, who declined to join us. The candidates who are struggling to capture the attention that Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Mamdani have gotten all expressed thoughtful ideas about the possibilities and limits of city government. (You can read the transcripts of the interviews here.) So it's a shame that the two candidates who could have given Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Mamdani more of a challenge — Comptroller Brad Lander and his predecessor Scott Stringer — put themselves in a no man's land by turning left during Bill de Blasio's mayoralty and the 'defund the police' movement and then following voters' shift to the middle when crime rose. When Mr. Lander and Mr. Stringer undercut their credibility on a vital issue to voters, their other smart proposals, which I get into below, got lost in the campaign. And as has proved true in other municipal elections over the past few years, public safety remains a dominant issue for voters, along with affordability. Though homicides have fallen to pre-2020 record lows, felonies remain 31.2 percent above 2019's level. Voters remain nearly as concerned about safety as they were in 2021, when they overlooked warning signs about ethics and management to elect Eric Adams, a former police captain who ran on restoring order, as mayor. (The still-disgraced Mr. Adams has skipped the primary to run as an independent in the general election.) These days no candidate talks about 'defund the police.' That makes the moves by Mr. Lander and Mr. Stringer from the left to the center on policing seem even more clumsy. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CTV News
10 hours ago
- CTV News
Investigation underway into multiple collisions involving stolen car, city bus
Police vehicles at Calgary Police Service headquarters in Calgary on Thursday, April 9, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh) An investigation is underway into a multi-vehicle crash in northeast Calgary late Thursday afternoon involving a stolen vehicle. Police responded to Russett Road and Radford Road N.E., westbound 16 Avenue and Deerfoot Trail at 5 p.m. for reports of multiple collision scenes involving a stolen vehicle, civilian vehicles and a Calgary Transit bus. Police said, 'All offending parties are in custody and there is no threat to the public.' At 6:30 p.m., police issued an update saying all lanes of traffic are open. There were no injuries reported.
The Independent
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Chicago City Council takes radical step to fight against ‘teen takeovers'
A last-minute curfew designed to keep 'teen takeovers' at bay has been passed in Chicago , but it's expected to be vetoed by the city's mayor. The city council measure passed 27 to 22 on Wednesday, according to ABC7. Mayor Brandon Johnson called the ordinance a 'politicized knee-jerk reaction.' It's unclear if council members have the necessary numbers to override a veto. "Offering up police power, extended police power without any check or balance has not bode well for Black people and brown people in this country," said Johnson. If enacted, the measure would give Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling the ability to implement a last-minute curfew to disperse teenage gatherings across the city. Snelling would also need to consult with the Chicago deputy mayor of public safety before issuing a curfew. Police would be able to enforce the restriction for gatherings of 20 people or more starting 30 minutes after a curfew is issued. "I have a 17-year-old daughter that I have restricted, 'Do not go downtown.' She's not going downtown because it's safe. She can't go because it's unsafe," Alderwoman Monique Scott said, according to the outlet. Ahead of Wednesday's debate, demonstrators protested outside City Hall. Many young people said they were concerned the ordinance would unintentionally target them. Others said such a measure is unconstitutional and could result in the criminalization of teenagers and young children. "We say no to the snap curfew because again it defunds our youth, criminalizes our youth and destroys our narrative and perception of this city," said Commissioner for Public Safety and Accountability Abierre Minor. Brian Hopkins, Public Safety Committee chairman, told the outlet, the intent behind the ordinance was to keep everyone safe during the summer months. "The intent of this ordinance is to prevent teen trends. How long does it take to prevent a teen trend? However long it takes, the more opportunity we have to prevent it, the better off it is, and that's what the superintendent is going to do," he said. "This will be used in a constitutional and effective manner, and all the notice requirements that are in the ordinance will be adhered to... No one here thinks it's perfectly acceptable for large groups of teenagers, some as young as 12, to gather anywhere in the city, downtown or anywhere, and get out of control and to take guns out of their backpacks and to engage in violent behavior and mayhem and chaos." Local governments are dealing with similar issues in other parts of the country. Last month, officials in Charleston, South Carolina, entertained the idea of implementing a curfew to lower violent incidents downtown. This week in Washington, D.C., officials considered a 7 p.m. curfew for teenagers in certain parts of the city. Emergency legislation would need to pass the council to take effect.
CTV News
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
Collision closes Hwy. 69 on Thursday evening
A two-vehicle collision closed Highway 69 at Pointe Au Baril early Thursday evening. Ontario 511 said the roadway is closed between Highway 529 and Highway 522. All lanes are closed. West Parry Sound Ontario Provincial Police said the investigation is ongoing and police are asking the public to avoid the area and plan alternate routes. This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
BreakingNews.ie
17 hours ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Commissioner ‘met obligations' after TD criticises Carlow shooting response
The Garda Commissioner 'met his obligations' around whether he was required to inform the Justice Minister about an undercover operation, a spokesman said, after an opposition TD raised questions about a man who died while on bail as a result of the probe. Labour TD Alan Kelly told the Dáil on Thursday that he had informed Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan about details around the death of a man 'charged after an undercover Garda operation'. Advertisement Evan Fitzgerald, 22, from Kiltegan, Co Wicklow, died by suicide with a gun after discharging it at a shopping centre in Co Carlow earlier this month. He had been awaiting trial on weapons charges from the previous year, which Mr Kelly said related to an undercover Garda operation. Evan Fitzgerald. Photo: Family handout/An Garda Siochana. Commissioner Drew Harris is required by law to inform Mr O'Callaghan about 'significant developments' on a range of topics, including the protection of life and matters that may affect public confidence in An Garda Siochana. While not specifically confirming if the Commissioner had informed the minister about the matter, a spokesman said on Thursday that the Commissioner 'met his reporting obligations' on the matter. Advertisement Mr Kelly told the Dáil that Mr Harris had not briefed Mr O'Callaghan about the death of Mr Fitzgerald while on bail after being charged as a result of an undercover Garda operation. He said: 'On June 1, Evan Fitzgerald tragically and very publicly took his own life after getting bail on being charged after an undercover Garda operation. 'Why did the Garda Commissioner not brief the Minister for Justice on the details of this case and the facts that there was an undercover operation and that the guns were supplied by An Garda Siochana?' Mr Kelly said he had to ring Mr O'Callaghan about the circumstances of Mr Fitzgerald's arrest. Advertisement Alan Kelly TD. Photo: Niall Carson/PA. 'Is it appropriate and right that I, as a member of the opposition, had to ring the Minister for Justice about this and inform him about it? 'Is it correct that I had to tell him to go to the Garda Commissioner to ask him about the full details of this case?' He questioned whether the full details would have been known if he had not informed the Justice Minister about the matter. Mr Kelly said the Commissioner had a duty to inform the minister about 'any major issues' under section 41 of the Garda Siochana Act 2005. Advertisement Responding to the comments, Tánaiste Simon Harris said it was 'a complex case' and he was not privy to when the Garda Commissioner does or does not use the provision in the Act. 'That is a matter between the Commissioner and the minister, but I understand the Minister for Justice has sought further information from the Garda Commissioner on the case.' Mr Harris also said he supported comments made by Taoiseach Micheál Martin on the need for a review of bail laws. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA. Mr O'Callaghan previously said he had spoken to the Commissioner about various issues raised about how gardai operate, including the Carlow shooting incident. Advertisement On Tuesday, he said: 'I'm not the person who's there to supervise operationally what An Garda Siochana are doing. 'I ask the Commissioner questions that are of concern to me, he gives me answers in respect to them, that communication is confidential. 'I have no difficulty in telling you the issues I raised with him, obviously what he says back to me is a confidential process.' On Thursday, a spokesman for the Commissioner said An Garda Siochana does not comment on third party remarks. However, the spokesman noted that the legislation in question had actually been replaced by the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 at the time of Mr Fitzgerald's death. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. Photo: Garrett White/PA. That Act states that the Commissioner 'shall keep the Minister and the Secretary General of the Department of Justice fully informed' of matters relating to significant developments concerning preservation of peace and public order; the protection of life, property and security; significant developments that might adversely affect public confidence or performance of An Garda Siochana; matters relevant to accountability of the Government to the Oireachtas; and any other matters that the Commissioner believes should be brought to the Minister's attention'. The spokesman said: 'On this particular matter, the Commissioner has met his reporting obligations to the Minister under 36.1 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety 2024. 'An Garda Siochana does not comment on the detail of meetings between the Commissioner and the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.' The spokesman noted that two other individuals remain before the courts in relation to the offences Mr Fitzgerald was charged with. He added: 'In general, and without commenting on any specific case, An Garda Siochana uses a range of internationally recognised investigative techniques when tackling serious crimes such as drug dealing and procuring of firearms, either of which could then be used to cause significant harm to the public. Ireland 'Shocking' level of misinformation around Carlow s... Read More 'One of these is controlled deliveries. In controlled deliveries if any material is used it is safe or made safe by the law enforcement agency before being used, i.e. firearms are deactivated.' The spokesman said: 'Following allegations being published by a national newspaper in May, the Garda Commissioner referred these allegations to Fiosru for independent examination in line with the 'incidents of concern' provision in the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act, and relevant material was provided. 'As stated by the Commissioner, Fiosru has informed An Garda Siochana that it would not be taking any further action on the matter.'
