News
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The Bronx District Attorney’s office is visualizing a new way to approach petty crime activity, literally.
Partnering with the Bronx Chamber of Commerce and the borough’s business improvement districts, the DA’s office unveiled a security camera-sharing program titled the Bronx Community Assisted Mapping System at the end of 2018.
Called CAMS for short, it’s essentially an intranet of security camera locations provided by members of each of the borough’s BIDs, allowing the DA’s office exclusive access to crime-related digital footage.
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In February, Assia, 21, of Queens, was caught trying to steal a shirt from a store on Canal Street in Manhattan—a would-be birthday present for her best friend. By the time she realized she’d been made and tried to put the shirt back, the police had already arrived. She says they cuffed her and slammed her against a wall when she slipped one thin wrist out of the cuff. The encounter was frightening but when Assia was released from booking, the arresting officer gave her a pamphlet to let her know that she might be eligible for Project Reset, an early diversion program that provides individuals arrested on low-level, non-violent misdemeanors an alternative to appearing in court, and a way out of having a criminal record.
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It may soon get easier for low-level offenders in the Bronx to avoid unnecessary criminal records.
Bronx resident Tomas Ramos knows how unforgiving the criminal justice system can be, having been arrested several times and spent time in jail for fighting. Now he is devoted to helping others and promoting a program that helps arrestees avoid the system entirely.
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The Bronx, New York community is a vibrant melting pot of individuals from many cultures, nationalities, and ethnicities. Despite the county being as large as most major cities—the Bronx has a population of roughly 1.2 million people—it has historically been under-resourced and continues to be today, including in social services and education. When District Attorney Darcel Denise Clark (DA Clark) took office in January 2016, she outlined a new vision and plan to modernize the Office of the Bronx District Attorney (Bronx DA’s Office). More specifically, DA Clark worked to reshape the Bronx’s prosecution philosophy, tackle violent crime, and fill a void for individuals who are often overlooked and under-resourced.
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Based on a survey of 20 jurisdictions across the United States currently employing community advisory boards, this fact sheet provides guidance on establishing goals, a review of practical considerations, and examples of accomplishments from around the country.
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Carmen Facciolo, Policy Advisor for the Bureau of Justice Assistance, interviews the Honorable Barbara Rodriguez Mundell to get a judicial perspective on the impact and issues of BWCs on the court systems. Judge Mundell's extensive experiences help us explore the multiple legal issues surrounding BWCs. Judge Mundell was part of the BJA Expert Panel on Body Worn Cameras that helped form the BJA National Body-Worn Camera Toolkit.
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Carmen Facciolo, Policy Advisor for the Bureau of Justice Assistance, interviews International Union of Police Associations' Dennis Slocumb to get Union perspective on BWCs that includes policy and procedure recommendations. Dennis Slocumb was part of the BJA Expert Panel on Body Worn Cameras that helped form the BJA National Body-Worn Camera Toolkit.
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This session brings together a multi-disciplinary audience of criminal justice leaders to discuss initiatives which are creating more efficiency and effectiveness in our system of justice. This session discusses innovation and strategy. The speakers also discuss what it’s like to work for a progressive-minded DA with a vision, and how the infrastructure is not set up for the changes that they want to make.
Speakers:
Kerry Chicon
Chief, Strategic Enforcement & Intergovernmental Relations
The Office of the Bronx County District Attorney, Bronx, New York
Carmen Facciolo
Deputy Chief, Strategic Enforcement & Intergovernmental Relations
The Office of the Bronx County District Attorney, Bronx, New York