July 17, 2019
Mayor Bill de Blasio: Okay, I want to give all New Yorkers an update on the very dangerous situation coming up this weekend with the heat. I want all New Yorkers to be aware that this is an extraordinary situation and everyone must take precautions. We are going to talk about the things that the City government is doing but I also want people to hear loud and clear that everyone needs to be aware of the extent of this challenge and make the kind of adjustments to protect yourself and your family so that we can get through the next few days okay.
So, we are entering a heat emergency. It will be extremely hot – as I said, potentially dangerous weather this weekend. If the temperature as predicted could break 100 degrees on Saturday, that will make it the hottest day in New York City in the last seven years. I want everyone to particularly focus on Saturday which is going to be the worst day. All of these days we are going to take very, very seriously but Saturday in particular is the day to be very, very careful about. So let me now update everyone on the forecast as it is now and what the City is doing to prepare. I am going to emphasize and we’ve been through this with other weather emergencies, the forecast changes frequently, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst, sometimes the timing changes so there will be regular updates, sometimes you’ll get them from me, sometimes you will get them from our Emergency Management Commissioner, constantly check for updates so you will know what is going on and you can make the adjustments in your life as well.
First, I want to thank all the members of my administration, everyone has been working very hard over these last couple of days to get ready for this situation. The heat wave starts today and at this point is predicted to go all the way through Sunday. Again that could change, could be shorter, could be longer but right now the prediction is now through Sunday. And I will go day by day for you. Today, the high of – is predicted to be 91 degrees with a heat index of up to the mid 90’s through 4 pm today. There is also the possibility of heavy rain and thunderstorms today. There is a flash flood warning that will be in affect starting at 2 pm and will go through 5 am tomorrow Thursday. We will get a small break on Thursday in terms of temperature, the high is predicted to be 83 with a heat index of 85 through 4 pm Thursday. But then the heat returns and intensifies over the weekend starting on Friday. Again the hottest temperatures each day between 1 and 4 pm but we take the whole time very, very seriously. Friday predicted high of 92 with a heat index of 98. Saturday predicted high of up to 100 degrees with a heat index of 109. So again it’s going to feel like 109 which is obviously extreme heat. Sunday, high temperature predicted to be 98 degrees with a heat index of 103.
I’m going to go over some of the different things that people should do to be able to prepare yourselves for this situation. Again take this heat situation seriously, take precautions, particularly when it comes to folks with any kind of vulnerability, look out for anyone with any kind of disease or condition that might make them vulnerable. Look out for anyone who needs extra help in this crisis. First precaution is very straight forward, stay indoors to the maximum extent possible, stay out of the sun. If you don’t need to be outside for work or for travel, stay indoors, the more time you out in that extreme heat, the more time you are out in the sun, the more challenges you will face. Second, whenever possible use air conditioning to stay cool. We know and will talk about obviously that we assume people are going to be using a lot of air conditioning. We want to make sure we balance the need for people to stay cool with the amount of electricity that is being used in the city. We want to avoid an overload of our electrical system. I will say because it is a summer weekend, a lot of people will be out of the city, in this case that’s a good thing. But we still want people to be mindful of staying cool, but also trying to limit whatever electric consumption they can. So the way to do that is to set the thermostat to 78 degrees. So we are going to be doing that for all City buildings starting on Friday through Sunday where any City activities we are setting to 78 degrees. We are calling on private businesses to set to 78 degrees, homes as well. That is the best way to make sure health wise, you are safe but we reduce any amount of strain on the electrical system.
We are opening, or we have opened, I’m sorry. We have opened approximately 500 cooling centers all over the five boroughs to keep people cool. Amongst the locations are libraries, community centers, senior centers, and Parks Recreation facilities. So, all of those locations will have a temperature of 78 degrees or cooler. All of those locations will be someplace that someone can go to be safe and to keep themselves cool. The cooling centers have opened today and they will go through at least Sunday. The hours initially will be 8 am to 5 pm, we are looking to extend those hours. We will have an update on that, Saturday in particular is the day we are concerned about so we are going to be extending those hours, we will get the exact details. Anyone who needs a cooling center, so if you don’t have air conditioning available in your own home or with a friend, a neighbor, a family member and you need a cooling center, you can call 3-1-1, again 500 locations around the city. Call 3-1-1. You can online, nyc.gov/beattheheat and get those locations.
We know that a lot of times when it’s very hot New Yorkers seek relief by opening fire hydrants. There is a way to do that the right way which is to get a spray cap from your local fire house. Do that because you don’t want to do it the wrong which will make it harder for our firefighters to have the water supply they need God forbid there is a fire by that hydrant. So there is a way to do it, all you got to do is go to your local fire house, they will give you the right kind of cap.
As I said, check on your neighbors, especially seniors, check in on them. See what they need. We got to make sure in this situation that our seniors stay cool, that they hydrate. If they don’t have air conditioning and you can’t get them to air conditioning nearby, a cooling center is the right option. With our children, of course children will want to go outside, please take precaution, all parents, all guardians, take precautions. Make sure they don’t get overheated, keep them hydrated. We can say that good options are to go to our playgrounds where the sprinklers will be kept on until dark. And we are extending hours at our Olympic size and intermediate size pools on Friday through Sunday, up to 8 pm each day.
I want to stress and I am saying this as a parent myself, never leave your children in a car in this kind of condition, even if you leave windows open, it still may not be safe. So do not leave your children unattended in a car during this heatwave. I know there are many, many New Yorkers who care deeply about their pets as well – same reality, do not leave your pets in a situation where they may be endangered in a car, simply leave the window open some is not enough.
And for anyone who is feeling the effects of the heat, I want to emphasize and we have our Health Commissioner here, you will hear from her in a moment but heat stress can be fatal. If you have symptoms, that includes trouble breathing, rapid heartbeat or you feel dizzy or nauseated, call 9-1-1 immediately. Do not take chance on this, call 9-1-1 if you are feeling those symptoms, we want to get you help right away. And again anyone with chronic medical conditions, the heat’s going to put on additional stress. We want to make sure that if they need help, we get it immediately to them, if they need to be kept in a cooler place, we will get them to one of the cooling centers.
Any questions throughout this crisis people can call 3-1-1 or visit nyc.gov and we will constantly be updating that information. Just a few words in Spanish and then I would like you to hear from some of my colleagues.
[Mayor de Blasio speaks in Spanish]
With that I want to bring forward our Emergency Management Commissioner, she has been in discussions with us these last days on how to prepare and it’s already evident that her extraordinary experience all over this country dealing with a variety of crisis and challenges is giving us a lot of capacity. We are very, very happy to have her as part of the team. Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell.
Commissioner Deanne Criswell, Office of Emergency Management: Thank you Mayor. I want to emphasize again that heat is often an under estimated disaster and can be very deadly and it should be taken very seriously. It can be extremely dangerous. The temperatures that forecast as the Mayor stated for the weekend are very hot with a heat index well above 100 degrees as we get into Saturday. I want to remind everyone that is listening that these temperatures can be extremely harmful and deadly to vulnerable populations as well like older adults and people with medical conditions. The best way to beat the heat is to use an air conditioner and if you do not have an air conditioner, get to a cool place. As the Mayor stated, we have approximately 500 cooling centers open throughout the five boroughs to offer relief from the heat. And again to find your nearest cooling center you can call 3-1-1 or go to nyc.gov/beattheheat. These cooling centers will be updated continuously throughout the event and throughout the weekend.
We have also issued an advanced warning system message to communicate with health care providers and others who work with vulnerable populations and city agencies and their community partners continue to check in on their most vulnerable clients. We are also in communication with Con Ed and PSE&G to monitor the electrical system throughout the period of this extreme heat. New York City Emergency Management is also working closely with all of our city agency partners to keep New Yorkers safe during this time. We are hosting daily conference calls with our partners and our EOC will be open on Friday with some of our operational partners to monitor conditions and rapidly respond if necessary. We have also been in communication with elected officials, private sector partners, faith based organization as well as nonprofits to provide updates about the heat and we will continue to provide them updates throughout the weekend.
We also want to remind you to stay informed. Follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter or download the app on your smartphone to receive the latest updates on the heat conditions. A couple of things to reemphasize as far as your safety – avoid strenuous activity, especially during the sun’s peak hours between 11 am and 4 pm. If you must do strenuous activity or if you want to exercise or walk your pet, do it during the coolest part of the day which is usually in the morning between 4 am and 7 am. I took my dog Wilson out this morning earlier than normal because of the anticipated heat. And also continue to mindful of your furry friends. They can dehydrate quickly during this extreme heat so make sure that you are giving them plenty of fresh clean water. And again as the Mayor stated, never leave them inside a parked car on a hot day, even with the windows open, extreme temperatures inside these cars can be extremely dangerous to them.
And finally very important, I want to encourage everybody to check on your neighbors. Extreme heat affects people of all ages but some New Yorkers are more vulnerable than others and we want to make sure that we are taking care of our friends, our neighbors and our family, especially those that have chronic medical conditions. That’s all I have, thank you.
Mayor: And I want to bring up our Health Commissioner, Dr. Oxiris Barbot.
Commissioner Oxiris Barbot, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Thank you Mr. Mayor, thank you Commissioner Criswell. As the City’s doctor, I want to warn every New Yorker that hot and humid weather like what we are experiencing today and through the weekend can be deadly.
In New York City more than 80 percent of heat stroke deaths in recent years have involved people who were exposed to heat in their homes without air conditioning. The best way to prevent heat illness is to stay cool in an air conditioned place. If you have air conditioning and you haven’t used it until now, today is the day to turn it on. And we want to remind folks that setting it at 78 degrees will keep you cool, healthy, and will help keep your bills down as well. Also, it’s important to take things slow. Reduce, eliminate, or reschedule strenuous outdoor activities without air conditioning if you can.
If you normally exercise outdoors, as was just said, do it in the early morning or after the sun goes down. And it’s also a reminder not to over-exercise your pets as well. For those without air conditioning, frequent tepid baths, showers instead of cold showers are what we recommend. And additionally we want to remind New Yorkers of the signs and symptoms of heat-related illness.
Heat stroke occurs when the body’s temperature rises quickly and can rapidly lead to death. Call 9-1-1 if you or someone you know is displaying the following signs and symptoms – so, you can have either hot, dry skin or cold, clammy skin; confusion, disorientation, nausea, and vomiting; troubling breathing, rapid heartbeat, weakness or dizziness. All of these are signs that you need to get medical attention ASAP.
I also want to close by stressing these very important points. The safest place for infants, seniors, and people with chronic illnesses including mental health conditions is a place with air conditioning. If you have family or neighbors who are older or have health difficulties, check in on them and make sure that they’re staying cool. Avoid strenuous outdoor activities, drink plenty of water, hydrate with water not with alcoholic beverages, not with caffeinated beverages – but with water. And as was said, you can’t say it often enough, really, checking in on neighbors. That’s all I have, Mr. Mayor.
Mayor: Thank you very much, Commissioner. Now, our Social Services Commissioner, Steve Banks.
Commissioner Steven Banks, Department of Social Services: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Just very briefly I wanted to highlight a number of the actions that we’re taking to address some of our most vulnerable residents both through our Department of Social Services and our Department of Homeless Services. In terms of our Department of Social Services clients, we’re reaching out to them making sure that they are in good, safe circumstances. With respect to people that are on the streets, I want to emphasize again that we have plenty of capacity in our shelters. We have available beds for anyone. If you see a New Yorker in need, call 3-1-1 and either one of our outreach teams or NYPD Homeless Outreach teams will come out and address the person’s needs.
During the weekend and in these heat conditions we have – we’re doubling our outreach teams in terms of focusing on the individuals we know to be the streets. As you know we have a [inaudible] name list and the individuals that are on the streets are known to our outreach workers and they will be working double staffing to bring people in, to offer them beds that we’ve got in our system. We have, again I want to emphasize, a bed for anyone who wants to come in. And this is a period of time where if you’ve got a friend or someone you know, please try to convince them to come in or call 3-1-1 and we will send someone out to convince them to come in.
Mayor: Thank you very much, Commissioner. We’re going to take questions on the heat situation and then we’ll take other questions thereafter – first, on the heat situation. Melissa?
Question: Mr. Mayor, we’ve been reporting on community centers in New York City Housing Authority that are without A/C. Can you explain to us why so many of the Housing Authority’s community centers – one in three – are still without air conditioning in the middle of July?
Mayor: So, let me first give you the state of play and then I’ll speak to the underlying problem and I appreciate your reporting very much. So – 149 cooling centers in the Housing Authority. I want to remind everyone, overall, we have over 500 City cooling centers. The Housing Authority centers for this event will be able to get their temperatures to 78 degrees or lower to allow people to be safe. So, everyone should know you can go to any of the 149 centers to get that cooling.
Now, to your underlying question – why were they not all put to their full air conditioning? I’m not happy about that either. I think it’s a mistake. I want to get a report back from NYCHA about why it happened, how quickly they can fix it. This is something that was talked about days ago, should have been fixed already. But at least I can say that for the central need we have right now which is to make sure that folks can be kept safe, those centers can keep people safe.
Question: Are you saying – just to be clear, are you saying that the 49 that don’t have air conditioning now will have some sort of air conditioning –
Mayor: Yes.
Question: Before it gets dangerous?
Mayor: Correct. And they can keep – the central question for us is can you get it to 78 degrees or lower to make sure people are safe? I’ve been told, and I believe, is yes.
Question: I have one other question and then [inaudible] –
Mayor: Please.
Question: The City sent out a bulletin last night with a link to its website and on the official list of New York City cooling centers, where people might even try to go today or tomorrow, some of those centers that don’t have A/C are on that list.
Mayor: Again, the obligation of the Housing Authority – and I made it very clear to them – is to get those centers to 78 degrees or lower by any means necessary so people will be safe.
Question: [Inaudible] budget there were 12 NYCHA senior centers that were [inaudible] Brooklyn. Are there any additional measures that are being taken to make sure that people that live in or around those areas have access to a place to cool down?
Mayor: Yeah, in those cases – and I know there were specific actions taken on each one that were different but let me just give you the broad answer. One thing that we know is the Housing Authority has lots of ways of communicating to the people who live in the Housing Authority. We’re obviously communicating with all sorts of other means as well. In every case there was a nearby senior center. So senior centers obviously also are cooling centers meaning just the regular neighborhood senior center. Those are also cooling centers. In each of those instances there was as senior center very nearby. If any additional transportation or anything is needed, we’ll provide it.
Question: [Inaudible] an acceptable length that someone would have to go to get to a senior center in your view?
Mayor: I’ll ask our Aging Commissioner because we actually have science about that – how close senior centers are supposed to be to people. Lorraine – Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, come on up.
Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, Department for the Aging: Thank you. When we designed the plan we were looking at centers that were no more than seven blocks away from a particular senior center. And if that seven blocks became an issue for any person who was a participant of that program, we would provide transportation.
Question: [Inaudible] during this heatwave, will have some place to go.
Mayor: Yeah, you speak about the NYCHA thing or [inaudible] –
Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez: I was talking to him about the NYCHA [inaudible] that he was referring to.
Mayor: So, between you and the Health Commissioner – anyone who’s got the standard [inaudible] –
Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez: There are 224 senior centers open for this particular crisis and they are open beyond their regular hours of operation and we are working to ensure that we have coverage over the weekend. And that’s what we’re working on right now.
Question: Will there be extended hours at the City’s beaches?
Mayor: Where’s Mitch?
Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, Department of Parks and Recreation: The extended hours will just be for the pools and we’re also extending the hours for our over 600 spray showers throughout the city. For beaches, they will continue to close at 6:00 pm. They get millions and millions of visitors. We have to make sure we can get to clean them and service them so that they’ll be clean for the following day. So, it’s just for pools and for spray showers.
Question: Why not – I mean beaches in the city are generally cleaned – I mean, I know a lot trash pickup is the next morning. Why wouldn’t – I know in years past and at state beaches, they usually extend the hours. Why not in 110 degrees?
Mayor: Fair question.
Commissioner Silver: We have not done in the past. It’s something we can look into in the future. We have mobilized all of our lifeguards and all the staff at our pools to prepare for extended hours to 8:00 pm. It’s something we can look into in the future, but in terms of our operations to make sure we’re prepared for the next day, we’re going to continue to close those at 6:00 pm.
Mayor: So, I’ll – let me jump in [inaudible]. I think it’s a very valid question and given the extraordinary nature of things, we should reconsider that in this situation. So, hearing the Commissioner’s fair point that it may mean we don’t get to the servicing we normally do and understanding we would only do if we had the lifeguard coverage. Because remember, the last thing we want to do is solve one problem and create a new one. But I can just say very simply, Commissioner, let’s look into it right now – what it would take to get that additional coverage and extend some hours. I think New Yorkers would accept less clean beaches to have the relief of the water in this situation. Go head.
Question: [Inaudible]
Mayor: Sorry.
Question: I mean, they’re usually not clean [inaudible] –
Mayor: Well, they do their best. Go ahead.
Question: Mr. Mayor, you talked a lot about the cooling centers. Last year, WNYC went out to try and find some of those cooling centers. There was supposed to be signage that OEM had put up so that people who don’t have access to internet can also find where these locations are, and the signage was not there in a lot of places. What have you done to ensure that people who can’t go online to find a cooling center can know that a site – those signs are up this time?
Mayor: I am – will be straightforward, I don’t know someone here can [inaudible] with the specific signage issue. But I think the central question is to promote the notion to all New Yorkers – and we need your help to do it – we know what these places are – libraries, community centers, senior centers. We want people to know that they are there. Anyone who doesn’t use internet can call 3-1-1. So, I agree with you, we really should make sure the signage is clear. And if someone has a nice, clear answer – otherwise we’ll get it back to you in the course of the next few hours. But I want to not make it seem to people that they’re hard to find. If you can go online, you’re going to get an absolute up to the minute list. If you don’t go online, call 3-1-1, and you can ask for your neighborhood and get the exact location. Yes, Greg?
Question: Where are you going to be this weekend?
Mayor: Here.
Question: So, you decided to stay here because of this?
Mayor: Yeah, of course.
Question: Okay, so tell me how you feel about the potential for something that happens unexpectedly [inaudible] –
Mayor: Greg, it’s – we’ve been over this and I’ll go over it again. When we know something is coming, I’m going to judge it and act accordingly. If we don’t know something is coming, then the question is to respond to it effectively and make sure things are being handled and act accordingly. So, it all depends on what we know. Here we have a clear indication that something is coming. Who has not gone – yeah?
Question: Following up on that – did you have some sort of a campaign activity or is there anything planned that you decided not to do because of this?
Mayor: Yeah, of course. Yes.
Question: What were you going to do?
Mayor: I would have been out in one of the early states. But this is obviously a major situation and it’s predicted to go through Sunday so I’ll be right here. Yes, Gloria?
Question: Mr. Mayor, any concerns about – I know the blackout last weekend was determined not have anything to do with usage. But is there any concern related to that since temperatures are going to get a lot higher, and have you had any conversations with Con Ed to ensure that they are prepared for that?
Mayor: Yes and I will say – look, I’m talking to Con Ed. We’re all talking to Con Ed. Emergency Management is talking to them all the time. I spoke to the president of Con Ed last night. I’m getting a lot of assurances but I’m also very upset with what happened on Saturday, not just because it happened but because we’re still getting mixed messages about why it happened. You know, originally we were told it would take a long time to get an answer and then suddenly they had an answer the next day. But they still have not been able to say exactly they would avoid that scenario again.
Yeah, it’s the first blackout in 13 years. Yes, they resolved in five hours. Those are good things but I don’t know exactly how they would handle that situation again because they’re not giving me a straight answer. What I think is different about the usage question – one thing that is factually true is on the weekend, and the worst day is going to be Saturday, a lot of people in July are out of the city. In this case, that’s helpful to us. We still have to take the usage very seriously which is why, again, I’m ordering all City buildings to go to 78 degrees and we’ll continually remind people to only use the energy they need.
So, I want to believe that since Con Ed has a lot of capacity, and they obviously prepare for this kind of scenario, that they will handle it properly. But I still have not gotten the answers I want about what happened last Saturday.
Question: And there have been some power outages in Staten Island over the last two days that I know you have been monitoring. Has there – have they determined if that is tied to usage or something else? And is that a sign of what’s to come?
Mayor: The Staten Island – the last outage got resolved pretty quickly. I don’t know if Deanne has an update on underlying cause and how – what it might tell us. There is an outage now in Coney Island which they are predicting gets resolved by when? 2:00 pm.
Commissioner Criswell: [Inaudible]
Mayor: I have not heard how these things might inter-relate. Do you have a thought on that or do we need to get back?
Commissioner Criswell: [Inaudible]
Mayor: Okay, so let’s come back to you on that with –
Question: [Inaudible] Coney Island right now, that outage [inaudible] –
Mayor: Far as we know.
Commissioner Criswell: Staten Island has been restored completely [inaudible] –
Mayor: Come on over so people can hear you.
Commissioner Criswell: Staten Island was caused by a feeder, from what we’re being told. Everybody has returned to full power on the grid. Coney Island is just happening. We are sending responders there as well to work with Con Ed. And they expect an estimated time of repair of 2:00 pm.
Mayor: And what’s the number [inaudible] –
Question: [Inaudible] Coney Island –
Commissioner Criswell: The number is 1,700 customers in Coney Island.
Question: [Inaudible] caveats, do you have faith in Con Ed’s ability to keep the lights on?
Mayor: I am in a jaded place about Con Ed right now. I want to have faith – and again, it’s a very good thing that most of the time things work. But right now, the performance on Saturday – they did a good job getting the power back but it is not comforting that we don’t have a clearer answer about what happened and what they’re doing about it. It’s just not. I do believe they have a lot of redundancy in their system. I do believe they don’t want to see a blackout but I’m not happy with the lack of answers.
Question: Do you think Con Ed has been moving quickly enough to replace all the aging electric equipment in the city over the last several years?
Mayor: Again, I don’t want to pretend to know all the details of what they’ve done. If you look at the big picture, I see some good things in the fact that we have not had major disruptions. But I don’t have enough of a vantage point to know if there’s more that they could have done with what they have.
Question: [Inaudible] answer about why the 13,000-kilowatt cable failed on Saturday –
Mayor: No, that’s exactly my frustration. I’m not getting a clear enough answer.
Question: Something like what happened this past Saturday happens again, does the City have a contingency – let’s say it happens, I know this is hypothetical, but happens during the middle of the day in 100-degree heat. What does the City do? How does it mobilize [inaudible] are different but –
Mayor: Right, I will start and Commissioner Criswell can certainly speak from her experience about the kinds of things you would do. But look, there are a number of facilities that have back-up generators obviously starting without health care facilities. So, the ability to get people with real need to some place, you know, we have that capacity. But anything that would happen in the middle of the day would put a huge, huge strain on this city unquestionably. Our first responders who did a brilliant job on Saturday night, of course, they would be there for everyone.
We have more first responders than anywhere. So, we would go and we would help people and we would try and get them to the cool places we have. But it is – it’s a situation that should make everyone, in my view, a little worried that those kinds of scenarios we don’t have a perfect solution for. And that’s where I want Con Ed to reassure people by helping us know how they’re going to avoid it in the future. And I’m disappointed that they haven’t given us a clearer answer. Yes?
Question: I was out last week at one of the apartment buildings that was raided by ICE –
Mayor: Wait, can we stay on this. We’ll go to ICE in a moment.
Question: [Inaudible]
Mayor: Oh, it’s a heatwave, okay. Yeah?
Question: The City has done really good with messaging not to open the doors in these kinds of situations but now that we’re expecting more and more of these summer emergencies, how will the City prepare for advising and helping those who may or may not be undocumented?
Mayor: I wouldn’t accept the notion that we’re expecting more and more of these summer emergencies. I just don’t agree. This is an exceedingly unusual situation we’re facing right here. The last time we had hundred-degree temperatures was 2012. So this is literally the first time as long as I have been Mayor that we’ve hit – that we will hit 100 degrees. So, I just don’t accept that this is going to be a typical thing. This is a – I want people to not make the mistake of thinking this is typical. They should actually treat it for what it is – an exceptional event and get ready for it accordingly. But there are two very different realities. The first thing we got to do is make sure people are safe here and now.
We’ll talk about the ICE raids in a moment. They’re been sporadic. I don’t see anything huge happening here. I’m much more concerned right now about the health of people in the middle of a heat emergency. Who has not gone? Anyone who has not gone? Okay, Melissa?
Question: Mr. Mayor, speaking of frustration and getting answers, I just want to come back to the community centers –
Mayor: Please.
Question: Some of the seniors who go these centers to keep cool in the summer and some of the kids of parents who are supposed to be [inaudible] in these programs are frustrated. They feel like this isn’t the first time. They say it’s happened three summers in a row. So, they also – some of them have raised the question of whether you are focused on this, are you a little checked out, what’s going on –
Mayor: I’m focused all the time on making NYCHA better. And Melissa, you’ve seen – I have to give historical perspective. You’ve seen my predecessor mayors who ran away from NYCHA. I have put massive amounts of time into trying to turn around NYCHA and put huge resources in. And we’re – you saw in the heat situation in the winter. A huge change last winter compared to the one before. We have to fix these centers but the first litmus test will be can we get all 149 to get to the temperature of 78 degrees or below, which is where people are safe – that’s the order I've given. I've been assured it will happen, but I share their frustration. I mean, it's July, you know? This 149 centers is a finite number. And actually, they did it right with a hundred, so why not do it right with the other 49? I agree. They should be frustrated.
Question: So, what have you been told about why those 49 don’t –
Mayor: I don't have a good answer. I want a good answer. I will say we are trying to change a lot of things quickly at NYCHA. It's a huge operation that's been underfunded for decades, so not everything is going to get fixed immediately. I understand that. We, I think, as we now will have a long-term leadership team or they'll be able to do more faster, and Lord knows we're putting the resources in. But this is just – this kind of thing drives me crazy. It's so obvious. It's not hard to do. It should have been fixed.
Anything else related? Yes, please?
Question: I have the health question, real quick. You something about tepid water [inaudible] –
Mayor: Let’s get the Health Commissioner to –
Question: What’s the science and reasoning behind that?
Commissioner Barbot: Taking cold showers is more of a shock to the system than taking frequent tepid showers. It just gives the body more time to acclimate to the temperature differences. The real benefit to taking frequent showers is to really just sort of dissipate the heat and it can be done as effectively with tepid water, with less risk.
Question: And speaking of what you should be drinking and should not be drinking – water’s the only thing? I mean, like iced tea – honestly, like, people drink a lot of iced tea. What are the things you should be drinking?
Mayor: A specific question –
[Laughter]
Question: I drink iced tea, that’s why I’m asking.
[Laughter]
Commissioner Barbot: Water is always the best. There's certainly other drinks such as iced tea, such as juices. The point here is not to drink caffeinated beverages because what they end up doing is making you lose more liquid than you retain. And also not drinking alcoholic beverages because, again, they dilate your cardiovascular system and they cause you to lose more fluid than you retain. So, water is always the safest – sports drinks, iced tea, nothing wrong with that.
Question: What concerns do you have regarding – and this might also be a Health Department question as well, but for the Mayor as well – what concerns do you have about public transportation in this heat? One, a lot of people end up being on these platforms in subways that have no ventilation. And if the trains are not running efficiently, they can't quickly get onto a hopefully air conditioned car [inaudible]. Is there any advice you would give to people who might be in a situation where there's not a lot of ventilation, especially like a subway station?
Commissioner Barbot: So, the most important thing is to be prepared for the situation at hand. Carry water with you, dress in light clothing of light colors that can give you freedom to move, and to take frequent breaks in the shade. I think that there may be situations where it's challenging to avoid the heat, so, for example, on subway platforms. But if you're prepared and carrying water, dressing in appropriate clothing, I think that's the best way to remain safe.
Mayor: So, to the other part of the question – look, again, I want to be careful we’ve got to inform people and we’ve got to prepare people, but we also should not assume things that we don't know yet. I don't assume that the MTA is going to be dealing with any different reality than normal. You know, to say the least, I don't run the MTA. But, right now, what we understand is we should have a consistent electricity supply, therefore the MTA would be running on whatever weekend schedule it runs on. To your question though, I worry a lot about people on the subway platforms because even if it's running on the normal weekend schedule it is a lot of time between trains. I think people need to do everything that Dr. Barbot said, but also be really mindful that if you don't need to go somewhere, don't go somewhere. It's kind of like we say in blizzards – this is now the equivalent, the heat equivalent of a blizzard if we're going up above a hundred degrees. Don’t go out if you don't need to go out. It’s not business as usual. So, if you're going to – normally you would go down the subway and you wouldn't think of standing there for 15 minutes or 20 minutes. It's going to feel really bad down there in this situation. If you don't have to go, don't go.
Anything else on heat? Please –
Question: This heat event isn't going to be localized to New York City –
Mayor: No.
Question: So, have you had conversations with the Governor's office and trying to coordinate some of these issues that will impact the grid and, you know, other state-wide issues that you may need to be aware of?
Mayor: We always coordinate with the State in any situation like this, it’s an ongoing effort and our teams are talking all the time. Right now, from what I am seeing and hearing, this is much more about making sure we take care of individuals and get them to what they need and that people are just smart about energy usage. We're not hearing at this point a particular challenge to the grid if we handle things normally, again, because, ironically, it is a summer weekend when so many people are out of the City. The demand and the city should go down very, very substantially. But we, out of an abundance of caution, are trying to make sure we are careful about the usage. So I’m much less concerned about that right now as I am of making sure that everyone who needs help is getting help immediately, because this stuff – you heard from Dr. Barbot, these symptoms, they can come on you really quick and we just need to make sure if anyone thinks they need to be in a cool place, we’ve got to get them to a cool place. If they're feeling those symptoms, we’ve got to get a first responder to them right away. That, to me, is the most important thing.
Yes?
Question: Stupid question – you said –
Mayor: There are no stupid questions.
Question: That is wrong.
[Laughter]
Question: You said that City buildings would have their thermostats cranked up to 78 degrees as a way to try to cut down on power usage through the heatwave. Does the City have the authority to order office buildings, many of which will be empty over the weekend, to do the same?
Mayor: I will always be careful since my lawyers are not present about exactly whether we can order or whether it's encouraged or what rules we can use. We'll come back to you. It's a great question. I don't think it's stupid at all. We will come back with the answer. I do think that generally the private sector cooperates in these situations – they understand it's serious, they take it seriously. But I think it's a very good question and, Commissioner, you will work with me and our Law Department to confirm if there's any particular tool we need to use. Okay. And, again, to your question, this is uncharted territory for me because this is the first time we've had this level of heat in my administration. So, it's a good question that we will answer.
Question: A specific question – Dr. Barbot, iced tea –
Mayor: I was going to – I was going to call that one too.
Question: – is a caffeinated beverage.
Mayor: Did you mean decaf iced tea?
[Laughter]
Question: [Inaudible] clarify that? Just for the people.
Commissioner Barbot: So, the most important thing is not to drink caffeinated beverages. And so, if one chooses to use iced tea as their preferred beverage for hydration, yes, it should be un-caffeinated or decaffeinated. The other thing I want to just sort of note is, in terms of the health risks, since this event will extend for a number of days, it's especially important to check on neighbors every day to make sure that they're keeping up with their hydration to make sure that where they're living remains cool so that if conditions change then they can be moved to a safer place. So, we want to make sure that folks understand that these are issues that – especially for health consequences, the more days go on with heat, the greater the risks in terms of potential adverse effects.
Mayor: Yes?
Question: Mr. Mayor, I understand there’s a triathlon scheduled for Sunday?
Mayor: Yes.
Question: Anything –
Mayor: I’ll start and then Commissioner Criswell will weigh in. I respect the rights and freedoms of all Americans – I don't quite understand why the triathlon organizers want to continue with their triathlon at this point. We had a situation like this, I think it was last year – not this level of heat, obviously, but it did, I believe, overlap, and I would think this is an exceptional situation. But I know we're in dialogue with them right now.
Question: Where are those conversations?
Commissioner Criswell: Well, as a triathlete myself, and wanting to do that triathlon – I’m glad didn't sign up this year – we have been in communication with the City's event department, talking to the event organizers themselves. They are looking at the options to perhaps shorten the run. They will make a decision possibly the day before, but maybe not until the day-of. But we are going to continue to consult with them, provide our guidance and advice as to what we think the potential safety issues might be for the participants.
Question: Are there any additional resources that the City is going to have to provide if they do decide to go on with this to sort of mitigate the – you know, whether it's OEM or first responders –
Commissioner Criswell: What I will say is that, again, our EOC is going to be activated with multiple city agencies in it – our Emergency Operations Center. Our Emergency Operation Center is going to be activated with multiple City agencies so we can respond quickly as needed. We are working with the Fire Department and EMS to ensure that they have adequate resources to support anything that might happen as a result of any of the events that are going on this weekend.
Mayor: Okay. Last call – anyone else on the heat situation?
Yes, sir.
Question: Do you think you would be a going out of town this weekend if there had not been a blackout the previous weekend?
Mayor: Again, it's really clear –
Question: [Inaudible] staying because –
Mayor: Let me try and give you super easy ground rules that were true, you know, eight weeks ago before I was running for president and they will be true always. When we know something is coming and when it's a weather situation, we are given advanced notice that something is imminent. Any Mayor in their right mind sticks around to make sure things are okay. Some Mayors have not done that – that’s a mistake. Now, when you have no indication whatsoever that something is going to happen, and it happens, then the question is immediately making sure the team is where they need to be, the right actions are being taken to monitor the situation, come back as quickly as possible and deal with it. So, it's just an absolute consistent reality. I have before traveled to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, I’ve traveled to Albany, I've traveled to Washington, I've been on family vacations. This is not a new reality. When you know there's a problem, you have to address it.
Yes?
Question: Did you cancel? [Inaudible]
Mayor: It was going to be a variety of events in early states. I don't have the chapter and verse. You can talk to the campaign.
Question: [Inaudible]
Mayor: Specific things – Iowa was going to be one of the locations.
Question: South Carolina?
Mayor: Again, that's all I got for you.
Go ahead.
Question: This is just one other follow-up on the triathlon – I mean, can the City just revoke their permit? Could the City tell you the organizers you can't have this event?
Mayor: Again, I am not a lawyer. I find that a very tempting equation. I think the Commissioner has an immediate conflict interest, she is a triathlete, but – I don’t know, or if any of my colleagues – I don't know though the legal dynamic of canceling an event. I think it's a great question. Again, we have not had a heat emergency like this that has begged that question in the last five-and-a-half years. So, unless you happen to know a few weeks on the job, the answer, we will come back in the course of the day. It's a very good question.
Yes – there are no stupid questions.
Question: Circle back to Greg’s question – can you talk a little bit about how the decision-making into whether or not you go or doesn't go changes based upon how hard it is to get back?
Mayor: It’s the same –
Question: [Inaudible] train every hour.
Mayor: Yeah, but you know what? If you think something's happening, you don't go to D.C. I would disagree with that assumption. It's very straight forward. If there's something coming up, you have to get ready for it. If there's no expectation of a problem, you go about your life.
Okay. Last call on – okay, other topics, other topics? Yes?
Question: Mayor, you’ve been very careful the last five years talking about the due process that Daniel Pantaleo is entitled to and all the rules and regulations with the Police Department. But what do you tell the family now that we've waited this long – five years, and they say it's just simply too long. What do you tell them?
Mayor: Well, of course, they're right. And – first of all, every American is entitled to due process. So, that’s something I'll say anywhere, anytime to anyone who's critical – right, left, anywhere. Everyone has a right to due process and every single one of us would want that right to due process. But the mistake here was believing that the Justice Department was going to do its job, and they didn’t – and that's unfathomable to me, Dave. It's been five years. There were many points along the way where it seemed like the Justice Department was poised to make a decision up or down – just a decision – and they consistently told the NYPD not to proceed until recently with the administrative action. That's why I've announced a new policy that – unfortunately, I’m sad to say it, we have no faith in the Justice Department anymore. I don't want to ever see another one of these incidents happen in New York City to begin with, and I really believe from my heart that's the central thing we need to work on – is that there never be another tragedy. But, God forbid, there is, we will start the departmental proceedings immediately. We’re not –
Question: [Inaudible] the Justice Department. Why can’t – why can't you move forward now that we have a final –
Mayor: Again, the trial is almost complete and the answer will come in August. We've been definitive about that.
Gloria?
Question: I know you spoke to the question this morning on the radio about why you can't legally fire Officer Pantaleo, but I guess my question to you today is – now that we know what the Department of Justice has decided, I want to ask you specifically if you have any regrets over how you handled this whole situation. This will undoubtedly become a part of your legacy as Mayor of the City. Is there anything you wish you would've done differently?
Mayor: I regret that I trusted United States Department of Justice, I really do. And, Gloria, I said it this morning, but I want to say it for everyone here. I grew up watching the Department of Justice act as the protector of civil rights and civil liberties, and taking on racist policies and taking on State governments and local governments that were treating people unfairly. And I always believed, no matter how strange the politics were in our country, that the Justice Department would keep to that standard. I have never seen anything like this in my life. They failed to act in any way for five years. And what I regret was believing that the old rules still applied. They don't. So, you know, we were told not to proceed with the Departmental trial, and there's a reason under normal circumstances, and all of our lawyers affirmed it – that, in fact, it could undermine a case brought in court for other charges. And those would obviously be potentially much more serious charge, as opposed to just status and employment. And that logic made sense, but it doesn't make sense anymore, seeing the way they've handled this and that we have no guarantees in the future. I have urged that there be a federal law or executive order that will mandate that they must make a decision within a year. I think that's a fair timeline that will give everyone a much greater ability to have faith in the system. But this is a staggering situation. It’s horrible for the Garner family, it’s horrible for faith in the justice system. Of course, if I had known, I would have said, well, you're telling us not to, but we have to because we can't have any faith in you.
Question: [Inaudible] from the day of – the day that Eric Garner died – from how you responded, everything that followed after. Besides not having a placed your trust in the Department of Justice, anything you wish you would have done at the City level and at the Departmental level, which you do have control over, as opposed to the Department of Justice, which you have no –
Mayor: I believe in my heart that our job is to stop these tragedies from happening, I really believe that. And this morning on the radio was a very honest and meaningful exchange. And I believe that my job upon seeing that happen was to make sure it never happened again, to change the way we police in New York City; to change the way we train our police; to change how we make sure there's transparency, like body cameras; to change how people see each other through neighborhood policing, through implicit bias training – and all those things have happened. And I think policing is very different today in New York City. And I hear that from community members – obviously, ending stop and frisk. There's so many things that are different and people tell me it's different – they’re experiencing something different. That was the thing I knew we could do. I had no – in a million years – could not have believed that the Justice Department would act the way it did. It literally was inconceivable. So, I will say I take responsibility for not assuming the Justice Department would not do their job. If I had thought that was possible, then I would have said, let's go ahead, regardless of what they say.
Marcia?
Question: Mayor, I wonder if you, as a person, think that Eric Garner should – I mean, I’m sorry – if you think that Daniel Pantaleo should be fired. Secondly, will you ask the Police Commissioner to fire him?
Mayor: Marcia –
Question: And third, how will you keep the peace in this city with 11 demonstrations being planned because people are upset about the decision?
Mayor: Again this is a city that respects everyone’s right to speak. We’ve always done that. And the NYPD does an extraordinary job and works with protestors very consistently and you know, there is no place in this country that does a better job of protecting people’s democratic rights while also keeping peace and keeping order. So we will absolutely do that. I’m not going to venture personal opinions. This is part of what – I tried to be very honest on the radio this morning. When you are the steward of the entire city, this is not about personal opinions, this is not about, you know, letting any situation take away what are supposed to be our path to justice. There is supposed to be due process, there’s supposed to be due process. It’s something we need to honor in this country. The problem here is that due process did not happen on the federal level. It was an injustice of the highest order. Here in New York, the trial is almost done. There will be a decision next month. That will be the end of the process. So I’m not issuing an opinion because I respect that this process has to playout.
Question: [Inaudible] the President of the United States who wants to lead the nation, that you should have an opinion in something that has roiled this country and this city for five years?
Mayor: I feel very strongly as someone who wants to be president that what leaders do is look at our legal system, look at what matters for making our institutions work for people, and not because of political gain or because of personal opinion, do the kinds of things that undermine our justice system and our ability to be a fairer society. I want this system to work. I want it to be fair. And being a leader takes a lot of restraint and being a leader takes a lot of patience, and I’ve learned that certainly on this job many, many times. But I also believe in my heart, Marcia, I understand why everyone feels such pain over a lost life, a human being, and a family in pain, but I also think leaders have to prove that we can change things. I believe in my heart that we are in a very different city today then we were five years ago. And the amount of systemic change in policing has been constant and intense and is deep-seeded now. And I believe we have taken the kinds of steps to avoid such a tragedy. That’s what a leader has to do.
Question: [Inaudible] share your [inaudible]?
Mayor: Of course, they are in such pain, I understand that.
Question: They don’t take comfort in your words.
Mayor: I am not surprised given what they have been through. I wouldn’t, if I were them, take comfort in anybody’s words. They will only see a result and they will judge the result.
Question: What do you say to them?
Mayor: I say to them that we are devoted to having a fair process. Please.
Question: I have one on this issue and then I have one on another issue if I can. I understand that the State law says that the Police Commissioner makes the decision but a lot of people are saying okay, but the Police Commissioner reports to you, you are his boss, you tell him what to do. One, can’t you tell him what outcome you want to see in this case?
Mayor: Again, I’ve asked the lawyers to be very clear so that everyone follows the law which is our obligation. The law is clear. There has to be due process. That due process leads to a judge making a recommendation to the Police Commissioner. The Police Commissioner makes a decision. But I think it’s also – it’s very understandable, people asking the questions and again I respect the intelligence of all New Yorkers so I am going to speak to them as intelligent people – judge when this is over. It will be over in August. Then everyone can issue their judgements. You had a second question?
Question: Your campaign accepted a contribution from the president of Triangle Equities, Lester Petracca, whose company does business with the City and choose to keep it despite the fact that he personally was put on the Doing Businesses database two days after the contribution. Can you explain why you are accepting that contribution?
Mayor: First of all, the federal law which governs here makes no distinction about whether someone is doing business or not. We added that restriction ourselves. But people go on and off the Doing Business all the time. If you – I’ve worked with it for many years. It is an ever-changing list. We held a high standard, we held a clear standard. At the day the contribution is made, if you are not on Doing Business, you are not. That’s how we treat it, we accept the donation. If you are, we don’t accept the donations, it’s a simple as that. That’s the standard we are holding. Yes.
Question: Two questions, Mr. Mayor. The City did not move forward with the administrative trial until 2018, so, you know, after two years, three years, why did you not come to the conclusion that you are reaching now, that the Justice department wasn’t going to act, why did this take five years?
Mayor: Because – I’ve said it before, but I am happy to say it to you. The Justice Department specifically requested, and remember this was in the previous administration, let’s get our timelines right – two-and-a-half years basically under one administration, two-and-a-half years under another administration – very, very different administrations. The Justice Department specifically, consistently said, do not proceed with the departmental trial because if we choose to bring charges that will undermine our case because a whole bunch of information will have been aired publically in a way that they found counterproductive. That is the United States Department of Justice, not under this administration. When the new administration came in we were all trying to understand, would the Department of Justice continue to operate in a way consistent with the past which it had by the way, under Democratic and Republican administrations, the Justice Department to some extent continued to be consistent regardless of who was president of the United States. We did not know how much things would change. They continued to say, do not proceed with department trial. Finally there was a conversation between our lawyers and the Justice Department where they said now we are going to remove that restriction and that’s when we proceeding.
Question: [Inaudible] criticizing President Trump since before he was elected –
Mayor: Absolutely.
Question: You held a press conference the day after he was elected talking about New Yorkers who were in jeopardy because of his policies. So back in 2016 why did you not see that the Justice Department may not behave in the way –
Mayor: Well the first question was, it wasn’t 2016, because the new administration didn’t come in until January 2017. And we did not know – this is a very pertinent point, we did not know up until literally the final hour if the previous administration would act. When the new administration came in, just as I said to you again, I am going to say it to you very clearly, you have the benefit of hindsight in July of 2019. I am going to argue strenuously to you, the first years – the first months in the first year of the Trump administration, in particular, people did not know how the Justice Department would act, in fact you’ll remember, Sally Yates and other people, there was a big question about whether the department was maintain its independence and we were not presuming. They had asked not to proceed. If we had proceeded then it would have been fair, you would have had every right to say, didn’t you just take an action that would have undermined their potential action? It’s all horrible. It’s all unfair. It’s all painful. If we had a crystal ball and we knew they weren’t going to act what you are saying would make all the sense in the world. But now that we know what we know we have just changed the policy outright. Because until we see a day when we can believe in the Justice Department again, we are not waiting on them.
Question: Mr. Mayor, at a press conference yesterday to announce the expansion of Citi Bike, the DOT Commissioner, Polly Trottenberg, had said that the expansion, which is only partial to the city, would take four more years because she only has a team of 12 people to do outreach to communities. Now as you know, all forms of public transportation are subsidized by the public except for Citi Bike, including your own ferry system, which is great but is used by fewer people than the Citi Bike system. So why not invest City money into Citi Bike so that Polly Trottenberg can expand the system faster and, in fact, to the entire city which would require some public money?
Mayor: It’s a great question. To date, one, we’ve had a situation where we weren’t required to invest City money and our goal is to not invest City money whenever we don’t have to. You know that in this last budget process we put a PEG program in place. We are stopping some of the things that we have done in the past because we are increasingly concerned about the budget. So if we have something that’s been a great success and does not require City money, honestly, it’s not my impulse to say now let’s start putting City money in. I would consider it as we approach the next budget if we think compared to other options it makes sense. I would say to you there was no way in my opinion to start us on a system of a true citywide waterborne transit system without the City taking the lead. And I believe – understanding there’s concerns and critiques – I believe when you come back in 10 years or whatever time in the future, people will say actually that was a smart thing because it became a much greater part of our transit system, especially when we cross register it with the MTA, which we will, I have confidence. So the answer is fair question, something we will look at, but I stand very comfortably by the notion that certainly up to now, not subsidizing it has still allowed us to get the result we needed and there’s other things that needed a lot of help.
Question: One follow-up though –
Mayor: Please.
Question: Because the City does charge Citi Bike for the parking spaces that the docks take up. So that means that Citi Bike is actually subsidizing the public as [inaudible] the other way around. Why not just wave that fee so we can have these docks set up quicker?
Mayor: Again, what we’ve seen to date is a system that has steadily expanded and has worked with an approach that has not cost the tax payer money, and that’s ideal. You’re asking a fair question, is it time to reconsider? I’ll certainly look it, and I’ll look at it as well look into the next budget for sure. But I do want to emphasize part of the appeal of going this deep into Citi Bike was it did not expose the City financially. Yes, in red.
Question: Two years ago, it’s another DOT question. The DOT established what they called priority districts. These sort of areas in Eastern Queens, in Brooklyn where there were high cyclist fatalities, low amounts of cycling infrastructure. You established 10 of them, but in eight injuries have gone up in the time that they’ve established. So what’s your plan to make sure that doesn’t [inaudible] start going down?
Mayor: Well, we have a lot more coming. Obviously in the immediate term the DOT is going to come out with the next plan to address this immediate emergency we’ve had with the horrible deaths of the cyclists. And that’s going to be in the next days. On the bigger front, Vision Zero is going to continually expand. The speed cameras, huge piece of the equation, which you know remember up until just a few months ago, we could not have dreamed of having 700 schools with speed cameras. That’s going to make a big, big difference. More and more street changes coming, more and more bike lanes coming. There’s a host of things. And I’m going to keep raising the enforcement levels as needed. And part of – and this is a good thing against the tough backdrop and real challenges. Every day the NYPD continues to drive down other forms of crime. It is freeing up NYPD resources to address the needs of pedestrians and cyclists and I am confident we’ll have those resources.
Question: What would you say on the Citi Bike issue that a lot of the concerns that people had when this first was started to be ruled out to not sort come to fruition. Given that a lot of elected officials in outer boroughs are sort of asking for this or asking for Citi Bike – why go through this lengthy public review process? It is ultimately what’s taking so long, right?
Mayor: Yeah, so it’s a fair question. One, I would caution that there is obviously a huge debate everywhere we go on these issues. So, I would say, and I don’t think this is unfair characterization. A lot of folks in the media have very fairly asked questions rightfully trying to address the issues and with a certain sympathy for the cyclist community. I hear lots of times from elected officials and from community leaders who are worried about what they see as problems with bike lanes, we’re trying to balance all these things. In the end, there’s been of time, many at community board that said don’t put it in, and I overrode. So I’ve got no problem taking that heat. But there are valid discussions that we try to have with people before implementing. Can we speed that up? I think that’s a fair question, and I would like to speed it up, so that’s something we’ll work on.
Question: [Inaudible] if I may. Can Chief Harrison discuss how the illegal sale of tobacco is policed in this city in the aftermath of Garner? And then I have another question.
Mayor: Sure.
Chief of Patrol Services Rodney Harrison, NYPD: Good morning. So, one of the things that we take a look at is we’re getting community complaints regarding anything. If we get a large amount of complaints regarding untaxed cigarettes, tobacco sales, or anything else like that. There are people that are being plagued by this; we have to address it as public safety. So depending on the 3-1-1 complaints that we’re getting or at the Build a Block meetings that we’re having with the Neighborhood Coordination Officers is how we determine, how we prioritize enforcing complaints that are coming into our department.
Question: [Inaudible] since the Garner situation?
Chief Harrison: Not at all, not at all.
Question: And the second question –
Mayor: Wait, wait, and wait. I want to, I want to – you’re asking an important question, but there is another piece to it that has to be addressed. That same police force in the last five years has been retrained multiple times in de-escalation which clearly would have changed this dynamic, that horrible painful day – and implicit bias. So, I think you’re asking – I don’t want you to be too lawyerly if you will. The narrow question is do we still address quality of life conditions? Yes. Do we address them the same way we used too? No.
This is a department that uses arrest a lot less than it used, also very pertinent to what’s different between 2014 and now. In 2018, 150,000 fewer arrests than 2013 and we got safer. So, please, and I know you’re consciousness but report the whole picture. Yes, we do quality of life enforcement, we do a lot fewer arrests, we do a lot more de-escalation, we have officers who have been helped and surprised, and trained to think about the situation differently, and think it’s a different reality.
Question: The second question – I think I see Commissioner Bitta behind. Can she discuss or can you discuss the situation with ICE? I know there was some activity in Midwood, and Sunset Park yesterday.
Mayor: Yeah, and I will start, and then turn to the Commissioner just so everyone gets the basics. And again, it’s a very painful reality for everyone out there. There is a lot of fear. We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers right now who are feeling tremendous fear and one of the things the Commissioner has often talked to me about is you can have a family where one member is an American citizen, the other member is a permeant resident, the other member is undocumented. So this is just 500,000 undocumented folks, its all of their family members, there’s a huge number of people in fear. And we have an administration in Washington that makes these bold announcements and then backs off of them and you never know what reality is. So here is after everything we were told was going to happen. Saturday through today there have been eight specific situations that we have documented where ICE agents attempted to arrest someone, none of them successful. Four on Saturday, three on Tuesday, one today, four of them in Sunset Park, one in Harlem, one in Midwood, one in Far Rockaway, one in Bay Ridge that was the one today. We were told there would be this massive blitz. And so far again, eight situations strung out over five days. So, Commissioner, take it from there.
Commissioner Bitta Mostofi, Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs: Thank you. I would add that of course we’re speaking to reports that have come to us that we found credible; eyewitnesses, photos, other evidence. We know that there are lots of activity, of people expressing concern. We’re making sure we have teams in those communities to share out the Know Your Rights information, connect people to legal resources, 3-1-1 as a 24 hour operation and [inaudible] calls after hours. So it’s really important. Of course, the full scope of this we might not know immediately. But as the Mayor noted, it is important that we’re just staying vigilant. We’re not increasing fears, we’re making sure we’re being responsive to the needs of the communities as we see them and we’re sharing reliable reports with you all as we get them. Just responding briefly to your point earlier, of all the resources that have been described here, the agencies are making available, I think it’s important to remind New Yorkers, that regardless of immigration statues, you can access those resources. City agencies are not going to ask you your immigration status if you come into a cooling center or need support if you’re calling 3-1-1. So that’s really important.
Question: Commissioner, can you just elaborate on exactly what happened today and yesterday at those locations?
Commissioner Mostofi: Sure, I will be brief, and then maybe we can offline speak in more detail. We received information this morning, actually a staff person from the administration witnessed an encounter in Bay Ridge with the door being knocked and somebody see an ICE and DHS official seek gain somebody in that location who was no longer there, and no arrest was undertaken at that time – and have since deployed staff to that area to be responsive and share that information with that building particularly. Yesterday – and I believe some of this has already been reported – there were three instances, one in Far Rockaway that we received from multiple sources, community partners, as well as video from the tenants in that location of a similar attempt that was not successful. Midwood – a location was knocked on, nobody answered. The bakery across the street, the owner witnessed it and spoke to it. Also we received photos of that location. And then also Sunset Park – a super received a knock, did not answer the door. And we’ve spoken with him and his wife.
Mayor: Any other ICE questions before we [inaudible] –
Question: You went through the incidents. You said four in Sunset Park, one in Far Rockaway, one in Midwood –
Commissioner Mostofi: And one in Harlem. And one in Bay Ridge this morning, thank you.
Mayor: Any other ICE related questions [inaudible] –
Question: For you, Mr. Mayor, these ICE raids were something that the City administration had anticipated happening this weekend and yet you did still choose to go on your campaign trip. So, why did you choose to leave town –
Mayor: Yep, because –
Question: – last weekend, when you knew that was coming?
Mayor: No, I spoke to it because – two reasons, one, and this one has been played out. I did not believe the Trump administration. A few weeks ago, they said they were going to deport 11 million Americans and they said they were going to start raids immediately and they didn’t do anything. Then they said they were going to do 2,000 people this weekend and you’ve got eight unsuccessful attempts over five days. I don’t believe a word they say. Remember they said caravans were coming to your town to take over your town from Guatemala. I mean, come on, this is a charade. It’s a political game and what he’s doing is trying to gin people up. They’re not actually doing this work. They’re trying to get people ginned up. It is a political act by Donald Trump. So, one, I didn’t believe it.
Two, I was convinced that the apparatus was in place to address it and that Commissioner Mostofi and her team were going to be ready to handle the situation with all our other City agencies. If I saw something actually happening on a larger scale, that would have been the reason to come back.
But this, unlike a weather event where we actually have – I have some faith in the National Weather Service even though we’ve been surprised too often. I still believe what they tell us is basically on target. I do not have such faith in the Trump administration.
Question: On a separate topic – during the protest yesterday in response to the Justice Department’s decision, there were a lot of folks who had very harsh words for you, not just the Garner family. A lot of elected officials – Jumaane Williams, the Public Advocate, said that you couldn’t run for president, you couldn’t secure the Democratic nomination with the way this has been handled. Several people have said that what has happened in New York City demonstrates that black lives don’t matter here. So, I’m wondering how do you handle that criticism, how do you respond to that and what do you say specifically to black voters when you are on the campaign trail about what’s happened here?
Mayor: I have a very long deep relationship with the community. I’ve been talking to people for five-and-a-half years in communities all over the city and what I hear consistently is a recognition that a lot is changing in our neighborhoods, that the way we are policing is very different, that there’s a lot more respect being shown to the community. I, after we ended the broken use of stop-and-frisk I have had many young men of color come up and say their lives are different. I’ve had parents come up and say their children’s’ lives are different. All over I have had people tell me that the way police work with them is different. I’ve had police officers say their experience with the community is different and better as well.
So, I’m not going to listen to a bunch of politicians. They all have their own agendas. I am very – very much at peace that we have changed this city and changed the way we police. And that is what everyone should be judged by. Did we change the things we could change? Have we done the things to avoid there being a tragedy in the future and I think the answer is yes. There’s still so much more to go and it doesn’t reduce the pain of the Garner family but a lot has changed and a lot more will. Yes?
Question: The U.S. Attorney said yesterday that Daniel Pantaleo’s trial presented them – gave them an opportunity to gather more evidence that might have put them in a position to bring charges. Did the Department of Justice ever indicate to your administration that the disciplinary proceedings could actually be helpful to their investigation?
Mayor: Never heard that at all. This is a conversation that was had frequently over the years. It was always the literal opposite until a few months ago when we got a clear message that they no longer cared if we went ahead with the departmental proceedings. We confirmed it again and then we proceeded.
Question: How can the City and how can the Garner family take solace in a process that not only took five years but involved the charges against Daniel Pantaleo never being publicly laid out and a hearing where the transcript is never made publicly available? How can the City find comfort in that process?
Mayor: We need to make a lot of changes and the part of this that is about what the D.A. in Staten Island did, that’s one piece of this. What the Department of Justice didn’t do is the central act in this drama, in my view, because it screwed up everything else. But in terms of the disciplinary process, the issues governed by the 50-a law in Albany point out that there’s a problem with that law and I have consistently tried to get a change in that law and one day it will be changed. But right now it has not been changed.
Unknown: Last two.
Mayor: Yes?
Question: Mr. Mayor, I wonder if you have reached out to the Garner family since the decision yesterday to explain to them your reasoning behind not immediately firing Daniel Pantaleo and so that they could understand your commitment to due process.
Mayor: Yes, I have spoken over the years with members of the Garner family repeatedly. I reached out to their representative today to explain to the state-of-play and that’s being passed on to them.
Question: [Inaudible]
Mayor: Yes, Reverend Sharpton.
Question: And what was that – I mean, what did you say to him? Did he understand –
Mayor: Of course. You’ll – you can ask him, you know, his analysis of it. But I believe he understood fully. I said this will be resolved in August. The trial is coming to a close. The judge’s recommendation will go to the Commissioner. By law the Commissioner decides. It will be resolved in August.
Question: Did you ask him to pull back on the demonstrations –
Mayor: No.
Question: Did you say to him that nothing would be –
Mayor: I explained the facts. I – yeah?
Question: Have you done anything today to mark the five-year anniversary of Eric Garner’s death –
Mayor: Again, I’ve –
Question: Do you plan to go to the rally at 4:00 pm?
Mayor: I’m not going to a rally. I spoke to it at great lengths today and I’m sure that word will get around.
Question: [Inaudible]
Mayor: Again, I’ve spoken to it. Go ahead –
Question: Just one more question on the fundraising numbers that came in. You have the fewest number of small donors in the entire field. I guess the question being how are – what are you going to do to make sure that you grow that donor base which you will need in order to continue this process? And also, a lot of them include New Yorkers with real estate and other business interests in the city. I know you’ve spoke to it before but how are you going to grow that pool and what are you going to do to make sure that you are raising small-number donations by [inaudible] –
Mayor: Yeah, so the very simple answer – seven or eight weeks ago when I got into the race, three central goals to put together the resources to get started which we did, to put together a staff both centrally and in key states which we’re doing now, and to have a strong debate performance to introduce myself to the American people. And I feel that I was able to do that. Now, you’re absolutely right, the crucial piece of the equation is to build out that grassroots apparatus in the course of July and August. Very aggressive plan in place to do it, and I’m confident that we’ll be able to do it.
Got to go, everyone. Thank you very much.
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