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Like 8 people like this. Sign Up to see what your friends like. Ortiz Champions $60 Million in Budget For Police Upgrades
Assemblymember Felix Ortiz Sunset Park Assembly member and Assistant Assembly Speaker Felix W. Ortiz announced, yesterday, that the new state budget includes $60 million for the purchase of bulletproof vests, bulletproof glass for patrol vehicles and police body cameras in high crime areas.
Ortiz championed the inclusion last December after two NYPD officers were brutally murdered execution style while sitting in a patrol vehicle. Their patrol vehicle was not equipped with bulletproof glass. These senseless deaths could have been avoided if police vehicles were protected by bulletproof glass in windshield and the front two side windows.
"This legislation and funding is a sensible solution to ensuring tragedies such as the deaths of NYPD officers Liu and Ramos do not happen again," said Ortiz, adding "as we entrust police officers with protecting our citizens and communities, we must provide them with all necessary protections in the line of duty. The retrofitting of police vehicles with bulletproof glass can save lives."
Bulletproof glass for the windshield and two front windows is estimated to cost $10,000 per police vehicle. Currently, the State Police have 3377 vehicles in their fleet, and the NYPD is estimated to have over 8,300 vehicles in their fleet. Squadron Supports Obama View On Conversion Therapy
Northern Brooklyn State Senator Daniel Squadron , yesterday, applauded President Obama's recent call for an end to "conversion" therapy for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth.
"It's encouraging that President Obama announced his support to ban 'conversion therapy,' underscoring its destructive impact in particular on transgender youth. As LGBT rights continue to expand across the country, it is all the more shocking that basic civil rights protections in housing, employment and public accommodations are still [...]
