3.18.18 – City & State: “Armed school officers could turn the state Senate blue”

As reported by City & State on 3.18.18:

On March 5, three weeks after 17 people were killed in a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, New York state legislators had their standoff. State lawmakers introduced bills in response to the massacre, with Republicans emphasizing school safety measures and Democrats pushing for more gun control. Some of the bills may become law, and others won’t, as legislative leaders and the governor make deals over the coming weeks.

But among the bills, one rises above the others – at least politically – because the fate of the bill to put an armed police officer at the entrance of every New York City school may determine the balance of the state Senate.

“My bill is not about guns in general,” said state Sen. Simcha Felder, the sponsor of Senate Bill 6798A. “My bill is about having a trained, armed security guard or police officer at the entrance of every school. Our children are certainly no less valuable than cash in the Brinks truck.”

Felder pitched his bill as a commonsense action for school safety, and one that’s long overdue. All New York City public schools currently have a uniformed officer, but most are school safety agents, who are not armed. Felder introduced the legislation last session, long before the Parkland shooting reignited debates over school safety. And in fact, it’s been one of Felder’s main legislative concerns for years. Felder has been calling for funding for NYPD officers at private schools as far back as 2009, when he served in the New York City Council.

Felder is in a pivotal position as a registered Democrat who caucuses with the state Senate Republicans. Though the eight-member Independent Democratic Conference now forms a majority coalition with the Republicans and Felder, Democrats are hopeful that they can win over Felder and the IDC to form a liberal majority if Democrats can win the two open Senate seats in Westchester County and the Bronx in the April 24 special elections. The IDC has shown interest inrealigning with the mainline Democrats, which means Felder could be that last, essential piece of the puzzle. And Felder seems to be tying his decision to whether or not his armed school guards bill gets support.

“Somebody asked me on the record, ‘If the governor were to get this done, would I do what he wanted?’ I think I said I’d do acrobatics for him if he got it done,” Felder told City & State.

Read the rest of the story here.

— Posted on 3.25.18 by JVS, backdated to 3.18.18

2.22.18: NY Post: “De Blasio says armed city school officers would cost $1.2B”

As reported by The New York Post on 2.22.18:

Mayor de Blasio told state lawmakers it’s impractical to assign armed officers to patrol all of the city’s 1,400 school buildings because it would cost a staggering $1.2 billion.

“Adding an armed police officer in each school building would place an enormous fiscal burden on the City’s budget. Assuming that an armed officer were deployed in the same manner as school safety agents, in approximately 1,400 schools, the cost of this proposal is estimated to be $1.2 billion annually,” de Blasio said in a letter last June to state Sens. Simcha Felder of Brooklyn and Andrew Lanza of Staten Island.

The lawmakers are urging City Hall to put an armed officer in front of schools to prevent shooting massacres like the one that just occurred in Parkland, Fla.

A frustrated Felder decided to release the mayor’s correspondence after the Florida school massacre.

In their letter of rebuttal, the senators told the mayor, “What we fundamentally disagree on is the value of protecting our children. An armed New York City police officer at the entrance of public and non-public school buildings is the best and most efficient way to deter an attack, and, if need be, neutralize an armed attacker.

“Yet, you reject our recommendation not on the merits, but by hiding behind a price tag!,” Felder and Lanza continued.

Claiming that so much public money is “shamelessly wasted” in the city’s $85 billion budget, the senators said, “ How is it that when it comes to truly protecting the lives of our children, there isn’t an extra dollar to spend? This is unacceptable.”

Felder, following the Florida shooting, told The Post, “G-d forbid we have an incident tomorrow. Do we have to wait for kids in a public school to get killed to do something?”

Read the full story here in the Post.

— Posted on 2.23.18 by JVS, backdated to 2.22.18

2.22.18 – Queens Chronicle: “State Senate could see gun showdown”

As reported by the Queens Chronicle on 2.22.18 (emphasis added):

On Feb. 6, the New York State Senate’s Democratic Conference, as it has done in the past, released a package of legislation that it touted as being able to curb gun violence, with nine bills including measures dealing with weapons themselves, mental health issues and extended waiting periods for firearms purchases…

But legislation similar to that proposed on Feb. 6 routinely is passed in the Democratic-controlled State Assembly, only to fail, or not even come up for a vote, in the Republican-led state Senate.

The last major changes to state gun laws occurred in 2013 when the Legislature and Gov. Cuomo passed the SAFE Act, which dealt with assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and mental health considerations, among others in the wake of the Sandy Hook elementary school shootings in Connecticut the month before.

State Sen. Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria), author of a pending bill to create a 10-day waiting period to allow for background checks before purchasing a gun, wondered this week if such bipartisanship can manifest itself this year…

The Chronicle contacted the office of every state senator from Queens and a handful of Assembly members, all Democrats. All who responded said they favor some sort of new gun control legislation, including an exasperated Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr…

The key to passage, however, appears to be held by Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan (R-Suffolk). While Democrats have a numeric majority in the chamber, Democrat Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) caucuses with the GOP, and the eight-member Independent Democratic Conference — including Sens. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) and Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) — have a power-sharing agreement with the GOP.

Read the full story here in the Chronicle.

— Posted on 2.23.18 by JVS, backdated to 2.22.18

2.21.18 – Patch covers NYSD 17 gun safety letter to Sen. Felder

As reported by Patch on 2.21.18:

KENSINGTON, BROOKLYN — A Brooklyn politician began promoting his bill to station armed police officers outside city schools one day after the mass shooting in Florida and his constituents are demanding to know why.

Central Brooklyn residents penned a letter Wednesday asking State Senator Simcha Felder to provide evidence that his bill, which would assign armed police officers to all New York City schools, would deter school shootings.

“My instincts tell me that more guns are not the answer to stopping mass shootings,” said Brooklyn mom Jessica Byrne. “I would like to be convinced that Sen. Felder’s legislation is the best way to make my children safer at school.”…
But Byrne and the grassroots organization NYSD 17 for Progress argued the one-page bill provides no evidence to support Felder’s notion that cops wielding guns would make students safer.

“Is there a particular reason you believe armed police officers in schools would protect students from threats?” Residents asked. “Is there is any data informing your belief in your legislation?”…

Felder’s office did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Read the full story here on Patch.

— Posted on 2.21.18 by JVS

RELEASE: NYSD 17 for Progress Calls on Sen. Simcha Felder to Explain Support for Armed School Guards, Back Expanded Limits on Assault Weapons

RELEASE: NYSD 17 for Progress Calls on Sen. Simcha Felder to Explain Support for Armed School Guards, Back Expanded Limits on Assault Weapons

BROOKLYN, NY – On Wednesday, New York Senate District 17 for Progress (NYSD 17 for Progress) asked Sen. Simcha Felder to share any evidence he has suggesting armed guards reduce gun violence in schools, The group also asked him to discuss relevant social service legislation and new gun safety bills for New York State, and to publicly support expanded limits on assault weapons elsewhere in the nation.

After last week’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Sen. Felder released a statement advocating for the passage of two bills he authored: S6798, which requires an armed police officer at all New York City schools, and S6272, which requires schools’ emergency response drills to include active shooter drills. The statement did not mention legislation related to either gun access or mental health and social service resources.

In a letter to Sen. Felder (included below), NYSD 17 for Progress asked him to address four key points:

1. To share any research he performed supporting his belief that armed guards will reduce gun violence in schools. (The letter notes that Sen. Felder did not respond to questions concerning his December claim that quality-of-life crimes “have increased exponentially” in New York since the NYPD curtailed its use of stop-and-frisk.)
2. For him to discuss any additional gun safety measures in New York State he believes would limit access to highly dangerous weapons.
3. For him to discuss any measures related to psychological or social services he believes would curtail individuals from conducting mass shootings.
4. And for him to publicly support new limits in other states on high-caliber assault weapons, similar to those enacted by the SAFE Act, which Sen. Felder voted for.

“As a parent, I have no greater concern than the safety of my children,” said Jessica Byrne, SD 17 constituent, Parent Association board member, and a member of NYSD 17 for Progress. “When I send them off to school each day, I have to trust that they will be safe. My instincts tell me that more guns are not the answer to stopping mass shootings. I would like to be convinced that Sen. Felder’s legislation is the best way to make my children safer at school. I have reached out to his office on multiple occasions with questions about this legislation, but have not received a response.”

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

NYSD 17 for Progress is a grassroots group of individuals who live, work, and attend school within New York State Senate District 17, currently represented by Sen. Felder. The group was founded in 2016, and is focused on promoting progressive policies and legislation that will improve the lives of all NYSD 17 residents.

The full text of the letter sent to Sen. Felder’s office is below.

#     #     #

February 21, 2018
State Sen. Simcha Felder            
1412 Avenue J, #2E
Brooklyn, NY 11230

Dear State Sen. Felder,

As your constituents and as active citizens, we believe it’s critical to understand how our elected officials approach key issues facing our society.

Following Tuesday’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, you released a statement calling for the passage of two bills you authored: S6798, which requires an armed police officer at all New York school entrances, and S6272, which requires schools to conduct emergency response drills, including active shooter drills.

“I am sickened as I write these words,” you said, “but how long can we stay silent? We wait for emotion to die down, for public attention to focus elsewhere, and then we wait for the next horrible, unspeakable tragedy… children and teachers massacred at school. Yesterday’s tragedy, the 40th since 2000, highlights once again why we need to take a cold, hard look at my two bills, languishing in Albany, that would safeguard our schools and protect our children.”

We would like to better understand your thinking concerning these bills, and about gun policy in general. Specifically:

1) Is there a particular reason you believe armed police officers in schools would protect students from threats? Is there is any data informing your belief in your legislation? Have you consulted with the New York Police Department or any principal, teacher, or parent groups to help craft this proposed legislation?

We would note that, as has been reported, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School did have an armed guard on campus at the time of last week’s shooting. However, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said that the guard “never encountered [Nikolas] Cruz” during the shooting. Additionally, two of the deadliest school shootings in American history, Columbine and Virginia Tech, occurred despite the presence of armed police on campus.

Understanding how our elected officials approach public safety matters is very important to us. That is why in January, dozens of constituents sent you a letter asking why an editorial you authored claimed “that since the outlaw of stop and frisk quality of life crimes have increased exponentially” in New York. We are unaware of any data supporting this claim, which caused us concern. Unfortunately, we did not hear back from your staff.

2) As has been widely reported, Nikolas Cruz had been flagged as troubled and potentially violent numerous times before last week’s tragic shooting. However, the psychology and social work systems in place seemingly failed to properly intervene and provide adequate support for him. As you are a member of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities committee in the Senate, do you believe there are any steps the state should take to enhance services available for students suffering from emotional difficulties?

3) We noted that your statement last week did not mention legislation that would restrict the high-caliber weapon Mr. Cruz used during the Parkland shooting – the same AR-15 rifle that has been used by multiple mass shooters in recent history. We are aware that in 2013, you voted for the NY SAFE Act, which (among other things) restricted access to assault rifles and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo urged the nation-wide adoption of that legislation. We agree with him. Do you also think New Yorkers would be safer if new limits were imposed on assault weapons elsewhere in the country?

4) Despite the SAFE Act’s passage, many highly powerful weapons remain legal to purchase in New York State. For example, as the New York Post recently reported, despite the Act’s ban on the AR-15, “variations of the exact same model are offered for sale to state residents because they don’t have certain features — like a pistol grip or thumb hole in the stock — that are outlawed.”

“An online ad for a ‘featureless’ Smith & Wesson M&P 15,” the Post continued, “says that even though it has a detachable, 10-round magazine, its custom stock means ‘New York does not consider this rifle an assault weapon and therefor [sic] is transferable and does not need to be registered.’”

We believe the state should explore ways to further tighten our gun laws in order to prevent the sale of such weapons. Do you agree?  

We look forward to hearing from you on these important matters.

Sincerely,

NYSD 17 for Progress

2.15.18 – After Florida school shooting, Felder advocates for armed school guard legislation

As reported by The Yeshiva World, Sen. Felder provided the following statement on Thursday in response to a school shooting in Florida the day before:

“I am sickened as I write these words, but how long can we stay silent? We wait for emotion to die down, for public attention to focus elsewhere, and then we wait for the next horrible, unspeakable tragedy… children and teachers massacred at school.

Yesterday’s tragedy, the 40th since 2000, highlights once again why we need to take a cold, hard look at my 2 bills, languishing in Albany, that would safeguard our schools and protect our children.

One (S6798) requires the entrance of every school be manned by a trained, armed police officer. The second (S6272) requires all schools to include emergency response drills for all situations including active shooters or other lethal attacks.

Read the full story here in The Yeshiva World.

— Posted on 2.15.18 by JVS

11.29.17 – Constituent questions on armed guards at schools and speed cameras

On 11.29.17, Ellen Bilofsky, a constituent in SD 17, called Senator Felder’s office to ask about his call for armed officers to be placed in NYC schools, and about his stance on expanding the number of speed cameras on city streets. Bilofsky described what she was told:

I called Senator Felder’s Brooklyn office today, 11/29/17. I told the woman I spoke to, whose name I didn’t get, that I had seen that Sen. Felder wants an armed police officer at every school in the city, and though it was good to see that he was so concerned about the safety of our school children, if that’s the case, why is he against having speed cameras at every school to protect them against speeding drivers as they cross the street? She asked me to hold for a minute. When she came back she said the person I needed to speak with wasn’t in the office, and would I like to leave my name and number. I said I would if I would get a call back, and asked whom I needed to speak with. She hesitated and said there were several people, so she wouldn’t want to mislead me. Or perhaps I’d like to email my comments to Senator Felder. I said Sure, if he’ll read it. She said he reads every single e-mail that comes in to him. So I sent him the following e-mail:

From: Ellen Bilofsky [mailto:———-]
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2017 3:59 PM
To: ‘felder@nysenate.gov’
Subject: Armed police officers in schools

Dear Senator Felder,

I called your office today, and the woman who answered the phone suggested I put my questions in writing. She said that you read every e-mail that comes in to you, so I am writing.

I read in the paper today that you want an armed police officer at every school in the city. It’s good to see that you are so concerned about the safety of our school children, but if that’s the case, why are you against having speed cameras at every school to protect them against speeding drivers as they cross the street?

Also, I can understand that Yeshivas might want the protection of an armed guard. But why impose that on other schools, such as public schools, who don’t want guns in their schools? Research has shown that arming school officers doesn’t increases overall school safety but does worsen the school environment. There are other things that public schools in our district need more, such as counselors. Full foundation funding for our schools would certainly help!

Isn’t there another way to achieve the needs of all our schools? Perhaps you could consult with parents and educators throughout our district, and elsewhere in the city, before attempting to impose a mandate on every school in the city.

I look forward to your response to my questions and further dialog on this issue.

Ellen Bilofsky

This blog will be updated with any response received.

— Posted by JVS on 12.23, backdated to 11.29

11.28.17 – NY Times: “Warring Democrats in New York Pledge a Truce, for Now”

As reported by The New York Times on 11.28.17:

ALBANY — There might kind of, sort of, be a possible deal to unite Democrats, and conceivably give them a majority, in the State Senate, pending just a few caveats: a pair of special elections, the party’s 2018 fortunes at the ballot box, and an ambivalent, politically polymorphous senator from Brooklyn and his obsession with school security.

On Tuesday, Senator Jeffrey D. Klein, the leader of the renegade Independent Democratic Conference, signaled his intent to work together with the 23-member Senate Democratic Conference — seemingly pausing several years of strife that has helped the Republicans control the Senate.

Yet, as always, there remained a swirl of questions and uncertainty.

The combination of the two Democratic clans would still leave the party just short of a 32-seat majority, because of the long-running defection of Simcha Felder, a Brooklyn Democrat who nonetheless says he has no alliance to any party. As such, he has caucused with Republicans since his election in 2012, saying it favors his constituents.

On Tuesday, Mr. Felder reiterated that position — “I’m lucky to represent a district that really doesn’t care about party affiliations,” he said — but added that he could be swayed to join Democrats, or stay with Republicans, if either side embraces a plan to put armed guards at every city school. “That’s very meaningful to me,” he said, in a phone interview.

Whether such an idea would find a majority of votes in the Assembly — the measure passed in the Senate, with almost unanimous Republican support and some Democratic opposition — is unclear. But Mr. Felder seems well aware that he could be a very influential pivot vote in a divided Senate.

“You don’t need to be a C.P.A. to count to 32,” he said, adding, “Numbers matter; I’d be the first to say I want to be in a position where the leverage I have, I get the most out of it.”

Read the full story here.

— Posted on 3.25.18 by JVS, backdated to 11.28.17

11.15.17 – Felder again calls for armed guards at all NYC schools

As reported by The New York Post, State Sen. Felder has again called for Albany to pass legislation he authored mandating an armed security guard at all NYC schools. Mr. Felder’s push follows the fatal shooting of four people at a California elementary school. From the NY Post story:

“My legislation to require armed NYPD officers at the entrance of every New York City school is a preventative measure that must be implemented immediately,” said Sen. Simcha Felder.

“A crazed gunman severely injured two students at an elementary school in California this Tuesday.”

He pointed out that the school went into lockdown, giving students and etachers time to hide in locked classrooms.

“An armed guard outside would have neutralized this insane attacker the moment he arrived,” he said.

Felder’s bill — introduced over the summer — requires a uniformed, armed cop at each of the city’s schools, beginning an hour before the school day and ending an hour after classes let out.

— Posted by JVS on 12.30.17, backdated to 11.15.17