Community News · New York, NY
On Oct. 14, Gov. Kathy Hochul joined Queens elected officials at PS 398Q to announce $10 million in state funding for Jackson Heights' first-ever Boys and Girls Club, operated by Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens. The project has secured $33.8 million toward a $60 million target from public and private partners, including $10 million from Metropolitan Park and $9.3 million from the City Council. The 30,000-square-foot center at 70-02 34th Ave. will include the neighborhood's first community swimming pool, a basketball court, an auditorium theater, and programs for youth, seniors, workforce development, and early childhood education. Variety expects construction to begin soon with completion targeted toward the end of the decade, serving an estimated 5,000–10,000 children annually.
Public Safety · New York, NY
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced new NYPD use-of-force policy reforms Monday, including a full review of force policies, a $2.6 million funding increase for the Office of the Inspector General, and formalized information-sharing rules after misconduct incidents. The reforms respond to the department's mishandling of the Win Rozario case, in which officer Salvatore Alongi retired with an enhanced pension while under Civilian Complaint Review Board investigation, avoiding disciplinary charges. Justice Committee Executive Director Loyda Colon said the changes do not go far enough, calling for a new inspector general appointment and 24-hour public disclosure of officers involved in shootings. The other officer in the March 2024 shooting of Rozario at his Queens home, Matthew Cianfrocco, still faces a pending CCRB investigation with no trial date set.
Public Safety · New York, NY
U.S. District Judge Hector Gonzalez ordered federal prosecutors to explain by 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 19, why Oscar Belgal, 28, shot in the neck by ICE agents near West 225th Street and Marble Hill Avenue on Oct. 8, should not be released from custody, while barring his deportation or transfer outside New York City's federal judicial districts. The Legal Aid Society filed a habeas corpus petition alleging Belgal's arrest was unlawful and that he remains at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn without surgery doctors recommended for the bullet lodged in his neck. DHS defended the operation citing Belgal's criminal history and alleged gang ties, while his attorneys deny those claims and allege agents failed to identify themselves or present a warrant before firing into his vehicle where his 5-year-old son sat. The incident drew protests and condemnation from Mayor Zohran Mamdani; the shooting remains under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI.
Local Politics · New York, NY
New York City's City Council is expected to approve a bill next week banning horse-drawn carriage rides in Central Park, ending the industry by 2028. The push intensified after 18-year-old Indian tourist Romanch Mahajan died in June when he jumped from a runaway carriage during a ride with family members. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Council Speaker Julie Menin reached a deal on the legislation, which includes a workforce transition plan for drivers and humane-disposal requirements for horses. Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen opposed the bill, calling it "political opportunism" that destroys immigrant families' livelihoods.
Crime · New York, NY
Federal prosecutors in New York urged a judge to impose life sentences on twins Oren and Alon Alexander (39) and Tal Alexander (40), convicted luxury real estate brokers known as the "A Team," for drugging and sexually assaulting dozens of women over roughly two decades. Prosecutors identified at least 70 victims, while defense attorneys recommended 15-year terms and maintained the brothers' innocence, planning an appeal. The Probation Office recommended 180-year sentences for Alon and Tal Alexander and 195 years for Oren Alexander. Sentencing before Judge Valerie E. Caproni is scheduled for Oct. 27.
Local Politics · New York, NY
Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Jeffrey Gershuny, who served in Queens from 2019 to 2024, was publicly censured by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct on Tuesday after he used his unloaded SIG Sauer P365 pistol during an August 2025 suppression hearing at Brooklyn Criminal Court to attempt to deceive a police officer witness. Gershuny placed a stapler in a shopping bag instead of the gun but lied about its contents while questioning the officer, who ultimately identified only an 'L-shaped object.' Based partly on this experiment, Gershuny suppressed the gun evidence, and prosecutors subsequently dropped charges against the defendant. The commission found that while judges are exempt from NYC courtroom gun bans, Gershuny violated judicial conduct rules governing honesty with witnesses.
