O’Donnell with kids at Mets game

October 2nd was a perfect day for a baseball game and Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell spent the sunny afternoon at Shea Stadium with over 250 kids and their parents at the New York Mets game against the Colorado Rockies. O’Donnell and his staff provided tickets and t-shirts for the kids and their parents. The kids ranged in age from 7 to 18.

The large group was a combination of kids from the West Side Little League and Strycker’s Bay Neighborhood Council, and adults from Morningside Gardens Community Relations Committee. Entering its 20th season, the West Side Little League last year organized over 1,000 kids participating in 72 teams. The Strycker’s Bay Neighborhood Council assists low-income residents of the Upper West Side with housing, economic self-sufficiency and neighborhood revitalization. And the Morningside Gardens Community Relations Committee works with seniors living in the Morningside Gardens apartment complex.

The game was especially significant for the kids since they witnessed the last appearance, in a Mets uniform, of the team’s veteran catcher, Mike Piazza. It was an emotional farewell that made the Mets’ forgettable loss worthwhile. "It was wonderful seeing the kids’ faces. They were very excited about being there, and they witnessed a piece of baseball history as Piazza received a standing ovation from the crowd," said O’Donnell.

On October 27th, Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell partnered with Assembly Member Naomi Rivera from the Bronx to coordinate an event called "Walk with Me". The rally took place on Columbia University’s campus to raise awareness about domestic violence on college campuses. Assembly Member Rivera initiated the first "Walk With Me" event last year, and O’Donnell agreed to work with her to make it a state-wide effort.

After witnessing the horrific effects of domestic violence firsthand when he served as a defense attorney, Assembly Member O’Donnell readily accepted the chance to participate in this initiative. He addressed a group of students and community members on the steps of Low Library at Columbia University and spoke about why this issue is so important to him. "Domestic Violence is a very pressing concern in our society. I am very proud to participate in something that will shed light on this issue and continue a dialogue that takes away the secrecy and shame associated with it. This is an issue that affects every race, gender, and economic class."

Maura Bairley, the Director of Columbia’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Program, introduced Assembly Member O’Donnell. Student groups that participated in the event include Columbia Men Against Violence, Take Back the Night and V-Day. Assembly Member O’Donnell also invited several local organizations including: Crime Victims Treatment Center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center represented by Susan Xenarios, the Nitestar Program and the Ryan Center. These organizations provided pamphlets and information for college students and community members on how to get involved, as well as resources available to victims.

Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Criminal Trial Procedures of the Codes Committee, recently headed a roundtable meeting regarding witness identification (ID) procedures. John Jay College generously hosted the event and President Jeremy Travis provided opening remarks. O’Donnell led a vigorous discussion on whether New York should change its ID procedures from simultaneous lineups to sequential photograph analysis. The panel of experts included prosecution and defense attorneys, law enforcement officials, and renowned research psychologists.

In a simultaneous lineup, a police officer shows the witness a lineup of six people, who fit the description of the suspect. A major drawback to this procedure is that witnesses often feel compelled to select someone from the lineup, whether the perpetrator is actually present or not. Studies show that simultaneous lineups lead to a high percentage of false identifications. False identifications doubly harm the public because they not only wrongfully accuse an innocent person, but also stop pursuit of the real perpetrator, who may continue to commit crimes. Researchers advised law enforcement that they would improve simultaneous lineup accuracy by stating to the witnesses, "The suspect may or may not be present in the lineup."

Sequential identification procedures involve a witness looking through a series of photographs one at a time and selecting the perpetrator. Studies show that this process leads to significantly fewer false IDs. However, prosecuting attorneys have problems with this procedure because it results in fewer positive IDs as well. Assembly Member O’Donnell asked the researchers to compare the sequential procedure’s ability to reduce false IDs against the fact that witnesses make fewer positive IDs. Researchers said that the sequential procedure’s ability to reduce false IDs was much more significant than the fact that it reduced positive IDs. They went on to note that positive IDs increased only because witnesses sometimes guessed correctly.

The panel also discussed using double-blind procedures for witness ID procedures. This process requires that the officer overseeing the lineup be unaware of which person is the suspect. This eliminates the possibility that the officer could subconsciously imply who is the suspect to the witness. Unfortunately, in many rural areas of the state this procedure would be difficult to conduct since there are smaller populations and fewer crimes, it would be more difficult to find an officer who was not aware of the suspect’s identity. All parties agree that whenever possible within reasonable cost, double blind procedures should be used. The witness identification roundtable has initiated an important dialogue that will continue as new research and data on the issues are released.

Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell participated in a forum titled "Affordable Housing for All New Yorkers - A Right Not a Privilege: Hear Your Elected Officials’ Views" at Riverside Church on October 25th. Reverend James E. Fitzgerald, Minister for Mission and Social Justice, introduced the Assembly Member as well as other speakers including Marc Greenberg, Executive Director, Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing.

O’Donnell emphasized that two issues must be addressed to prevent the disappearance of affordable housing in our city: vacancy decontrol and overdevelopment. "Vacancy decontrol is the 2,000-pound gorilla in this room," O’Donnell said. "Since 1997, because of vacancy decontrol I have seen a huge increase in tenants getting evicted." He added that many tenants now being evicted have solid work histories and have a good record of paying their rent on time. He pointed out that with current vacancy decontrol laws, landlords have an incentive to be aggressive in getting rent-stabilized tenants out of their buildings.

Assembly Member O’Donnell also discussed several actions that the city and state governments can take to help prevent New Yorkers from becoming homeless. New York State should support Mitchell-Lama housing and provide funding for organizations that aid people in obtaining affordable housing. New York City also needs to assist homeless individuals in their transition from homelessness to stable housing.

O’Donnell also suggested alternative approaches to increasing affordable housing, such as government partnerships with nonprofit and private organizations. "We should find a variety of funding options for those nonprofit and private organizations that are already providing affordable housing," said O’Donnell. He suggested that matching funds, either through, for example, the Housing Trust Fund, or through other resources, should get money to organizations that raise money on their own. Direct grants, favorable lending rates, and, possibly, funds from the New York State Dormitory Authority should all be mechanisms to deliver funds to organizations that are helping supply affordable housing and preventing homelessness. O’Donnell cited the West Side Federation for Senior Housing as an example of the kind of local organization that has a record of success in making affordable housing available on an equitable basis. "These organizations care about the people who need their services," said O’Donnell, adding that local nonprofit and private organizations often have a knowledge advantage due to close ties to the community they serve.

On September 28th, Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell participated in a roundtable discussion in Albany to address the issue of human trafficking. Trafficking humans as sex slaves, domestic servants, and chattel farm workers has become a major international criminal industry. Criminals gain huge profits through trading disadvantaged people through slavery. Women and children comprise a large majority of the victims. Although there is not a specific estimate for the number of people trafficked into New York State each year, United States Ambassador John Miller, who also participated in the roundtable, stated that over 17,000 people are trafficked into the U.S. each year and that upwards of four million people are trafficked throughout the world.

The assembly is currently working on legislation to take an aggressive stance in fighting human trafficking. The bill broadens the definition of a human trafficking victim and increases the penalties for those who benefit from trafficking. The roundtable provided an opportunity to look closely at this legislation and review it carefully. "Hopefully the bill will soon be fine tuned and the Assembly will pass it, creating a precedent for the United States and the rest of the world that New York State will not tolerate human trafficking," said O’Donnell.

Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell has been heavily involved in the response to the developments on both sides of Broadway between 99th and 100th Streets. He has long demanded rezoning of the Upper West Side north of 96th Street, in order to preserve and protect its historic character. To this effect, he has written letters to the City Planning Commission, the Landmarks Preservation Committee, the Board of Standards and Appeals, and the Department of Buildings. These letters urge the expedition of the rezoning process for these neighborhoods and the designation of certain parts of the Upper West Side as Historic Districts, and call for the cessation of work due to permit violations.

O’Donnell has been working closely with Westsiders for Responsible Development (WRD), a citizen advocacy group attempting to block the construction. He formed and is a member of an advisory group of lawyers assisting WRD and local residents who are considering legal action against the city for failing to fulfill its obligation to New York City residents.

After the July 14th wall collapse at the Extell demolition site of the former Gristedes, O’Donnell called for a cessation of work at the site and a thorough investigation to determine why the collapse occurred and who was at fault. Since demolition has resumed at the sites, he has been a fierce advocate for the responsible removal of asbestos at both sites and has continued to closely monitor permits issued for site work.

Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell has been working with local community leaders and residents to prevent the eviction of several businesses along Amsterdam and Columbus Avenue between 97th and 100th Streets. These businesses include Amster Furniture, Barcelona Bakery, West Side Tae Kwan Do, Broadway Carpet, AJO Lumber and Hardware, and My Home on Amsterdam Avenue as well as C-Town, Express Corner Deli, Covenant Discount, Tandoori North, and Central Park Café on Columbus Avenue.

O’Donnell and local residents continue to circulate petitions against the evictions although some of the businesses have already closed. "The community depends on these services. They are affordable and they reflect the character of the neighborhood," said O’Donnell. He met with the owners of the properties to find out their future plans for the site. In a letter sent to O’Donnell, they stated their plan to build an apartment building on the west side of Columbus Avenue between 97th and 100th Streets. According to the owners, the planned development consists of approximately 350,000 square feet of residential units and retail space. The owners contend that the proposed building is as-of-right and would comply with all applicable zoning and open space requirements. Due to O’Donnell’s persistence, the owners have agreed to allow the businesses to stay as long as possible before construction begins- if they agree to move promptly at the owner’s discretion. Currently, the owners were not sure what kind of businesses would be placed at these sites, but they did imply that some of the current businesses could move to alternate locations in the neighborhood. O’Donnell’s main objective was to begin a dialogue between the owners and the neighborhood, to which the owners have agreed. "It is very important for the community to have their say, and the owners need to work with them, taking into account their opinions regarding this project and any future developments," said O’Donnell.

During the month of January, Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell will be participating in a Hopeline phone recycling program in his community office. The Hopeline phone recycling program is a convenient way for the community to dispose of used cell phones in an environmentally-friendly way that will also help victims of domestic violence. Each phone collected will be sent to a recycling center to be recycled, refurbished or sold. Proceeds will be donated to non-profit domestic violence organizations or used to purchase wireless phones for domestic violence victims. "October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but it is important that we continue to address this issue year-round. Any way the community can do its part to assist victims of domestic violence is definitely worth it," said O’Donnell.

Not only will this program serve as a lifeline for victims of domestic violence during an emergency, it also disposes of wireless phones in an environmentally responsible way. Cell phones contain many hazardous materials, including mercury and lead, that if disposed of improperly can harm the environment. It is estimated that Americans replace their cell phones approximately every 18 months, which leads to 130 million phones being disposed of each year, and the number will continue to grow. By the end of 2005, cell phones will account for 65,000 tons of waste. So please bring in your used cell phone, with the battery and charger if possible, starting January 2nd continuing through January 31st, so that we can protect the environment and help individuals in need.

In October, Assembly Member O’Donnell announced that a traffic light will be installed at the intersection of 104th Street and Riverside Drive to control traffic on the northbound service road. After years of local residents’ attempts to secure a study of the busy intersection, he successfully petitioned the Department of Transportation to examine the site. Their study revealed what residents understand well: an additional light is needed to ensure the safety of pedestrians and motorists alike. The traffic light is scheduled to be installed by late January 2006.

This holiday season Assembly Member O’Donnell will be hosting a Winter Coat Drive in his community office starting December 1st through December 31st. Each year New York Cares collects more than 70,000 gently used winter coats for men, women and children. So please search your closets for any gently used winter coats you no longer want so that someone in need can be warm this winter. If you have any questions, please contact our community office.