NYPD fosters young talent through youth jobs program
BY DEAN MOSES
The New York Police Department is
helping to teach youth crucial skills
— and capture their hearts in the
process — through a summer employment
program.
Taking artistic and gifted youth under
their wings, various heads of department
are allowing teenagers from all across
the Big Apple beneath the blue shield
and into their bosoms where they aid the
youngsters to fi ne-tune and even learn new
skills not often associated with the police
department, such as photography and even
artwork.
Lorenze Ford is a talented artist who,
throughout the summer, has been honing
his abilities in the latent fi ngerprints section
of police headquarters. Here the Bronx
native has been creating criminal sketches
based on vintage mugshots.
Rubbing shoulders with offi cers, Ford
takes pride by knowing his creative abilities
could be used to capture dangerous
criminals and even save lives.
“Drawing was just a hobby for me until
the sketch artist told me it could be used in
a more profi cient way. I kept drawing and
drawing, and I realized that drawing could
Summer Youth Employment worker Anabl Guerrier posed with her Supervisor
Officer Rodriguez.
actually help catch people,” Ford said.
The Summer Youth Employment Program
(SYEP) is offered to those from 14
to 21 years of age, and although the annual
initiative was canceled last year due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, those participating
have seen a sharp rise in registration.
In 2019, about 406 youth members took
part in the program compared to the 598
currently enrolled in 2021. Director of
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
Community Affairs Bureau Alden Foster
credits the surge to all that the NYPD
has to offer, far more than merely law
enforcement.
The NYPD is made up of a multitude of
sections working in tandem to support each
other, one of which is photography. According
to department head George Brown,
One Police Plaza employs 17 photographers
and while mugshots are a vital piece of the
department’s infrastructure, taking portraits
of offi cers and photographing events
such as funerals are an important part of
documenting NYPD’s history, something
Derrick Tsh has been undertaking over the
last number of months.
“We did a lot, we helped to take portraits
and photos and got to shadow senior
photographers going on police events,” said
Tsh, sharing that he was able to photograph
a canine graduation in Floyd Bennett Field,
a picnic, an offi cer’s funeral, and so much
more this summer.
“It was a good experience to come here
and learn all about the different types of
photography and how to take photos and
edit,” Tsh added.
Yet with all the crafts students are learning
there is one thing they say is even more
important in their minds: respect. Despite
preconceived notions they have harbored
while growing up, Anabl Guerrier a high
school senior from Kingsbridge in the
Bronx, shared her surprise at the level of
dignity she has been afforded during her
SYEP placement.
“I learned a lot of things that I didn’t
know before and like on Instagram you
would see that police offi cers are bad, but
that’s not true,” Guerrier said.
Assembly committee will issue fi nal report on Cuomo probe
BY STEPHEN WITT
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and
Assembly Judiciary Committee
Chair Charles Lavine announced
Aug. 16 that the panel will continue to
review evidence and issue a fi nal report
on its investigation of outgoing Governor
Andrew Cuomo.
In doing so, Heastie and Lavine said in
a joint statement, the Judiciary Committee
will take all appropriate steps to ensure that
this effort does not interfere with various
ongoing investigations.
Cuomo —who announced his resignation
on Aug. 10 as a result of the sexual
misconduct scandal in which he’s embroiled
— and his administration are also
being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s
offi ce on the reporting of COVID-19 deaths
in nursing homes, and state Attorney General
Letitia James about Cuomo’s $5 million
pandemic memoir.
Moreover, fi ve district attorneys in New
York —in Manhattan as well as Albany,
Nassau, Oswego and Westchester Counties
—are also examining evidence in James’
investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations
against Cuomo regarding possible
criminal charges.
James’ independent report, which
PHOTO BY KEVIN P. COUGHLIN / OFFICE OF GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO
triggered Cuomo’s resignation, substantiated
allegations from 11 women of sexual
harassment and having a toxic workplace,
particularly towards women.
Monday’s announcement comes just days
after Heastie announced the assembly will
suspend their impeachment investigation
of Cuomo in light of his promise to step
down from offi ce over sexual harassment
complaints.
The joint statement from Heastie and
Lavine did not indicate how soon the investigation
would be completed, and when
the report would be issued.
Heastie said the impeachment inquiry
was no longer needed since its purpose was
“to determine whether Governor Cuomo
should remain in offi ce.”
He also said the decision was also made
after legal counsel advised his offi ce that
the state’s constitution does not allow the
legislature to impeach an elected offi cial
who is no longer in offi ce.
But a number of lawmakers in Albany
note the state constitution does not explicitly
address such a scenario, and want to see
the impeachment move forward so that if
convicted in both chambers he will never
be allowed to run for state offi ce again.
Other lawmakers believe at the very least
the Assembly Judiciary Committee must
move forward with at least a fi nal report.
“As I stated last week following Governor
Cuomo’s announcement of his intention to
resign, there must be a comprehensive and
publicly available report prepared by the
Assembly Judiciary Committee detailing
its fi ndings, recommendations as well as
referrals to appropriate law enforcement
agencies,” said Assembly Member Rebecca
Seawright (D-Manhattan).
“We owe this to the eleven brave women
whose stories of gubernatorial misconduct
were detailed in the devastating report of
the NYS Attorney General. We owe this to
the taxpayers of New York who are entitled
to restitution of improperly utilized state
resources. We owe a full accounting to
the people of New York, to help serve as
the basis for assuring that new safeguards
going forward are subsequently adopted.
There are far too many unanswered questions
that need addressing in the public
record,” she added.
Cuomo’s resignation takes effect next
Tuesday, Aug. 24, when Lieutenant Governor
Kathy Hochul will take the oath of
offi ce as the 57th governor of the state —
and fi rst woman ever to occupy the offi ce.
12 August 19, 2021 Schneps Media