Law enforcement faces a challenge as more officers resign or retire, and fewer qualified applicants are interested in becoming police officers. A new report from the Justice Department suggests that police agencies should reevaluate their mission, values, culture, and employees to improve their service to communities.

In the report titled “Recruitment and Retention for Modern Law Enforcement Agency,” DOJ officials concluded that the law enforcement profession needs to update its hiring and retention practices.

Officials say that law enforcement agencies can enhance the appeal of policing as a career by implementing the solutions and strategies presented in this publication. They can also attract candidates, train recruits, show appreciation to employees, prioritize workforce well-being, and build community trust.

“The U.S. Department of Justice, through BJA and the COPS Office, is dedicated to assisting law enforcement agencies in navigating the recruitment and retention crisis and providing support for incorporating these solutions,” DOJ officials stated.

A dwindling number of sworn officers is a persistent issue that police departments all over the country are facing, according to a study by the Police Executive Research Forum in April 2023. A study found that the number of staff in law enforcement agencies in January 2023 was 4.8% lower than three years ago.

The study highlighted that the issue extends beyond recruitment hurdles; it encompasses the retention of existing officers. In 2022, the number of sworn officers hired surged by 35% compared to 2020 and by 5.6% over 2019. Officer resignations in 2022 increased by 47% compared to 2019, according to the police research study.

The report highlights the alarming decline in law enforcement staffing levels. “The recruitment and retention crisis is the number one issue I hear about from our state, tribal, and local law enforcement partners across the country,” Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta stated.

The report says that there are many reasons for staffing problems. These include the lasting effects of COVID-19, changes in the job market, increased safety concerns, and growing frustration towards the police.

The report, which Attorney General Merrick Garland commissioned, calls for a multifaceted strategy in response to these difficulties. It emphasizes the need for police leaders to gain a deeper understanding of their communities while advocating for the modernization and streamlining of hiring practices.

The report emphasized a significant discovery from a meeting of police leaders in April 2023: that negative public opinion significantly affects officers’ morale and job satisfaction. Enhancing law enforcement’s image and highlighting the profession’s virtues are critical to boosting recruitment.

The DOJ report emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and non-traditional skills, like conflict resolution and empathy, for effective policing. It states, “Strong emotional intelligence is linked to fewer cases of excessive force and improved relationships within the community.” Officials emphasized the importance of recruiting candidates with traditional policing knowledge and critical interpersonal skills.

Further, agencies have been advised to implement diversity initiatives and remove barriers hindering inclusivity to build a more inclusive workforce. The DOJ recommended working with community leaders to encourage diverse candidates to consider law enforcement as a career.

The report offers recommendations for improving training and retention once officers are recruited. These include signing bonuses, comprehensive pension plans, and various retirement options. Additionally, addressing limitations on overtime and pension payouts could significantly improve retention rates.

Concerns over work-life balance and wellness, particularly concerning child care and mental health, were also highlighted in the report. The stigma of seeking mental health support within the law enforcement community is a big problem that needs fixing, officials said.

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* This article was originally published here

Founder of youth media program, HarlemLIVE, Rich Calton, announces the launch of the book, “The Legacy of HarlemLIVE: Empowering Youth Through Journalism and Experiential Learning”, co authored alongside the HarlemLive alumni.

This book traces the journey of New York City teens who created the web magazine, HarlemLIVE, one of the earliest ventures into online youth-produced publications. 

From the inception of HarlemLIVE to its evolution over the years, the book details the hurdles faced along the way and offers a look into the organizational and interpersonal challenges that were overcome to achieve success.

“The legacy we’ve created with HarlemLIVE is a testament to the enduring spirit of young people,” said Calton. “Their resilience, creativity, and unwavering commitment to a mission have shown us that when youth are empowered, they can achieve extraordinary results.”

The book also delves into how participants went on to influence their communities and excel in their respective fields and bring about change.

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* This article was originally published here

“Let Me Tell You” is a series of columns from our expert editors about NYC living, including the best things to do, where to eat and drink, and what to see at the theater. They publish each Tuesday so you’re hearing from us each week. Last time, Things to Do Editor Rossilynne Skena Culgan explored why Picasso is having a moment at so many NYC museums.

Nobody sings it better than Billie Holiday when she croons, “It’s autumn in New York. It’s good to live it again.” It sure is, Billie.

To make the most of these days with their “glittering crowds and shimmering clouds,” we’ve compiled two festive fall itineraries. First, there’s one if budget is no option and you want to truly treat yourself. In our second itinerary, we’ve prioritized free and cheaper options. Finally, keep scrolling for a bonus itinerary for those who’d rather stay in. 

Itinerary 1: Treat yourself

Ready to drop some coin and make this season a memorable one? From a stunning tea party to an elevated movie experience, add these to your calendar this weekend.

Afternoon activity: Tea at Mandarin Oriental

Spend your afternoon enjoying the finer things. Tea at the luxurious Mandarin Oriental Hotel is always a treat, and they’ve even tailored the experience for fall with seasonal colors. Plus, don’t miss the the Autumn Leaf, a handmade pastry with hazelnut meringue, praline cream and milk chocolate mousse. While the tea is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the stomach, your gaze will also be drawn to the the windows overlooking Central Park where you can see the leaves in their vibrant finery. Afternoon tea costs $110 per person or $140 with a glass of champagne. Here’s how to book.

A stroll: Haunted Broadway walking tour  

What’s Halloween season without something a little spooky? During this two-hour Haunted Broadway Walking Tour through New York’s busiest part of town, you’ll learn about Broadway and Vaudeville Stars from the great beyond, dance the Time Warp, sing songs from Phantom of the Opera and visit legendary haunted theaters. The tour’s $50/person; book here.

Leaf peeping: Fall foliage boat tour 

Admire the jewel tone trees from the water on a cozy fall foliage sightseeing cruise with Classic Harbor Line. Climb aboard an elegant 1920s-style yacht for a front row seat to the colorful leaves in the Hudson Valley. In addition to gawking at the leaves, you’ll also get to see iconic landmarks such as the George Washington Bridge, the Cloisters, the Palisades and the Little Red Light House. Tickets start at $108/person, bookable here; some options for a slightly higher price include lunch or brunch.

Movie night: Rooftop Cinema Club 

For a truly elevated movie experience, head to Rooftop Cinema Club perched atop at midtown roof. Screenings this month include Rosemary’s Baby, Paranormal, The Exorcist, The Shining, American Psycho and other cult classics as well as family favorites like Coco and Monsters, Inc. That all leads up to All Hallow’s Eve’s screenings of Hocus Pocus and Halloween. Beer, wine, cocktails, popcorn, pretzels and nachos are on the menu. So grab a hoodie and get ready for the show. Tickets, available here, range from $19.50 to $28.50.

A sweet treat: Autumn Parfait

The newly announced Autumn Parfait has made its debut at Momoya Soho. Served in a wine glass, this decadent dessert layers whipped cream, fruit and sweet treats for a gorgeous and delicious delight. The parfait costs $28 before tax and tip. Make a reservation here.

A seasonal drink: Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew Martini 

Loreley Beer Garden on the Lower East Side goes all out for the holidays. This year, they’re serving beer in their traditional pumpkin kegs as well as Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew Martini with Tito’s, Rise Nitro Cold Brew, pumpkin puree, Baileys and Kahlua. Starbucks could never. It costs $20 before tax and tip. Book a table in advance.

Decorative gourds: Greg’s Great Pumpkin Patch 

It’s decorative gourd season, and you can pick from more than 4,000 pumpkins at Greg’s Great Pumpkin Patch in Williamsburg. You’ll find carving pumpkins, Greg’s Sugar Pumpkins, field pumpkins, Long Island Cheese pumpkins, Cinderella pumpkins, bright Lumina White pumpkins and teeny-tiny Baby Boos. Stock up to fill your home with some Pinterest-worthy seasonal decor. Prices vary.

Itinerary 2: Bougie on a budget

For those who want to save a little cash but still make some memories, we got you. With this list of free and budget-conscious ideas, you’ll be able to start saving up for holiday gifts without sacrificing any fun. 

Afternoon activity: Union Square farmers market

Sure, you could rent a car and drive up to the Hudson Valley for that rural feel, but you could also just head to the totally free Union Square Greenmarket. Hosted Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays year-round, this massive market offers fresh apples, flowers, root vegetables, plants and all the holiday decor you could dream of. While browsing is free, of course, we recommend bringing some cash for a cup of hot cider and an apple cider donut or two. 

A stroll: DIY Halloween decor tour

Let somebody else blow their cash on Halloween decor that you can admire for free. The Upper East Side is putting on quite a show this Halloween season with flying bats, technicolor skeletons and even creepy light displays. The blog UES Things rounded up some addresses of where to go for a DIY walking tour. 

Leaf peeping: Central Park 

Central Park makes leaf peeping easy with a free-to-download fall foliage map, plus a fall foliage tracker you can get via email. Whether you choose to follow the map or just meander on your own, you’re bound to witness spectacular colors this fall as many of Central Park’s roughly 18,000 trees transform into vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red.

Movie night: Free movies at Hudson Yards

On Friday nights in October, catch a free flick in Hudson Yards. On October 20, see The Witches; on October 27, see Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. The movies are projected on a giant outdoor screen, so be sure to bring a blanket and a hoodie to stay warm. That’s a cheap date night right there. 

A sweet treat: Pumpkin Spice Pudding 

For fall, the beloved Magnolia Bakery released a pumpkin pudding flavor so delicious it might just rival the traditional pumpkin pie. It’s packed with cookie butter and flavors of vanilla, nutmeg, cloves and more. Pricing in-store ranges from about $6-10 depending on the size.

A seasonal drink: Oktoberfest beers at Torch & Crown

For a taste of Munich right here in NYC, Torch & Crown Brewing Company delivers. The Manhattan brewery’s serving two seasonal beverages: High Brau Festbier, a traditional Bavarian Festbier, and Low Brau Helles, a German Helles Lager. Try one (or both) at the brewery’s locations in Soho and Union Square. Drafts start at $10. 

Decorative gourds: Pumpkin Point on Governors Island

Bringing home a pumpkin to decorate your apartment is always fun, but bringing home a free pumpkin is even better. You can choose from thousands of free pumpkins at Pumpkin Point on Governors Island on October 21-22 and October 28-29. (A suggested donation is encouraged, just fyi.) In addition to picking your favorite pumpkin in the patch, the celebration also includes magic performances, a bubble show and pumpkin painting.

Bonus: The introvert’s version

Perhaps all of those activities make your head spin. We get it. For the introverts among us, we have a suggestion that might just do the trick. Adopt a cat or dog from our sadly very full local shelters and enjoy endless cozy cat naps or brisk dog walks this autumn. Bonus points for adopting a black cat. Billie Holiday was singing about skyscrapers when she said, “They’re making me feel I’m home,” but coming home to a pet will make you feel exactly the same way—and that’s a feeling that will last even after the leaves fall.

* This article was originally published here

It may have rained on the parade during Total Equity Now’s (TEN’s) 11th Annual Literacy Across Harlem March on Saturday, Oct. 7, but more than 60 intergenerational, literacy-loving community members carried Ziploc-bag-covered books through the streets of Harlem to promote reading and writing, show their enthusiasm for Black and brown literature, and share TEN’s vision of universal literacy.

The event began with separate pre-march rallies hosted by El Museo del Barrio on the East Side and Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center on the West Side. El Museo del Barrio educator Edwin Gonzalez highlighted the museum’s origins and its longstanding commitment to educational programming as an accessible vehicle for visual and literary arts. Sister’s Uptown president and founder Janifer Wilson, who opened her bookstore 23 years ago, spoke about her vision for her store and the significance of the march. 

“We are a people, Black and Brown people in particular, of stories. Some of those stories we share in the written word and some of them we have shared through our oral traditions, “ said TEN Founder and Executive Director Joe Rogers, who kicked off the event with a livestream from Marcus Garvey Park’s amphitheater. “Each one of these raindrops, to me, represents a powerful story of our history, of our culture, of our future, of our vision for what we know and anticipate our community will become and what we are building here today through the Literacy Across Harlem March.”

TEN dedicates each year’s march to the memory of Harlem literary superstars Pura Belpré, an Afro-Puerto Rican author and storyteller who served as the New York Public Library’s first Latina librarian, and New York Times bestselling author Walter Dean Myers, raised in Harlem and known for penning more than 100 children’s and young-adult books, many set in Harlem.

TEN leaders guided two groups of marchers—one on the East Side and one on the West Side—to inspiring literary landmarks, including writer and social activist Langston Hughes’s house on 127th Street; P.S. 24, the elementary school attended by writer James Baldwin, which today houses Harlem Renaissance High School; the Aguilar Library, where Belpré worked; and the First Spanish United Methodist Church, also known as “the People’s Church,” a historical landmark featured in The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano, the East Harlem-centered coming-of-age novel by Sonia Manzano, who was known for playing the role of “Maria” on Sesame Street. 

The march also included special stops at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the Center for Puerto Rican Studies. 

The event culminated with the marching groups entering Marcus Garvey Park from opposite sides, harmonizing their reading-related chants, and carrying gift-quality books to donate to children in Harlem-based homeless shelters. TEN volunteer and educator Oceana James poured libations as she encouraged participants to call out the names of Black and brown literary ancestors. Community members enjoyed listening to three poets: 16-year-old Chassidy Lucas of the Brotherhood Sister Sol; filmmaker, author, and media entrepreneur Kimberly Singleton, who read an excerpt from her 2023 book-length poem I Love My People; and nine-year old New York State poet laureate Kayden Hern, the youngest member of the Harlem Bomb Shelter. Participants also played literacy trivia games and broke into intergenerational reading circles to read to each other from the books they carried along the march route. 

The post Total Equity Now’s Literacy Across Harlem March appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

The “World’s 50 Best Bars,” always at the center of the world’s boldest scare quotes, is back again, shaking up its list like the world’s booziest margarita and garnishing it with the world’s biggest grain of salt. 

The annually updated index is under the umbrella of The 50 Best Brand, which also produces scrolls of the supposed 50 finest bars on North America, and inventories of the globe’s purportedly greatest restaurants. That’s all in the grasp of the food and drink sector data and events business, William Reed. And this edition of the corporation’s compilation of the Earth’s most esteemed watering holes was arranged by what it calls The World’s 50 Best Bars Academy, which numbers 680 “drinks experts” from 28 geographic regions who shan’t consider any consumer experience dating farther than than 18 calendar months back, for voting purposes, per a press release.  

RECOMMENDED: This new Williamsburg restaurant has can’t-miss oysters and a dessert that’s literally fire.

Anywho, 2023’s honorees include just three from NYC. The Lower East Side’s Double Chicken Please—number one on the aforementioned North America roundup announced this past May— clucks in at number 2. Overstory (NA’s number 7) in the Financial District soars at number 17. And Katana Kitten (3) roars from the West Village in the planet’s 27th spot. In 2022, the trio was ranked at numbers 6, 34 and 9, respectively, and also joined then by Attaboy, Dante and Employees Only, each absent this iteration. 

This year’s top nod went to Sips in Barcelona. “The bar seamlessly translates contemporary innovation and technical precision into a playful cocktail programme, accompanied by the warmest hospitality, making it a worthy winner of The World’s Best Bar 2023 title,” 50 Best director of content William Drew is quoted as saying in the release. 

* This article was originally published here

IMPACCT Brooklyn, a nonprofit committed to helping residents and small businesses build and sustain flourishing communities, and Ring, an Amazon company, announced a collaboration to help keep small businesses in Central Brooklyn more secure.

Ring is making a donation of 200 Ring device bundles (including Ring Alarm Kit, Ring Stick Up Cams, and an Alarm Glass Break Sensor) to small businesses in need. Ring will cover the installation cost associated with the donated devices as well as a Ring Protect Basic subscription for the life of the camera devices. Ring will also provide a one-year subscription trial for Ring Pro Protect Subscription for the Alarm Kit. 

“Small businesses are a central part of every neighborhood and we are committed to empowering entrepreneurs by providing security solutions to help protect their businesses,” said Karla Torres, Head of Community Engagement at Amazon Devices & Services.

IMPACCT Brooklyn will distribute devices to new and existing Small Business Assistance Program clients and will evaluate additional eligibility for the future. Amazon also donated IMPACCT Brooklyn with a $20,000 donation.

“We’re very happy to thank Amazon and Ring for their collaboration with our community partners. When our businesses are safer, everyone benefits,” said Bernell Grier, Executive Director of IMPACCT Brooklyn. “We hope these Ring devices will provide business owners peace of mind that will help foster a positive business climate. Ultimately, collaborations like this help make our communities safer, and bring jobs and economic prosperity to Central Brooklyn.”

Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman praised the collaboration in an effort to help small businesses in her district with security.

“The 56th Assembly District is home to vibrant commercial corridors and dedicated merchants who work hard to provide quality goods and services to our residents,” said Zinerman. “We know that small businesses thrive in a clean and safe environment, which makes Amazon’s investment in Ring Devices to Central Brooklyn businesses an invaluable asset.”

IMPACCT Brooklyn works with educators and local business mentors to launch workshops such as the Rolling Up the Gates/Project Restart. Through a range of informative courses, this program helps get small businesses off the ground and continue to thrive. Learn more about our Small Business Assistance Programs here.

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* This article was originally published here