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Occupy Sunset Park: Seeking Change in Many Languages
A long subway ride from the Lower Manhattan epicenter of the Occupy phenomenon, community activists in one Brooklyn neighborhood are trying to translate the movement's goals into local action.
Brooklyn Bureau: NYPD Towers May Defuse Cop, Community Friction
Some Brooklynites who live and work near the borough’s two police watchtowers say the observation posts are affecting more than the incidence of crime.
Sales of HIV Meds Catch Lawmakers' Eyes
Prosecutors and legislators report an increase in illegal sales of HIV medication by people looking to feed their families or support drug habits. Will tougher criminal penalties slow the market?
NY Prisoners Counted Differently, But Still Not Voting
Now that they'll be counted in their hometowns rather than where they're incarcerated, state inmates could shift district lines. One thing neither they nor parollees can do, however, is vote.
Brooklyn Library Facing Lower Budget, Higher Demand
Despite the Internet age and the e-book craze, Brooklyn's libraries are seeing increasing usage. But budget cuts are one challenge the system might not be able to surmount.
Mixed Evidence of Methadone Crackdown
An advocacy group's survey says police harassment of methadone patients is common. Statistics suggest methadone-related arrests are rare.
Costly Lessons: What We've Learned From Firefighter Deaths
A City Limits investigation looked at FDNY fatalities over 20 years, finding common factors and tracking the city's efforts to address them.
Out of 9/11 Tragedy Came Change for FDNY
Serious problems with the emergency response on 9/11 contributed to the loss of rescuer lives. A decade later, FDNY counts itself much better prepared. But some questions remain.
This Building Killed 1 Firefighter but May Save Dozens
Two fires 10 years apart at one high-rise in the Rockaways helped convince the FDNY to reconsider its time-honored tactics when dealing with wind-driven fires.
When Fire Wins: Causes of FDNY Deaths
Each of the FDNY's line-of-duty deaths over the past 20 years involved a unique person and unique circumstances. But according to investigations by the FDNY and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, common contributing factors link many of the incidents.
Firefighter Decisions Hold Lives—Including Their Own—In Balance
The FDNY is committed to "aggressive, interior firefighting." When that's the plan, equipment, training and manpower are all less important that human decision-making.
Deadly Fires, 9-11 And Beyond: A Reading List
The New 911: Emergency Calling Changes
Problems with the performance of the 911 system on Sept. 11 led the Bloomberg administration to undertake a four-pronged emergency communications transformation program
New Phase of Building Code Changes Looms
In the wake of the World Trade Center collapse, the city undertook a comprehensive revision of its building and fire codes. Fire safety advocates didn't get all they wanted. Will they have another chance in the next round?
Fire Inspections: Closed Doors Aren't the Only Barrier
After an April fire killed a family in a building that had been illegal converted, City Hall established a new task force to improve inspections. Some pols pushed for more aggressive action. But there's more to improving building safety than political will.
City Sewage Plan Faces Obstacles, Questions
Advocates praise the motives behind New York's plan to reduce the amount of sewage released untreated into its waterways. But they're worried about the details.
Can Job Training Reduce Unemployment?
Governments are pouring money into job skills programs as a way of combating poverty. But what jobs are participants being prepared for?
Concerns Persist Over Child Welfare Cases Involving Mental Health
As many as one in five child welfare cases involves a parent with a mental health diagnosis, creating challenges for parents, children and caseworkers. Advocates say efforts to address those challenges haven't gone far enough.
Report: Young NYers Face Higher Barriers To Public Assistance
A study of low-income New Yorkers under the age of 24 indicates they have trouble getting welfare benefits to which they are entitled. City officials say the report—and others that raised similar questions—suffers from poor methodology.
In A Bad Economy, Even Opera Vocalists Sing The Blues
The soft labor market is a challenge for all job seekers. But young people who have trained for artistic careers—who help make New York a cultural capital—face unique obstacles. Do they also possess special tools to survive?
Activism and Volunteerism
New York City has a long history of ordinary people effecting extraordinary change through active engagement with their governments, communities, and fellow residents. Read about any one of the many social issues covered in City Limits’ 30-year history, that inspired movements formed around the basic need to get involved.
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Heart Attacks Are Biggest Threat to Firefighters - Jarrett Murphy
In the department's first line-of-duty death in more than two years, the FDNY lost a 17-year veteran to what appeared to be a heart attack at the scene of a warehouse fire in Brooklyn.
Hope for Relief from Flooding in Southeast Queens - Karen Loew
After months of pressure from residents of an area plagued by poor drainage and rising groundwater, the city recently announced a set of measures to keep Southeast Queens dry—or at least drier—this spring and summer.
What’s Not to Like About the Cuomo Budget? - Jarrett Murphy
Amid a sea of praise for Gov. Cuomo's second budget, advocates for low-income New Yorkers raised complaints. That, plus the latest on NYCHA, city job creation and the sick leave bill —all in our policy roundup.
Cuomo Calls For Easier Food Stamp Access - Jarrett Murphy
In a wide-ranging annual speech, the governor said fingerprinting applicants is an unnecessary barrier to access. He also called for $1 billion in investment to renew Buffalo.
Seen Here First: The NYPD's Pot Play - Jarrett Murphy
New York police officials last week distanced themselves from an arrest tactic that nabbed small-time pot users who obeyed when cops asked them to empty their pockets. City Limits broke that story in 2009.
Decision in the Rockaways: Stay, or Go? - Patrick Arden
Tina Parker tried to convince her neighbors to leave. “I’ve been in two hurricanes in Alabama, and I’m not taking a chance,” she said.
Out of Media Glare, the Bronx Faces Irene - Jarrett Murphy
Even far outside of the Zone A areas, there were signs of the impending danger, though they were subtle. Closer to the water's edge, the menace felt very real.
Hugh Carey, 1919-2011 - Jarrett Murphy
The former congressman who guided New York State through the 1970s fiscal emergency as governor, was 92. A 2010 biography reassessed Carey's role during the days of crisis.
CONVERSATIONS/OPINONS
Firefighter for a Day
After months reporting a story on the FDNY, all it took was three steps into a smoky room for this reporter to realize how much he didn't know.
Why I'm Fasting To Protest Budget Cuts
As leaders in Washington, Albany and City Hall have contemplated huge funding reductions, advocates have mounted protests, written letters and pleaded through the press. Now some are giving up food. One Bronx leader explains why.
MULTIMEDIA
Do Housing Voucher Households Cause Crime?
Potential neighbors often express worries that Housing Choice Voucher holders heighten crime. Yet no research systematically examines the link between the presence of voucher holders in a neighborhood and crime.
FDNY report on fatal fire, January 23, 2005
The fatal fire investigation report on the death of Firefighter Richard T. Sclafani of Ladder 103 at 577 Jerome Street, Brooklyn.
