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Lawmakers Push For "Leiby's Initiative," Bloomberg Won't Lift School Cell Phone Ban
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jul 16, 2011
Modified Jul 16, 2011
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Jul 16, 2011
Modified Jul 16, 2011
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In the wake of the brutal murder and dismemberment of 8-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky this week, lawmakers are pushing for a new initiative to give incentives to businesses to install more security cameras on their properties. Assemblymans Dov Hikind and Peter Abbate and State Sen. Diane Savino will introduce the bill called “Leiby’s Initiative,” which would give a $500 annual tax credit to any NYC property owner who installs and maintains surveillance cameras. “If we had more surveillance cameras, we could have traced Leiby literally within minutes — his tracks. So this is one of many initiatives that will come forward to try to do more to protect our children. The more cameras you have, the safer your community,” Hikind told 1010 WINS.
Residents in the insular community of Borough Park, where the tragedy occurred, heartily support the measure: “Absolutely a fantastic idea. I mean, everybody would surly go on it. In crime, breaking into houses and in regards to the tragedy that we had I think it should be a very good idea,” said Yankey Rosefeld. Parents have been understandably shaken up by confessed killer Levi Aron's seemingly random act of violence: “My son goes to school right here every day. That’s the entrance I take him in and out of for kindergarten and first grade and here this guy is — this animal over here,” Hiram Segarra told CBS.
And to that end, many parents are imploring Mayor Bloomberg to lift the public school ban on cell phone usage, arguing they are the best way to keep track of children. Despite the Mayor fighting with parents on the issue and vetoing lifting the ban in the past, he sounded more open to the idea yesterday on his weekly radio program: "If you want to have something that a parent can know where their child is - cell phones. A lot of the smartphones have that technology."
However, despite all that, Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser said the mayor won't reverse the rule despite parents' concerns. "Mobile devices are major distractions that prevent all the other students in the classroom from learning," Loeser said.
Tagged
bloomberg
cell phone ban
leiby kletzky
leiby's initiative
levi aron
mayor bloomberg
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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