Borough President Vito Fossella Unveils Animal Education Workshops In Honor Of Tommy Monahan1/31/2023
 Borough President Vito Fossella unveiled an animal education workshop for fourth-graders in honor of Tommy Monahan whose love for animals was so natural that he didn’t think twice when he ran into his burning home to rescue his Yorkshire terrier and lizard on Dec. 17, 2007. Tommy was 9-years-old when he lost his life in his heroic attempt to save his pets.
Pet Talk was launched as a pilot program yesterday at PS 36 in Annadale, where Tommy was a student. As part of the program, an educator from the Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) will visit fourth-grade classrooms to present interactive lessons that emphasize the emotional connection to our pets and the importance of pet adoption. "This is a test program. We’re going to learn and see what best works at PS 36, and then where it needs to be tweaked, we’ll do so," said Borough President Fossella. "Our goal is to expand it to every school on Staten Island, public and non-public, and then if the mayor and others in the Department of Education see the measure of success here, we’ll expand it citywide.” He was joined by Tommy’s family and representatives from ACC at PS 36. Tommy’s sister, Gabrielle Monahan, worked with the Borough President’s office to create the Pet Talk program soon after becoming a teacher. “I took that as kind of my brother saying he is going to follow me, no matter what I do,” she said. “My family is really excited for this next step in remembering him and building his legacy even more.” That legacy was also memorialized in October when Vito hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony in October for the renovated Animal Care Center in Charleston -- its lobby renamed for Tommy.  Borough President Vito Fossella joined District Attorney Michael McMahon and the NYPD to announce a partnership that will allow Staten Islanders to anonymously upload home security videos, photos, and tips directly to the police through the Ring App.
The “Neighbors by Ring” app is free to download and can be used by any Staten Islander even if they don’t have a Ring system in their homes. “Videos and photos caught by security cameras are an important and effective tool for law enforcement to ‘catch’ criminals in the act,” said Borough President Fossella. “Working with DA McMahon and the NYPD, we are alerting Staten Islanders about this program. It makes sense to use the camera technology at our homes and businesses to obtain evidence and hopefully bring these culprits to justice. Folks should feel free to download the app and be part of this initiative to make our borough even safer.” To get the app, Staten Islanders should visit the App Store, download “Neighbors by Ring,” create an account if they do not already have one, and then they will be ready to share video, photos, and information. Staten Islanders can also visit ring.com/neighbors and follow the same steps. To share video, photos, or information, the App should be opened, and “Neighbors” selected, followed by the blue “Plus” button. They are then asked to answer what category the incident is and should select “Crime,” and then follow the remaining prompts. Once shared, NYPD executives in the area will automatically be able to see what has been uploaded and if necessary, can request to communicate directly to gain further information. They will not know your exact location and will not have access to your video in real-time -- they will only be able to see what you choose to upload. You will also be able to view crime and safety events posted by your neighbors within a radius of your home. “As Staten Island’s top law enforcement official and as a homeowner, I know that so many of us vigilantly capture footage from our home video systems to help us catch those who prey on our residences, vehicles, and property,” said District Attorney McMahon. “Yet sharing this video with law enforcement has sometimes been difficult. The fact is that police cannot monitor every group, page, and site out there, or physically retrieve every clip so this critical evidence sometimes never reaches our attention. That is why this partnership with Neighbors by Ring is so exciting. When a Staten Islander uploads photos or video either from their Ring or using the free app if they are not Ring subscribers, NYPD personnel will have immediate access to that footage, be able to communicate confidentially with the person who posted it, and strategically deploy police manpower to where it is needed most.” If you have questions about the program or the app, please contact [email protected] or call your local NYPD precinct
Borough President Vito Fossella announced a new marketing campaign for our Borough, "Stay on Staten Island," during his first State of the Borough Address at Monsignor Farrell High School on Jan. 21.
Check out this video that kicks off the campaign and stay tuned for a special message from Staten Island's own Pete Davidson at the end.  Borough President Vito Fossella highlighted the partnership between his office, City agencies, community organizations, and local elected officials who have worked together over the past year as a collective voice for Staten Islanders during his first "State of the Borough" address at Monsignor Farrell High School.
He spoke to quality-of-life issues and made announcements for upcoming projects in the pipeline. Some key points included:
Borough President Fossella ended his address with the announcement of a new marketing campaign for our borough -- Stay on Staten Island. Check out this video to see just some of the many reasons why we Stay on Staten Island.  Borough President Vito Fossella, District Attorney Michael McMahon, and Councilman Joseph Borelli issued a call to action in response to the surge in car thefts across Staten Island, but particularly on the South Shore.
“There may be three of us here, but we think we represent about 500,000 people on Staten Island as it relates to what has become an unmitigated disaster as the number of car thefts have become more brazen, more pronounced, more horrific, and more dangerous," said Borough President Fossella during a press conference on Jan. 11 outside of the 123rd Precinct in Totttenville. “We don't care if it's here in Tottenville, Mariners Harbor, Randall Manor, or South Beach -- it doesn't matter," he continued. "If Staten Island was a bank and the cars were money, you can add up all the stolen cars and it would probably be one of the largest bank heists in New York State history. It’s not just one-by-one. It’s over 500. It’s going to get darn close to where somebody is going to get seriously hurt or even worse. We have to stand together as the people of Staten Island to say enough is enough. We need to stop this once and for all.” District Attorney McMahon said 126 vehicles were reported stolen from the 123rd Precinct in 2022, up from 65 in 2021. There were 513 vehicles stolen from across Staten Island in 2022, up from 282 in 2021. He said most of the perpetrators are under 18 and are primarily from New Jersey. They drive into Staten Island in one vehicle, seek out high-end vehicles, steal them one-by-one, and drive them back to New Jersey. “Some are out for a joyride, some are out to use the vehicles to commit other crimes, and some of the vehicles are being shipped overseas to be sold on the international market for a large profit,” he said. Borough President Fossella, District Attorney McMahon, and Councilman Borelli laid out a multi-pronged action plan which includes the following: Legislation from Albany which would raise the age for when suspects can be treated as adults rather than juvenile offenders; adding more police officers and detectives to borough streets, and obtaining more cooperation between regional partners, particularly the Port Authority to add license plate readers on the New Jersey bridges like those used on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. They also called on Staten Islanders to be more be more vigilant in locking their cars and taking their keys with them. Additionally, an initiative will be announced in the coming weeks called “Island Safe,” which will create a central clearinghouse for Staten Islanders to anonymously share their cell phone videos and home security camera footage. |