WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. bY JOHN F. BAILEY. March 31, 2015:

Detective Lieutenant Eric Fischer of  White Plains Police told WPCNR this afternoon that the White Plains investigation into the August 17, 2014 his detectives conducted over three months from August through October, helped result in the indictments of  four persons  alleged to commit that robbery and 14 other individuals  from Detroit that formed an organized group.

The Lieutenant said a  second robbery at the same Tourneau store  in the Westchester committed at gunpoint February 24 of this year is still being worked on by his department and is believed not to be related to the Detroit “organized group (his words)”. Information on that robbery may be phoned in to the police anonymously at 914 422-6223. The suspect’s picture is below:

The 18 alleged robbers were indicted by the U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan on charges of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery of stores in Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina.

“It was a great case to be a part of,”  Lieutenant Fischer told WPCNR, “It was extremely gratifying to be able to contribute to this and bring criminals that scared many individuals to justice.”

Four of the 18  were identified by Fischer’s department as having committed the Tourneau robbery at  11:30 A.M., August 18, 2014, at the Tourneau store in The Westchester Mall.  Three men smashed the display cases getting away with thousands of dollars in watches. A security guard scuffled with one robber, smashing the glass door.

Fischer said  DNA blood stains found in an abandoned van found running in the Crowne Plaza lot, used to drive to The Westchester, matched the DNA on a cap left behind by one of the robbers at the Tourneau scene.  Fischer offered that the suspect cut himself on glass on the floor of the store.

Fischer said the DNA in the van and on a dropped cap was linked to a matching DNA sample in a similar  robbery in Maryland. Fischer said other cities and states had similar smash and grab robberies because authorities in those cities contacted him when learning of the robbery in White Plains.  “We contacted (the FBI) and turned over what we had to them in October.” A collaborative effort then began between White Plains and the FBI in Michigan.

The suspect with the DNA match with a Maryland robber, was found by the FBI to be wanted in connection with a Michigan  smash and grab robbery, Daritus Ellis, 30 of Detroit. Others alleged to have participated in the White Plains Tourneau robbery are Elijah McKinney, 24 of Detroit; Kodaryl Cross, 25 of Westland, Michigan, and Latrina Williams, 38 of Detroit.

Fischer commended Detectives Peter Vallely and Jamie Douglass for their “dogged” police work in analyzing videos from city streets, the Crowne Plaza (which showed the perpetrators staying there prior to the robbery),hardware stores and parking garages.

Observation of  videos of city streets, showed a rental car leading the van around town, Fischer told The Journal News,  which lead to Detectives Douglas and Vallely identifying a vehicle rented in the Detroit area, used by robbers to drive to White Plains.

Barbara McQuade, U.S. Attorney in Michigan’s Eastern District said “crews from the metro-Detroit  area planned and executed six robberies. The crews traveled across the country to jewelry stores that sell Rolex watches and other jewelry. Several members of the crew entered the jewelry stores while they were open for business, smashed the Rolex display cases with sledge hammers and fled the store with Rolex watches valued in the thousands of dollars.

These defendents intentionally targeted jewelry stores across the country, exposing the public to danger and attempting to thwart the efforts of law enforcement. Together, law enforcement at every level, through shared intelligence, resources, and evidence, brought their crime spree to a halt.” Ms, McQuadesaid in a statement

The Detroit “organized group,” according to the U.S. Attorney press release executed 40 smash and grab robberies from Nebraska to Mississippi, Michigan to Connecticut in 2014. In Michigan since 2012 they have committed 25 smash-and-grabs.

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Senate District 35. March 31, 2015:

The Senate Democratic Conference brought legislation to the Senate  floor that would have implemented paid family leave for families throughout New York State. This initiative measure was voted down by the Senate Republican Majority.

“Providing paid family leave is the right thing to do for New York’s hard working families and our state’s economy,” Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. “This common sense legislation would have provided paid leave for New Yorkers during medical emergencies, the  birth or adoption of a child or to care for a sick loved one. I am deeply disappointed that the Senate  Republicans once again chose to put special interests ahead of serving struggling New York families.”

The legislation advanced by the Senate Democratic Conference and voted down by the Senate Republican Majority would have created a system to would provide all New Yorkers with twelve weeks of paid benefits, at no cost to the employer. Through using the pre-existing workers’ compensation system, this legislation could fund these benefits with employee contributions of only 45 cents a week, totaling $23.40 a year. This system would have provided benefits of $600 a week to employees for 12 weeks to care for a relative or a new child so these New Yorkers would not have to choose between leaving the workforce and spending time withloved ones in need.

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The Tourneau Robbery In Progress in The Westchester, August 18, 2014 (Tourneau Video Surveillance )

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By  John F. Bailey with reporting by WDIV-TV DETROIT March 30, 2015:

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. March 30, 2015:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie Sunday announced an agreement on the 2015-16 State Budget.

The Budget agreement includes landmark education reforms and investment, an ethics package with the nation’s strongest disclosure laws for legislators with outside income, and new investments in rebuilding and growing the state’s economy, including $1.5 billion for the Upstate Revitalization Initiative and $500 million to make New York the first in the nation to have statewide broadband.

The Budget agreement holds spending growth below two percent for the fifth consecutive year, continuing a record of fiscal discipline that has reversed decades of state budgets where spending grew at a higher rate than inflation or personal income growth.

Governor Cuomo said: “With this agreement, we address intractable problems that have vexed our state for generations. After decades of leading the nation in education spending but lagging in results, New York will set an example for all other states with a complete overhaul of the entrenched education bureaucracy. These reforms – accompanied by an unprecedented financial investment – will put students first by bringing accountability to the classroom, recruiting and rewarding our best teachers, further reducing over-testing, and finally confronting our chronically failing schools.

“I said I would not sign a Budget without real ethics reform, and this Budget does just that, putting in place the nation’s strongest and most comprehensive rules for disclosure of outside income by public officials, reforming the long-abused per diem system, revoking public pensions for those who abuse the public’s trust, defining and eliminating personal use of campaign funds, and increasing transparency of independent expenditures.

“This is a Budget that all New Yorkers can be proud of.

“I commend Speaker Heastie and Majority Leader Skelos, and their colleagues in the Legislature for their hard work and leadership in reaching this agreement.”

Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos said: “I am pleased that we have arrived at a responsible Budget agreement that lives within the 2 percent spending cap, rejects tax increases and meets the needs of every region of this state – reflecting the priorities of our Senate Republican conference. Thanks to a dramatic reduction in the Gap Elimination Adjustment along with an overall school aid increase of approximately $1.4 billion, students will continue to have the resources they need to learn and thrive. The Budget also includes a blueprint for significant new reforms designed to improve performance in the classroom, reduce over-testing and promote excellence in teaching. In addition, we make sound investments in our infrastructure to create new jobs and encourage the private sector to build and grow. Working together, the Legislature and Governor have also significantly tightened up the state’s ethics and disclosure laws to improve transparency and restore the public’s trust. I thank the Governor, Speaker Heastie, Senator Klein and all of the members of the Senate and Assembly for their hard work and contributions to this year’s enacted Budget, which we expect to pass on time before April 1.”

Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie said: “Throughout this Budget process, the Assembly Majority pledged to stand strong for New York’s families. This financial plan provides historic increases in education funding for our children, funds our Higher Education Road to Success initiative, provides safe and affordable housing for a growing number of New Yorkers who are on the brink of homelessness, and grows our economy. I am particularly proud that this agreement builds upon our core values to strengthen our families, uplift our communities, and restore faith in our government. I thank Governor Cuomo and our colleagues in the Senate for their hard work in crafting a Budget that will help move New York forward.”

Spending
The Budget agreement includes spending in the following categories:· Total State Operating Funds: $94.25 billion; 2.0% growth
· School Aid: $23.5 billion; 6.1% growth
· Medicaid: $17.741 billion; 4.6% growth
· Funds from financial settlements: $5.4 billion, including $1.5 billion for the Upstate Revitalization Initiative and $500 million to make New York the first in the nation to have statewide broadband.
Full details and language to be released Monday.

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MR. RECEPTION: Frank Asprea of United Cerebral Palsy at the front desk.

WPCNR PEOPLE TO BE PROMOTED. From Cerebral Palsy of Westchester. March 28, 2015: 

United Cerebral Palsy’s Frank Asprea speaks volumes to the gifts that those withdevelopmental disabilities possess. Leading the way with an attitude of gratitude, Frank has not only held consistent employment in the community throughout his career but he has brought an awareness to individuals that the only disability in life is a “bad attitude”

.Frank began working at Cerebral Palsy of Westchester in March 2001 in which he worked as a cashier at the Company store for seven years. One year later, in 2002, he was offered a part-time position at Kohl’s in Port Chester again working as a cashier for the Company. As Frank’s skills progressed he continued to push himself and left Kohl’s as a cashier and was hired into the Human Resource Department at Target in Mt. Vernon, NY in which he was responsible for putting together new hire packets for employees, prescreening potential applicants, ordering supplies for the department, working on computers and photocopying bills.

To say Frank has a heart of gold is an understatement. After years of work
experience in the field of hospitality and human resources he applied for a
full-time position at Cerebral Palsy of Westchester as the Agency Receptionist.
In August 2011 Frank was hired by the Agency and continues to do an
excellent job to this day. Frank says: “I’ve always wanted to be an inspiration
to others. Showing all people that when you put your mind to something you
can do it.”

He then added: “As far as I’m concerned you can never judge a
book by its cover. What you see on the outside is not always what you get on
the inside.”
Due to Frank’s hard work and dedication he was voted employee of the
month in February 2011 and accepted the award for employee of the year in
October 2011! Frank Asprea is an exceptional employee who brings awareness
every single day to the life and accomplishments of those with developmental disabilities