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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CRIME DOWN IN WESTCHESTER FOR 7 YEARS IN ROW

535 BUSINESSES OPENED IN 4 YEARS BY LAUNCH 1000 ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM.

NEW YORK POWER COMPANY TO SUPPLY CLEAN ELECTRICITY TO CUT ELECTRIC BILLS FOR INCOME ELIGIBLE USERS. DETAILS TO COME

THE CASH APS ADVANCES ON PAY CHECKS SOAR CONSUMER DEBT ANOTHER GOOD REASON TO REGULATE CRYPTO AND THE INTERNET. WHY ISN’T CONGRESS PAYING ATTENTION?

JOHN BAILEY REPORTS ON THE FLISSER LATIMER FORUM  THURSDAY NIGHT FOR THE 16TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

JOHN BAILEY AND THE NEWS

EVERY WEEK ON WHITE PLAINS WEEK

FOR 23 YEARS

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WPCNR CRIMESTOPPERS NOTEBOOK. From Westchester County Department of Communications. October 16, 2024:

Crime rates in Westchester County have once again declined, according to the latest data from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. Westchester County Executive George Latimer attributed this encouraging trend to the tireless efforts of law enforcement and the strong collaboration with community partners.

The report highlights significant progress in three key areas: shootings, murders, and overall crime—all of which have seen positive decreases. These improvements reflect the County’s ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of its residents.

Shootings

Source: DCJS, data through September 30, 2024

Year to date shootings are down 34.5%, from 29 shootings in January to September 2023 to 19 shootings in January to September 2024.

With 2.1 shootings per month, Westchester in 2024 has the second lowest number of shootings on record. Only 2019 was better with 1.9 shootings per month. Since the pandemic spike, shootings are down by about 50%.

Murders

DCJS, data through May 31, 2024

Murders were down 57% year over year, from 7 murders in January to May 2023 to 3 murders in January to May 2024.

This level of murders is the lowest number of murders of any Jan-May period since 1990.

Crime

DCJS, data through May 31, 2024

Crime is down 10% year over year.  Westchester has currently 53% less crime than in 2000 and 33% less crime than in 2010. Crime is lower than 2017 and it is only 9% higher than the historic lows of 2018-2019.

Latimer said: “Our commitment to fighting crime in Westchester County is stronger than ever. We’ve invested in the Westchester County Department of Public Safety at record levels because I am dedicated to keeping this County safe for all of us. This progress is thanks, in large part, to the dedication and bravery of our law enforcement officers.”

Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins said: “The collaboration between our law enforcement, community leaders, and residents is key to our success in reducing crime. Westchester is proof that when we work together, we can create safer communities for everyone. This decrease in crime is a direct result of our collective efforts and dedication to public safety.”

Westchester County Department of Public Safety Commissioner Terrance Raynor said: “These positive statistics reflect the relentless dedication of our law enforcement officers, who work day in and day out to protect and serve. Their commitment has led to this significant drop in crime, helping to ensure a safer environment and peace of mind for all Westchester residents.”

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New Research Report “A Loan Shark in Your Pocket: The Perils of Earned Wage Advance”

WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. From The Center for Responsible Lending Washington, D.C. October 15, 2024:

The Center for Responsible Lending today released “A Loan Shark in Your Pocket: The Perils of Earned Wage Advance,” a report on the fast-growing market for cash advance apps and how these loans harm consumers.

The report features a dataset of transactions showing rates of reborrowing, loan stacking, and overdraft fees experienced by people borrowing from a cash advance app  or from a combination of these lenders.

The report is accompanied by infographic one-pagers showing data nationally and for several states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

“By offering predatory credit with just a few taps on your cell phone, cash advance apps are a loan shark in your pocket.

This report shows many cash advance app borrowers are trapped in a cycle of debt like that experienced by payday loan borrowers,” said Candice Wang, senior researcher at CRL. “Cash advance app companies issue loans with triple-digit annual interest rates in nearly every corner of America – even where those rates are illegally high – inflicting financial pain on a growing number of consumers.”

Key findings of the report:

1. Many cash advance app borrowers are trapped in a debt cycle and the heaviest users drive the business model.
2.  Repeat use of advances is common and high-frequency users accounted for 38% of users and 86% of advances. Many users borrowed from multiple apps simultaneously. Nearly half of all borrowers had used multiple companies in the same month.
3. App use is associated with increased overdraft fees and payday loan use. For users with overdraft fees or payday loans, the majority saw the number of times they used these high-cost products increase after taking out an advance for the first time.
4. Consumers across states are experiencing similar harms. The eighteen states we analyzed had similar patterns of repeat borrowing, overdraft use, and loan stacking.

Background

CRL received anonymized financial transactions data dating from January 2021 through June 2024 from a panel of low- to moderate-income consumers affiliated with SaverLife, a nonprofit dedicated to using technology to improve financial health. CRL matched over 214,000 advances to nearly 6,000 unique users across twenty cash advance apps:

direct-to-consumer lenders Albert Instant, Brigit, Cleo, Dave, EarnIn, Empower, FloatMe, Klover, MoneyLion, and Varo Advance, as well as employer-integrated lenders Branch, DailyPay, One@Work (formerly Even), PayActiv, Rain, Tapcheck, Immediate, Instant Financial, Wagestream, and ZayZoon.

All new and just-updated materials released today:

• New Report: “A Loan Shark in Your Pocket: The Perils of Earned Wage Advance”
• New Infographic one-pagers: national and state-level.
• Updated brief: “Paying to be Paid: Consumer Protections Needed for Earned Wage Advances and Other Fintech Cash Advances”
• Updated one-page primer: “Earned Wage Advance: States Should Regulate as Credit, Protect Consumers”

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A 20 KNOTS BREEZE CHOPPED UP THE LONG ISLAND SOUND AND THIS SAILOR SET AN AMAZING PERFECT STEADY SPEEDY “TACK” AGAINST THE SOUTHEAST WIND ACROSS THE SOUND IN ABOUT A HALF HOUR..

THE BREEZE WAS STRONG ENOUGH FOR HUMAN SAILBOATS AS THIS KITE SUFFER THRILLED SHOCKED WALKERS ON THE BOARDWALK WITH HIS MASTERY OF THE BLUSTERY BREEZE EXECUTING HAIRPIN TURNS ON THE POWERFUL PUSHY  2 TO 3 FOOT SWELLS AND AIRSURFING 20 FEET ABOVE THE “HEAVIES” OR WHAT PASSES FOR  HEAVIES OFF RYE BEACH. WITH 20 KNOT WINDS PUSHING HIS KITE AND HIM CONTROLLING ONE-HANDED AT TIMES IT WAS A MASTER DEMONSRATION OF STRENGTH AGILITY SKILL AND SAILING.

COW-A-BUNGA!

WHO WAS THIS MASTER OF THE AIR?