NYC NOW - Midday News: NYPD to Add Security Cameras in Upper Manhattan, Police Radio Access Bill Advances, and Primary Day Countdown Begins

Episode Date: June 9, 2025

The NYPD is installing dozens of new security cameras in public areas of Upper Manhattan, funded by a $1 million federal grant. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch says the cameras will help prevent crime and aid investigations. Meanwhile, a bill to keep NYPD radio dispatches accessible to emergency groups and journalists is headed to the governor’s desk after passing both chambers of the state legislature. Plus, with just 15 days to go until Primary Day in New York City, WNYC’s Brian Lehrer and Brigid Bergin share key updates.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Monday, June 9th. Here's the midday news from Michael Hill. The NYPD says it's installing dozens of security cameras in public spaces. In Upper Manhattan, thanks to a million-dollar federal grant, police commissioner Jessica Tiss says they'll help police produce. pursue criminal investigations and prevent crime. When people know that the NYPD is watching over the block, it makes them think twice.

Commissioner Tiss says the NYPD installs high-definition cameras based on crime data, and the cameras run 24 hours seven days a week. Officials say the expansion includes 38 locations in several neighborhoods, and crews will install the cameras within the next two months. A bill to protect public access to NYPD radio dispatches is one step closer to becoming law. The state senate and the state assembly both passed the Keep Police Radio Public Act last week. It now goes to the governor's desk. It's unclear if she intends to sign it.

New York State Senate deputy majority leader Mike Gianaris of Queens sponsors the bill. He says the law would open up radio communications to emergency service organizations and professional journalists. they should be able to continue to monitor this so they can get on site when activity is taking place and not have to rely only on police accounts after the fact because the dangers of that are obvious to everybody. The bills in response to the police department's shielding law enforcement radio frequencies from the public, the NYPD says encrypting radio communications is necessary to keep law enforcement victims and witnesses safe. 63 with clouds now, 50-50 chance of showers later on, high temp's mid to upper 60s today. Stay close. There's more after the break.

With just 15 days until a primary day in New York City, it's crunch time for candidates and voters. For the next three Mondays, both WNYC's Brian Lera and Bridget Bergen will join us here with what we need to know to get ready to cast our votes. Bridget, are there any deadlines we should be aware of this week? Oh, yeah, Michael. There's a whole bunch of things voters should be aware of. Today, specifically June 9th, is the deadline to change your voter registration if you moved. So if you're one of those voters who maybe has a place in the Catskills or maybe out on Long Island and you change your registration during those crucial midterm elections, well, if you want to vote in the New York City primary, you need to change it back by today.

It's also the last day of the fundraising period. the latest fundraising period. So if you get those emails or texts from candidates asking for money, you may get some pretty desperate sounding asks today. The next date would be Saturday, June 14th. It's a big day for three reasons. It's the last day to register to vote if you are a new voter. It's also the last day to apply online for an early vote-by-mail ballot. You can still apply in person up until the day before election day. and then Saturday, June 14th, is also the first day of in-person early voting. And a big reminder that if you are going to do that, make sure you check your poll site before you go out to vote. Those early voting poll sites often change and are different from your Election Day poll site.

Some big deadlines there. Another two big dates this week, June 10th and June 12th. Those are the second debates for the Democrats running for New York City controller. And mayor, Brian, you're one of the moderators. for both of those. Tell us what you'll be watching for in both of these debates. Yeah, well, good morning, Michael. Good morning, everyone. Given the events of the weekend in L.A., I will now be watching for how the mayoral candidates say they would handle the kinds of workplace immigration raids and protests against them and Trump federalizing and deploying the New York National Guard with a kind of thing

to happen here that's happening there. As mayor of L.A., Karen Bass has been on the political front lines there. How would these candidates argue they would be better than he? each other at handling a similar situation here. That, of course, in addition to the core local issues like affordable housing, education, public safety, and more that are always on the radar, and fasten your seatbelts, two hours, seven candidates, so we'll do our best to strike the balance between hitting enough important issues and going into enough depth to make their answers meaningful. But the controller debate is first. That's tomorrow night at seven, between City Council Finance Committee Chair Justin Brannon

and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, they both say they want to guard the city's fiscal soundness, help finance affordable housing, protect the city from Trump defunding, divest the pension funds from socially destructive things, and a few other items. They agree on a lot, so I'll be looking for who makes the case

that they can be the more effective at those things. And Brian, how can listeners follow along? Tuesday and Thursday, at 7 p.m. on WNYC, FM and AM, and live streaming at WNYC.org. Or if you have spectrum cable in the city, you can watch on New York One. Now, Bridget, you've been out talking to voters. Are they starting to tune in to the races? Yeah, Michael. Although I was really surprised this weekend, I was out both Saturday and Sunday talking to voters. And the number of voters I encountered who were still undecided really was kind of shocking. I was talking to voters out in South East,

Queens, asking them about what issues mattered to the most and whether there was a candidate who really was speaking to those issues. If voters did have a candidate, it was often Andrew Cuomo. But I also encountered people like Yvonne James. She's 70 years old living in Queens Village. She works as an auditor. Here's what she is looking for in a candidate. To improve our community right now and to make benefits available for senior citizens in my area

so we can afford to stay in the homes we live in. Yeah. And I should note that, you know, the area in Queens where James lives is an area where there are a lot of people who are home owners, more than renters. So it's interesting to hear her talk about that issue. At this point, she says she still hasn't decided which candidate is speaking to these issues effectively enough yet. But I also spoke to voters like Jeffrey Gurley, a retired NYPD officer who told me, it's not just the candidates that he's trying to figure out at this point. The most important thing of this whole situation is the rank choice is kind of confusing

and they got, you know, we've got a couple weeks to try to educate people on it. So it is very confusing to, just, I would say, the average voter is very confusing. And Michael, so hopefully Jeffrey's listening this morning because I know the morning edition team has a plan to help voters get up to speed on rank choice voting. Yeah, Mr. Gurley needs to tune in if he's not listening. Brian, you've been hearing from callers throughout the primary season. Are there any themes you've heard from them so far? Sure.

People want to know about the perennial New York City issues, ride affordable housing, public safety, education, good mass transit, inequality, pedestrian safety from cars and motorized two-wheeler's, also the environment. And this year, they want to know about mass deportation, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia and as connected to Israel and Gaza, and how to work with or protect the city from Donald Trump. Also, there are two front runners in the race,

as most of our listeners probably know, if we can believe the polls, who people have been choosing upsides over, Cuomo or Mamdani, with contrasting styles and views on the issues where you'll try to clarify them. And I'm sure on this morning show, coming up at 10,

people will have something to say about the L.A. type scenario. And also about candidate Jessica Ramos, one of those endorsed by the progressive working family, family's party shocking almost everyone on Friday by endorsing Cuomo. People are saying, what? Right, I want to go to the mayor's debate on Thursday. A lot of candidates, and when you have a lot of candidates, things can tend to get a little unruly with people over talking each other. What's the format for Thursday? There is a format. There are rules that have been set. I don't have all the details in front of me, but it gives some structure and also some flexibility to us to both keep things under control and try to get enough depth on some of the responses.

And what about for the controller conversation or debate tomorrow night? Similar. It's easier with just two candidates, but similar. Right, indeed. And Bridget, when you talk to voters, I'm curious about some of the things that they're saying to you, are people, interested in voting because apathy is always a big issue. People tend to think sometimes that not much is going to change if I go and vote. You know, Michael, I was doing two different things this weekend. I went out with a group of canvassers, and those are people who are knocking on doors of potential voters that they think might be interested in the Democratic nominee or the Democratic

primary, and then also just talking to voters outside of a church in Southeast Queens. And it was interesting. The voters at the doors, you know, I think you sensed a little bit more reluctance, people who either they were totally engaged and knew exactly who they were voting for or they were like, I don't want strangers at my door, understandably, to some degree. And so I think these next last 15 days are going to be really crucial. These debates may really influence some voters. Bridget and Brian, pardon me, we'll have to leave it there. We'll be back next week with more. Thanks to you both.

Thank you. You're welcome. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WMYC. Check us out for updates every weekday, three times a date for the latest news headlines and occasional deep dives. And subscribe wherever you get your podcast. NYC.