Bill Requiring Criminal Checks for Bus Drivers Moves Forward
The state Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would require criminal background checks for bus drivers. The legislation has now been sent to the Assembly. Under the proposed law, newly hired drivers would have a conditional period of 90 days to undergo a criminal check, while all current bus drivers would have to submit to one at the next renewal of their driver’s licenses. The bill was created after a series of fatal bus crashes over the past few months. In March, a tourist bus based in New York City’s Chinatown crashed on a highway in the Bronx, causing 15 deaths. Its driver had prior convictions for manslaughter, grand larceny, and driving without a license. “Helping to weed out drivers who don’t belong behind the wheel of a bus will help improve safety for bus passengers and everyone else on the roads,” said state Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr., who sponsored the bill.
Schumer Urges FBI Agents to Get Cybercrime Training
Sen. Charles Schumer called on the FBI to establish a partnership with the Utica College, so that FBI agents could obtain the knowledge required to fight cybercrimes and cyberterrorism. The college’s Economic Crime Institute and Center for Identity Management and Information Protection are the leading institutions in providing training for expertise in modern crimes like identity theft, economic crimes, and cybercrimes. “I believe the bureau and the college could form a training partnership aimed at strengthening the capabilities of the FBI cybercrime division while allowing Utica College to tailor its intelligence and forensics capabilities,” said Schumer in a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller. A recent report by the U.S. Department of Justice showed that out of 36 FBI field agents interviewed for the study, more than a third had inadequate cybercrime fighting knowledge. Google revealed this week that Chinese hackers were able to breach the company’s Gmail system, breaking into several hundred e-mail accounts, some of which belonged to top U.S. government officials, journalists, and activists.
Officials Applaud Cuomo’s Decision to Suspend Secure Communities Program
Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced that he will suspend the state’s participation in the Secure Communities deportation program. City officials applauded his decision. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer called the move “a change that will save the lives and futures of so many families and immigrant New Yorkers and help bring communities together in New York.” The Secure Communities deportation program is the Obama administration’s attempt to send illegal immigrants and non-citizens with criminal records out of the country. “The ‘Secure Communities’ program would push undocumented immigrants further into the darkness, making them less likely to cooperate with police officers and other government officials,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. in a statement. Public Advocate Bill de Blasio commented that “the program has made New Yorkers less safe and torn families apart.” New York is the second state that has officially announced its withdrawal from the program, following Illinois.
