Meet the Queens Borough President (& Candidate)

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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer, on WNYC. We continue now to speak with winners of the New York City primary. Back with us now is the Queens Borough President, who won a squeaker to get the nomination to keep his job, Donovan Richards. You may remember he was on the show back in December, after his win of the special election to replace Melinda Katz, who had become the Queens District Attorney.

Prior to that Donovan Richards was a City Council Member, representing Southeast Queens, Far Rockaway, Laurelton around there and he was Chairman of the Public Safety Committee. Obviously, that topic is so in the news. Let's talk to the President of Queens. Borough President, welcome back to WNYC, and congratulations on your renomination.

Donovan Richards: Thank you, it's always great to be on, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: Listeners from Queens, we'll open the phones right up to you. Do you want to ask something of the incumbent Queens Borough President running for a full-term? The phones are open for you 646-435-7280, on COVID, on rent, on public safety, anything, 646-435-7280, or tweet a question from Queens @BrianLehrer.

Mr. President, let me start with public safety since you were chair of the Public Safety Committee. We know what's going on with crime. We know what's going on with the tension between the need to reduce the number of shootings, and the need to do police reform. Were you a backer of Eric Adams in the primary? I don't even know that, and how do you think the two of you would work together on this issue?

Donovan Richards: Yes, I did endorse Eric Adams. Let me start with the premise stating the fact that Eric Adams comes from my neighborhood. He's someone who's endured police brutality, but also understands the balance of ensuring that you work with the department as well, and it's my story.

His story is my story. My first experience at 13 coming into the world as a teenager was being stopped and frisked with guns drawn on me, by God's grace, my cousin and I lived to tell the story. But I also recognize that we have to work with the local department. It's about ensuring that we truly do build out a real community-police relations strategy that works.

This is one of the reasons I secured the 116 Precinct in Southeast Queens, which was going to be one of the newest precincts in the city, but the difference of what this model will look like is they're going to have a food pantry in it, you're going to have community center space, a street plaza. As we talk about building a true relationship between the community and the department, I believe that this is going to be the model that the city should replicate.

Brian Lehrer: We had Former Police Commissioner Bratton on the show this week, and he was of the opinion that despite Adams' defense of the legal use of stop and frisk during the campaign, and he's advising Adams that he doesn't think that means that there are going to be more stops than there are currently in the de Blasio

administration. Would that be your opinion?

Donovan Richards: Stop and frisk has never gone away. Quite frankly, even when you look at the numbers now, overwhelmingly where those stop and frisk still happening, they're happening in majority Black and brown communities across the city. This is something we'll be watching, but I've had these conversations with Eric, just about two weeks ago over dinner. Where we talked about the importance of balancing public safety and reform. I think he's going to be somebody who can strike the right needle.

Brian Lehrer: Do you think the crime problem in the city is being exaggerated for political purposes by some people, or in the media for sensationalism?

Donovan Richards: You look at the number, then numbers will give you all the facts you need to know, but I do want to start with the premise that nobody cares about stats when somebody gets shot, what it [unintelligible 00:04:19] in your community. The facts are that if there's a shooting on your block and you normally don't see shootings on your block, it's going to feel different to you.

I had three guys shot around the corner from my house, a few months ago. Unfortunately, one of them died. Those closest to this problem are going to feel it more than others, but I will say, we're still nowhere near we were in the '90s, and that's something that we can still continue to celebrate, but there's still a lot more work that needs to be done. That means even within the department, when you look at clearance rates, for instance, on major crimes, these shootings, the numbers are still relatively low.

We always will say, "Our communities don't want to be held hostage by bad cops and robbers." The bottom line is you got to arrest both perpetrating violent crimes, but you also have to hold officers accountable who are not practicing what we all know they should, and that's something called CPR, Courtesy, Professionalism, and Respect. There has to be that balance. Once again, communities want the perpetrators that will be shootings to be held accountable.

I think back going to Justin Wallace's funeral just a few weeks ago. This young man who didn't even turn 11 years old, who lost his life to senseless gun violence. Our communities don't want to see that happening, but we also want to make sure we have a department that's responsive to our communities as well.

Brian Lehrer: It's interesting to see City Council members who are focused on public safety, taking more powerful positions around the city. You are Public Safety Chair and City Council, and you're Queens Borough President now, and now renominated for a full-term. Vanessa Gibson was also, for a while, Public Safety Chair and City Council. She's now the nominee for Bronx Borough President. That's a pretty interesting turn.

Donovan Richards: That is. I guess now we got to watch Adrian Adams [laughs].

Brian Lehrer: Right. By the way, you are already the Borough President of Queens, some people know you and you've been on the show before, of course, but as you're  

now nominated for a full-term, for some of the winners of the primary, we've been having them on and letting them do a little bit more biographical background, especially those who are the presumed winners in the fall election, since this is such a Democratic city, is not really going to be much Republican competition presumably, for a position like yours.

For those unfamiliar-- And by the way, we did it with Eric Adams after he won. He and I talked about how we went to the same Queens High School, but we had different experiences there in certain respects. Why don't you tell the listeners a little bit more about who you are, and what led you into politics from your childhood in Southeast Queens?

Donovan Richards: It was an unfortunate incident, and people talk about violence and senseless violence, and I was this 18-year-old kid from Southeast Queens trying to figure it out first to graduate high school and my family first to go on to college. My father just became a citizen two years ago. The first election he was able to vote in, it was my election for Borough President, but I was 17 years old.

Brian Lehrer: Let me jump in. How did that feel?

Donovan Richards: Oh, man, his name is Donovan Senior too. It was an honor, he describes that as an out of body experience [laughs] and my parents were teenagers. We come from neighborhoods where people will say, "Well, where did you grow up?" I grew up in like 20 different places in Southeast Queens, because being born teenage parents, they would just try to make it and hold on, and they sacrifice a great deal for me.

It was at 18 years old when my childhood friend Darnell Patterson was shot and killed in Southeast Queens. That changed my life, looking at him in the casket. I went to a meeting on gun violence. I had never, Brian, been engage or going to meetings on gun violence, but something led me to this meeting after his death. I met my local City Council Member, James Sanders at the time. Decided to volunteer with him twice in the summer. I was like, "These politicians don't get it." Then he offered me a position at the City Council in November, 2003.

I started the equivalent of a man with a broom and a dustpan. Started as an intern, worked my way up to chief of staff, and then ran for the City Council in 2013. The crazy part about this story, Brian, is I was sworn in literally on the anniversary of my childhood friend's death, and very similar, very close election out of a special election, because Sanders went on to become a state Senator. We had to do a recount and I was sworn in on the floor of City Hall on the anniversary of his death. When people talk about violence and senseless violence, it's beyond rhetoric for me. This is personal.

Brian Lehrer: Annette in Laurelton. [unintelligible 00:09:35] City Council District. Annette, you're on WNYC with Queens Borough President, and now nominee, Donovan Richards. Hi, Annette.

Annette: Good morning to you both. I think Donovan, he knows me because I've

always been very active in my block and my community. I'm very, very upset because I've been in Laurelton since 1974, the traffic that's going southwest from 130th. I'm speaking about that to American Boulevard because you're aware of the grassy medium in the middle. The cars, when they pass my house, it seems like they're on my sidewalk. We already about two months ago had a terrible accident on Francis Lewis and 131st with one of the neighbors, a car winded up on her front lawn. Now, I've called all my elected officials. I don't intend to stop because this issue must be addressed because it's [crosstalk]

Donovan Richards: Your friend is Lewis in 131st Avenue, you said?

Annette: That's where the accident occurred, yes. I live on Francis Lewis between 130th and 131st. That's where the grassy medium sides from 130th and ends at American Boulevard.

Brian Lehrer: What's the policy question here?

Annette: The policy is that we had requested a letter to the Department of Transportation that they put some sort of speed device. I received a letter back saying that we don't live in an area where it's a school, close to a school.

Donovan Richards: Got it. They did just install a camera right off of Francis Lewis, but it's on 121st Avenue side, so I know the area very well. You're not close enough in proximity to a school, that's why they won't put a speed camera. What we can do is request for speed humps or speed bumps, one of the two.

Brian Lehrer: Is that a problem that you went that you're going to do that?

Donovan Richards: I don't want to promise because DLT has to do a study and that study normally takes about seven months to a year. I could have, Brittany, if you can just-- I don't know how this works, Brian, if you want to give us an email or give us your information to reply.

Brian Lehrer: Yes. We can do that. We do that.

Donovan Richards: I can have my office follow up on request that. But they did, [crosstalk].

Brian Lehrer: We'll take your contact information off the air and make that connection. That hang on and we'll do that. With respect to speed cameras, what's the policy there? Were you just indicating that they can only be installed near schools?

Donovan Richards: Yes, they have to be in close proximity. I don't want to give you the seat because I don't want to misquote, but they do have to be within a certain proximity of a school and that's based on state law. When we expanded the camera program that was part of the deal. You're not going to see speed cameras in between your residential block, the rule of thumb is they have to be within close proximity of the school.

Brian Lehrer: Stephanie in Forest Hills, you're on WNYC with Queens Borough President and now the Democratic nominee to be elected to a full term of that, Donovan Richards. Hi, Stephanie.

Stephanie: Hi, good morning. I'm a parent, but I should have graduated. I live in Florida Hilld. This was before the pandemic. There was a big plan that DOE had, was to bus kids from south to the southern part of 28 to the northern part. Okay. There was [unintelligible 00:13:34] from the Black parents, and from the white parents, and from the Asian parents about why they're busing my kids all around. I understand they want racial balance, but none of the parents were happy about being bused.

I felt some of the Black parents that [unintelligible 00:13:48] the schools, the other parents thought, "Why my kids has been bused around? Is there anything that could be done about it? I know the Borough President Office have certain limits, but what's means [unintelligible 00:14:00] about that?

Donovan Richards: Well, that plan has not moved forward as far as I know. The bottom line is every child deserves access to good education and quality school. This is one of the reasons I put close to 10 or $15 million into our local school system and including schools in Forest Hills all the way down to Southeast Queens. The bottom line is you shouldn't have to be bused out of your neighborhood to have access to a quality school. Yes, I do believe that school integration is certainly something that should happen, but at the end of the day, you should not have to leave your neighborhood to gain access to a quality school. That's to be continued. As far as I know, I have not heard of any plans to fully move forward with this as of yet and we're monitoring it closely.

Stephanie: Because just before the pandemic, they had meetings in both parks and in all parts of the district. That, since the pandemic, everything stopped. Now, we're just curious. I'm a Black parent who lived in Forest Hills and I moved to Forest Hills because the schools were good, simple.

Brian Lehrer: What do you want to see happen then, Stephanie?

Stephanie: What I would want to see is I would want to see one limited integration. I grew up on the Lower Wast Side, so I grew up doing that, but also I think that some of the schools and the other areas should be improved. Because basically if you watch 28, would you [unintelligible 00:15:33] a Regal Park

Brian Lehrer: School district 28.

Stephanie: - and then to Jamaica-- Yes. 28 is a crazy district, trust me. As the closer you move to South East Queens, the less favorable results the students are getting. There's something wrong with that [crosstalk].

Donovan Richards: Well, let me add on to that. Let me say this is a question of access. Also, you have to remember, lot of the schools have been historically undefended and this is systemic. This is systemic racism. That's the only way to put

it, but I believe the state has done a great job this year in sending some money down back to the city. We're going to see a lot of law schools 100% fully funded this year on what we've seen in the past, but the bottom line is every child should have access to the same thing.

There's this notion that parents in Southeast Queens don't work hard or work with their children. That it's so far from the truth. The problem is that a lot of these schools have been historically underfunded and under-resourced, and that's the way you get schools to be good. They need to be fully funded. You need to ensure that there's an active community participation in these schools and what you do see a lot of that with the PTA's as well. The bottom line is every school district should receive its fair share of equity and funding.

Brian Lehrer: Stephanie, thank you for your call. For president, how much of a rent crisis in Queens do you have right now? Or do you think is around the corner with the expiring of some of the rent moratoriums?

Donovan Richards: This is something that keeps me up at night. I will be honest with you. We know that the storm is coming. One, we've already had an affordability crisis and we're working hard, we will be breaking ground on some supportive housing in a few weeks. We just broke ground on the first phase of Willets point, but we are going to be in a crisis. One of the things I want to see the mayor do is expand the right to Council into the borough so more people have access to resources. We also very happy that the governor has finally looked at revamping this whole program they had, which would help tenants get back rent pay.

This is going to be a crisis of big magnitude, and we have to ensure that the resources are reaching the tenants who desperately need it. We have to make sure jobs are assessable here. I've been working hard to keep JetBlue here, was the one with the CEO just a little while ago, speaking about the possibilities of more job opportunities coming. This crisis that we find ourselves in has been exacerbated by-- as what I spoke of earlier, many of the inequities that have been in these communities going back decades. If we don't see the federal government and the state and the city truly coming together, you talk about a homeless crisis that we face already. You're going to see that number double or quadruple over the course of the next decade, if we don't get ahead of this.

Brian Lehrer: One of the powers that a Borough president does have among the limited powers has to do with real estate and development. That of course interacts with the affordability that you were just talking about, in particular to Queens is the massive special flushing waterfront district. The city has planned for flushing creek controversial. What are your thoughts on that and any other large projects across the borough that you may want to have an impact on going forward or not going forward?

Donovan Richards: Well, the bottom line is, show me your budget and you'll show me your priorities and the city needs to really come in HPD. I'm also, Brian, just so, the former chairman of the Zoning and Franchises Committee, so I have some expertise in housing. Also understand that, yes, it's not going to always be popular to  

do rezonings and to create more density in neighborhoods, but yhe bottom line is if HPD is not coming in and saying, "We're going to subsidize these projects on top of what mandatory inclusionary housing is doing", then you're just spinning your wheels.

Something like the Flushing Special waterfront district is something I hope that as Eric Adams comes in, because I believe this project is coming under him as well, he'll have some say so here as well. HPD needs to put subsidy in, you have a huge opportunity with Sunnyside Yards. We could build thousands upon thousands of affordable housing units, create a transportation, connect to build schools, because it's not just about housing, it's about the wraparound services there.

Then another tool that I've been exploring and I actually passed the legislation and the council, which enabled HPD to recognize Community Land Trust. [unintelligible 00:20:34] on the Rockaways is going to be one of the first places right now, HPD has put out an RFP for organizations that are interested in actually building out a Community Land Trust in Queens, which I believe this will be the first one, but we have thousands upon thousands of units being built out in the Rockaways as we speak as well. This is just a question of priorities and we need HPD to fully subsidize these projects so that we can really build out truly affordable housing.

Brian Lehrer: Let's get one more color in here before we run out of time. Kimmy in Bayside, calling about a park in Jamaica, Kimmy, you're on WNYC with Borough President.

Kimmy: Hi, thanks for taking my call. I'm calling about the [inaudible 00:21:17]. I live in Bayside, but we go to church in Jamaica, Queens, and they have a soccer program. We use te [inaudible 00:21:27] truck are is always covered with tons and tons of that [inaudible 00:21:39].

Brian Lehrer: You know what? I'm going to have to jump in because the connection is so bad, I don't think the listeners can understand you, but according to my screener, Borough President, she's asking about Williams Park. She says trash. She says needles. She says people riding motorcycles across all while kids are trying to practice soccer.

Donovan Richards: That is new to us. I will certainly follow up and you should also know that I'm working with Council [unintelligible 00:22:12], I believe we have like a $20 million investment going into that park to redo the entire park and I want to thank him for his leadership on that. Obviously, we kicked in a few dollars from the Borough President's Office as well, but I will ensure we follow up on this quality of life issue right away.

Brian Lehrer: That's where we're going to have to leave it for now. Assuming you're reelected, we look forward to having you on many times over the next four years. We sometimes, as you know, we put Borough presidents together on the show and have an interborough dialogue and we do all kinds of other things. Thank you for coming on today.

Donovan Richards: I was going to beat a senior member, by the way.

Brian Lehrer: My goodness, because everybody else is [crosstalk] have been on the job for six months. because of that special election. All right, we look forward to whatever comes next. Donovan Richards the currently six months in office Borough President of Queens after December'S special election, now running for a full term. Thank you so much with us again today.

Donovan Richards: Always great to be on what you, Brian, take care.

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