One Brooklyn
April 24, 2020
Photo Credit: Hercules Reid/Brooklyn BP’s Office
Brooklyn, NY – Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams joined Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel, law enforcement officials from the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and Cure Violence leaders to distribute masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) to residents in Brownsville. The coalition engaged residents to encourage social distancing in an area with high COVID-19 cases. The State recently opened a walk-in testing site in the area in response to the high rate of infections in the area relative to the rest of the city.
Recent statistics from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) showed that African-Americans and Latinos account for a disproportionate amount of deaths associated with COVID-19, and low-income areas such as Brownsville have been hardest hit by the virus.
“We are seeing a clear pattern emerging in COVID-19 deaths. Communities of color and low-income areas are accounting for a disproportionate share of fatalities. We don’t have the luxury of waiting until after this crisis passes to assess where we went wrong when the death toll from this virus is growing by the day. That’s why we must speak to all communities, especially those that have been hard-hit by the disease, to ensure they know about social distancing, wearing face coverings, and other basic tips to keep themselves and their families safe,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
“As the Borough Commander, and someone who has been in the North Brooklyn community for most of my career, I see my role not solely as a protector, but as a partner of the community. The residents here who we know are disproportionately impacted by this crisis need the supplies, access, and resources to stay safe. It is my obligation to work with all City agencies and elected officials to see that their needs are met. It brings me great comfort to stand beside my Cure Violence teams to take a multi-pronged approach to bring safety to our community. Today is not just about distributing supplies — it is about demonstrating through action that we are taking a holistic approach to public safety in unison with our most active partners,” said NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey, commanding officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn North.
“CAMBA’s BIVO program (Brownsville In Violence Out) is committed to the safety and health of the Brownsville community, including our efforts to eliminate anti-gun violence. We extend our commitment to community safety by distributing masks for protection against the coronavirus. BIVO is proud to join with Borough President Eric Adams as he contributes even more masks, amplifying the importance of using protection for ourselves and others against this devastating virus,” says Joanne M. Oplustil, president & CEO of CAMBA.
Borough President Adams emphasized that he will continue to personally distribute donated masks and other PPE to New Yorkers as long as supply is available. He reminded anyone in need of assistance, or with the ability to volunteer or donate supplies during this pandemic, to fill out the form at brooklyn-usa.org/you-can-help-brooklyn.
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