LOGON | CONTACT

News

The latest happenings at the Chamber and the broader business community.

The Chamber hosts solutions-oriented 'Anti-Crime' Summit featuring Mayor Adams, District Attorney Bragg, Borough President Mark Levine, and other high-level policymakers

Thursday, January 19, 2023


The Chamber hosts solutions-oriented 'Anti-Crime' Summit featuring Mayor Adams, District Attorney Bragg, Borough President Mark Levine, and other high-level policymakers

The adverse effects of crime are having a severe impact on the quality of life and safety of New Yorkers and visitors. We want to give a voice to the concerns of business owners in Manhattan and help find solutions.

To that end, the Chamber held its first ever "Anti-Crime Summit" on Thursday, January 19, 2023  at New World Stages in the Theater District of Manhattan.

Mayor Eric Adams and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine both provided introductory remarks which were followed by remarks from two experts who providing a data-based overview of where we are: 

  • “Perception vs. Reality” – Richard Aborn, President, Citizens Crime Commission of New York City
  • “Impact of Mental Health” – Brian Stettin, Senior Advisor to the Mayor, Severe Mental Illness Policy

Then, the first panel included a diverse array of business leaders giving voice to their issues. This panel included:

  • MODERATOR: Wendell Jamieson, former Metro Editor at The New York Times
  • Wellington Chen, Executive Director, Chinatown Business Improvement District
  • Darin Hamilton, Regional Vice President – Northeast Region, Allied Universal
  • Moe Issa, Owner, Brooklyn Fare supermarkets and member of the CAPS coalition
  • Deborah Koenigsberger, Owner, The Thrifty Hog and Noir et Blanc
  • Joe Stein, Asset Protection Director, Walgreens

Finally, we engaged a panel of government officials who are in a position to enact change and address concerns. Panelists included:

  • MODERATOR: Jonathan Dienst, Chief Investigative Reporter, NBC 4 New York
  • Jamaal T. Bailey, Chair of the Codes Committee, New York State Senate
  • Alvin Bragg, Manhattan District Attorney
  • Jeffrey Dinowitz, Chair of the Codes Committees, New York State Assembly
  • Kathryn Garcia, Director of State Operations, The State of New York
  • Jeffrey Maddrey, Chief of Department, New York Police Department

The objective was to elevate the conversation on crime and present a unified approach, to educate people on the issues and help, in some small way, to brainstorm solutions and highlight key action items.  

This half-day summit is being hosted by the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, together with other Manhattan-based organizations such as business improvement districts and civic associations, including:

  • 125th Street Business Improvement District
  • The Broadway Association
  • Collective Action to Protect our Stores (CAPS)
  • Chamber of Commerce of Washington Heights and Inwood
  • Chinatown Business Improvement District
  • Downtown Alliance
  • East Midtown Partnership
  • Fifth Avenue Association
  • Garment District NYC
  • Grand Central Partnership
  • Hudson Square Business Improvement District
  • Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance
  • Lincoln Square Business Improvement District
  • Madison Avenue Business Improvement District
  • Soho Broadway Initiative
  • Times Square Alliance
  • Union Square Partnership

Summit attendees were a curated room of 300+ people comprised of executive committees and boards of the participating organizations. Press covered the event and it was also be livestreamed to the public.

The event can be watched via YouTube here.

Press coverage of the event included: