SPOTLIGHT ON: NEW YORK’S FINEST AND BRAVEST

Where else but the City Hall Library can you find a copy of the 1963 comic book Your Friend the Policeman? This publication was prepared by the NYPD for children to help them understand the role of the police officer. There is a wealth of historical and current information published by the Police and Fire Departments, available in the Library.

One of the most popular topics for research is crime statistics. The annual Complaints and Arrests reports prepared by the NYPD, contains information by precinct on arrests and complaints for various crimes such as burglary, rape, robbery, etc. These reports started in 1972. Yearly compilations currently end at 2001 but are supplemented by weekly reports.

Old annual reports of the Police Department provide some assistance with locating crime information from years prior to 1972. Other data such as what units comprise the Police Department, names of officials and financial information can be found in these reports. The collection covers the years 1870 to the 1990s.

Both the Police and Fire Departments publish magazines. The Police Department magazine Spring 3100 dates back to 1930 and the library has all issues. Learn about the history of the Police Department. Articles over the years have been about such topics as police motor vehicles, special divisions, profiles of officers and precincts. WNYF from the Fire Department offers a similar view. A recent issue included coverage of how the Fire Department dealt with the 2003 blackout. Annual reports of the Fire Department provide statistical and personnel information from 1855 to 2000. All of these documents and more offer fascinating background on New York’s Finest and Bravest.

REFERENCE QUESTIONS

The City Hall Library is home to a great variety of information sources, from New York City and other public agency publications, history books, newspaper clippings, the street and place name file, legal references and more. If you have a reference question you'd like to ask, our email is chlibrary@records.nyc.gov.

Every month, we receive many different and unusual research questions at the City Hall Library, here's a sampling of recent library users and their topics:

• An author from Los Angeles who is writing a book about James Cagney wanted to confirm that there is a street in New York named for the actor. There is: E. 91 St. – James Cagney Place, in Yorkville. We also told her of the small memorial to Cagney there.

• A student from Japan researching Board of Education and census documents from 1880 to 1910.

• Staff at a local hospital seeking circa 1900 annual reports for the NYC Training School for Nurses.

• An author writing a book about the histories of various street names

• A librarian at a private law firm interested in obtaining a copy of the Public Advocate’s report: Clothed in Controversy published in 1994. It deals with risk to New Yorkers from toxic chemical emissions from dry cleaning establishments and what can be done about the problem.

• An engineering firm seeking Landmarks Preservation Committee reports and other information on New York City armories.

• A librarian in Pennsylvania requesting crime rate statistics in New York City for the years 1983 and 1984.

• A caller asking about the official song of New York City. It is “New York, New York,” written in 1977 by John Kander and Fred Ebb, chosen by Mayor Ed Koch in 1983.

ACQUISITIONS LIST, MAY 2004

The following publications were received by the City Hall Library in the month of May. Additional government publications can be found online in our Government Publications section.

AKRF, Inc. Downtown Brooklyn development: draft environmental impact statement. Prepared for Office of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding. March 2004.

AKRF, Inc. Downtown Brooklyn development: final environmental impact statement (incorporating final supplemental environmental impact statement) CEQR no. 03DME016K. April 2004.

AKRF, Inc. West Chambers Street project: draft environmental impact statement. Prepared for Office of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development. February 20, 2004.

Campaign for Fiscal Equity, Inc. Sound Basic Education Task Force: ensuring an educational opportunity for all. Final report. May 2004.

Daniel Frankfurt, P.C./The RBA Group. Reconstruction of 99th/110th Avenues: preliminary design investigation report. March 2004. 7 vols.

Edgerton, Jesse, Andrew F. Hughwout, and Rae Rosen. Revenue implications of New York City's tax system. New York: Federal Reserve Bank of N.Y., April 2004.

Landrigan, Philip J., et al. Health environmental consequences of the World Trade Center disaster. (Reprint of article in Environmental Health Perspectives, v. 112, no. 6 (May, 2004).

Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. Lower Manhattan transportation strategies. April 24, 2003.

N.Y. City. Commission for the United Nations, Consular Corps and Protocol. Guide for Consular officers. 2002

N.Y. City. Commission on Human Rights. CCHR newsletter. January through fall 2003.

N.Y. City. Commission on Human Rights. Discrimination against Muslims, Arabs, and South Asians in New York City since 9/11. Summer 2003.

N.Y. City. Comptroller. Audit of the travel expenses of the Department of Education central office. May 25, 2004. (Report no. 7555).

N.Y. City. Comptroller. Audit report on the Department of Education's school safety plans for 10 elementary schools. May 19, 2004. (Report no. 7554)

N.Y. City. Comptroller. Audit report on the financial and operating practices of the Bronx Borough President's Office. May 3, 2004 (Report no. 7553)

N.Y. City. Comptroller. Audit report on the payroll, timekeeping, and other than personal services expenditures of the Business Integrity Commission. July 1, 2002-June 30, 2003. May 26, 2004. (Rept. no. 7557)

N.Y. City. Comptroller. Audit report on the effectiveness of the Department of Buildings in investigating safety-related complaints in a timely manner. May 26, 2004 (Report no. 7556)

N.Y. City. Education, Department of. Children first promotion policy: ensuring student success. March 2004.

N.Y. City. Health, Department of. Communicable disease newsletter. January 1975-February 1978.

N.Y. City. Independent Budget Office. City's $17 billion water & sewer plan -- balancing risks and costs. (IBO Fiscal Brief) May 2004.

N.Y. City. Independent Budget Office. Police overtime: tracking the big growth in spending. (IBO Fiscal Brief) April 2004.

N.Y. City. Landmarks Preservation Commission. Guide to New York City landmarks. 3rd edition. 2004.

N.Y. City. Landmarks Preservation Commission. Landmark site: Brooklyn Public Library, Dekalb Branch. May 18, 2004.

N.Y. City. Landmarks Preservation Commission. Landmark sites: F.J. Berlenbach House and Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue: designated landmarks. May 11, 2004.

N.Y. City. Procurement Policy Board. Rules. March 2004

N.Y. City. Sanitation, Department of. Public hearing on the comprehensive commercial waste management study held in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. November 18, 19, December 2, 2002.

N.Y. City. Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District. Re: the Choir Academy of Harlem. December 23, 2003.

N.Y. City. Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District. Re: Food purchasing procedures. February 4, 2004.

N.Y. City. Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District. Re: District 24 test tampering. April 30. 2004.

N.Y. City. Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District. Report of the Commissioner, September 1, 1999 - June 30, 2002.

N.Y. City. Transit Authority. Second Avenue subway: final environmental impact statement. April 2004. 3 vols.

N.Y. State. Assembly. Standing Committee on Education, et al. Hearing to assess the adequacy of New York State and New York City's policies relating to school facilities and their effect on the health...of students. March 12, 2004.

N.Y. State. Assembly. Standing Committee on Energy. An investigation into the Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. relating to infrastructure inspection, maintenance, and repair standards.... February 13, 2004.

N.Y. State. Assembly. Standing Committee on Housing. Public hearing on zoning changes and their effects on affordable housing production. February 26, 2004.

N.Y. State. Assembly. Standing Committee on Housing and Subcommittee on Public Housing. Maintenance of public records at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). April 23, 2004.

N.Y. State. Deputy Comptroller for the City of New York. Review of the Mayor's executive budget for fiscal year 2005. May 2004. (Report 4-2005)

N.Y. State. Senate. Minority Task Force on Criminal Justice Reform. Reforming the Rockefeller Drug Law in New York State: hearing. April 21, 2004.

N.Y. State. Temporary State Commission on Lobbying. Annual report 1999-2002.

U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force. Final report on the August 14, 2003 blackout in the United States and Canada: causes and recommendations. April 2004.

Urbitran Associates, Inc. New York City Department of Transportation bus ridership survey and route analysis: final report. May 2004.

For more info on the City Hall Library, please visit our website.

To unsubscribe please go to this link:
https://www.nyc.gov/portal/signin.jsp

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE!