THE ASSEMBLY

STATE OF NEW YORK

ALBANY

Chairman
Committee on Codes
COMMITTEES
Rules
Ways & Means
Election Law

JOSEPH R. LENTOL
Assemblyman 50th District
Kings County
lentolj@assembly.state.ny.us

April 23, 2015

Commissioner Gilbert Taylor

New York City Department of Homeless Services
33 Beaver Street, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Dear Commissioner Taylor:
I am writing to you in response to an article in todays New York Post claiming that a
dozen or more sex offenders were moved from the Bellevue Mens Shelter, also known
as the 30th Street Intake Center, to the Bowery Residents Committee shelter in
Greenpoint located at 146 Clay Street, also listed as 400 McGuinness Boulevard. As of
this morning, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services website has
nearly 20 sex offenders currently listed as residing at the Bowery Residents Committee
shelter. If the figures cited by the Mayors office in the New York Post article are correct
(16 sex offenders) this shelter now has nearly 40 sex offenders.
For more than 40 years Greenpoint has been its brothers keeper when it comes to
playing home to homeless shelters, and we continue to accept that responsibility on the
condition that we are not unfairly singled out to carry this burden. Since the opening of a
new facility in November 2014, we have two shelters on Clay Street and three shelters
within two miles of each other with upwards of 1,000 clients in total. Now, without
consultation or consent, Greenpoint has taken on a new population of sex offenders. To
say that I am disturbed is an understatement.
While many of the residents of the Bowery Residents Committee shelter are law-abiding
citizens in need of assistance, the fact that the number of sex offenders at this shelter
doubled overnight is outrageous. We have carried the Citys burden for too long and I
stand with my constituents in opposition to this decision.
This Administration prides itself on transparency, but moving over a dozen sex offenders
to a shelter in a residential community in the dark of night is the exact opposite of
transparency. First, I call on the City to reassign these individuals throughout the entire
City shelter system where numbers are smaller and equitable when compared to other
shelters. Second, in the future Community Board 1 and I should receive at least 24-hour
632 Legislative Office Building, Albany, New York 12248 (518) 455-4477 FAX (518) 455-4599
District Office: 619 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, New York 11211 (718 383-7474 FAX (718) 383-1576

notification before any sex offender is moved into a shelter in Greenpoint or anywhere
else in my district. Third, I would like a full accounting of the number of sex offenders
located in each shelter in all five boroughs. Lastly, I would like to know the protocol
taken prior to a transfer of sex offenders was the local precinct notified prior to transfer;
was the NYS Department of Criminal Justice Services notified prior to transfer; were the
parole or probation officials involved notified prior to transfer? Does a specific policy
exist? If not one must be written and this policy should be posted on the Departments
website for all to review. The people of New York deserve that level of transparency.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,

Joseph R. Lentol

632 Legislative Office Building, Albany, New York 12248 (518) 455-4477 FAX (518) 455-4599
District Office: 619 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, New York 11211 (718 383-7474 FAX (718) 383-1576