As expected, District 15 City Councilman Oswald Feliz won the Nov. 2 District 15 City Council general election, regaining the seat he won for the first time in the March 2021 special election, as reported. Feliz won 70 percent of the vote share in the November general election, his third election of 2021, securing 7,224 votes out of a total of 10,264 eligible ballots, with runner up, Ariel Rivera Diaz, who ran on both the Republican Party and Conservative Party tickets, gaining 1,340 votes. The New York City Board of Elections certified the results on Nov. 30.

 

In Assembly District 87, Feliz came out strong with four and a half times more votes than Rivera-Diaz, winning 643 to Rivera-Diaz’s 142. In A.D. 86, it was also a landslide; with Feliz winning 2,231 votes to Rivera-Diaz’s 373. In A.D. 80, the difference was also substantial; Feliz won 1,174 votes to Rivera-Diaz’s 235. Similarly, in A.D. 79, Feliz won 513 votes to Rivera-Diaz’s 72, and in A.D. 78, Feliz won 2,624 to Rivera-Diaz’s 509. In A.D. 77, Feliz won 39 votes to Rivera-Diaz’s 9.

 

Ahead of the June primary, Norwood News provided a brief overview of the councilman’s achievements in office since winning his seat in March, following the resignation of the incumbent councilman, now congressman, Ritchie Torres on Dec. 31, 2020. As reported, following his win, Feliz, who worked previously as a housing lawyer, was later appointed to join both the City Council’s education committee and the public housing committee.

Scrolling through videos and came across my campaign victory speech. Will always be thankful to the people of District 15 for choosing me as their voice in the City Council! #Bronx 💪 pic.twitter.com/WxsWUAdUUc

— Oswald Feliz (@OswaldFeliz) October 2, 2021

 

A number of high-profile, elected officials turned out for the councilman’s formal swearing in ceremony earlier this year, among them Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) who represents part of the Bronx and Northern Manhattan, and who appears to have been instrumental in securing the all-important Latinx vote for Feliz.

 

Meanwhile, in recent weeks, Feliz has had even more reason to live up to his name, having also been selected to join the public safety transition team of mayor-elect, Eric Adams, who was also present for and spoke at the councilman’s victory celebration at West Kingsbridge Road in the Bronx on June 25.

Before I publicly welcomed Keechant Sewell to the @NYPDNews family, I wanted to introduce her to the women and men whose ranks she'll be joining.

Meet your next Commissioner, New York!https://t.co/L1pjA4CUkw

— Eric Adams (@ericadamsfornyc) December 15, 2021

 

Having run his campaign around a central promise of reducing crime, while also rebuilding trust in law enforcement among Black and brown people, all eyes were on Adams’ choice of police commissioner. He recently announced his pick in former FBI lead negotiator and Queens native, Keechant Sewell, saying of Sewell’s new role, “My greatest duty is to ensure the safety of this City, and everyone within it.” He added, “We know [..] how critical our efforts are in the weeks and months ahead to ensure it is safer from gun violence, domestic violence, hate crimes, terror and other dangers to our fellow New Yorkers.”

 

Meanwhile, as reported, amid the ongoing efforts to stem the high rates of gun violence in the City and in the Bronx, Feliz and others have called for some State criminal justice legislation, passed in recent years, to be revisited. The main focus has been around bail reform, following complaints from some in law enforcement who say some offenders released on bail appear to exploit the system and reoffend, knowing there will be few or no consequences for doing so. In this context, Adams also recently called on judges to make better decisions when it comes to bail arrangements for such offenders.

 

A number of news stories have been reported on the more violent crimes carried out by those released on bail. On the other hand, a recent story by the NY Post, based on NYPD data, shows that the overall surge in gun violence does not appear to be directly linked to bail reform legislation, and has more to do with the flow of illegal guns into the City.

Keechant Sewell has been appointed the first woman and third Black person to lead the NYPD.

She pledged to make sure the department "looks like the city it serves" and "elevate women and people of color to leadership positions" https://t.co/z4ODL4Bo4C pic.twitter.com/ajQWNVnc0M

— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) December 15, 2021

 

Meanwhile, progressive Democrats continue to call for more funding for cure violence programs and other social services to address the root causes of crime, and prevent people from entering the carceral system in the first place.

 

In this context, at the latest 52nd Precinct Community Council meeting, held on Dec. 16, David Caba of the B.R.A.G. (Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence) cure violence program confirmed the program would be further expanding into the 52nd precinct in the new year. It already operates in the Fordham and Belmont sections of the borough, and launched an additional youth boxing program at St. Barnabas Hospital in July, as reported.

 

Both the Fordham and Belmont neighborhoods fall under Feliz’s District 15, which also incorporates Mount Hope, Bathgate, East Tremont, West Farms, Van Nest, Allerton, Olinville, and parts of Bedford Park. On July 14, the councilman spoke at an anti-gun violence march and press event, comprising about 100 people in Belmont, near the site where 13-year-old Jaryan Elliot was shot and killed on Sunday, July 11, as reported. A man believed to be Jaryan’s godfather used a bullhorn to temporarily disrupt the press conference and argue with elected officials who spoke at the event, before the march eventually went ahead.

 

Year-to-date shooting incidents in the 48th precinct, which covers Belmont, East Tremont, West Farms and Fordham University’s Bronx campus, are up by 41 percent versus the same period last year, while year-to-date shooting victims in the 48th precinct are up 24.5 percent, compared to the same period last year.

 

Of his appointment to the public safety transition team, Feliz said he was privileged to have been selected. “The people that I represent strongly supported him and his public safety agenda – and I’m honored by the opportunity to help him achieve it,” the councilman said.