Number of Rikers Island correction officers drops 25% since 2021

Also, a new Brooklyn migrant respite center gets mixed reactions. [View this email in a browser.]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( [Number of Rikers correction officers drops under Adams, but still about 3 times the national average]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by Emily Nadal]( Today's weather: ⛈️ We're having a [rainy start to the week]( with scattered thunderstorms expected this afternoon, some of which may be severe. It’s Monday morning in New York City where city data shows the [number of correction officers at Rikers Island has dipped sharply]( under Mayor Eric Adams’ leadership. Staffing levels at the city’s jails may still be more than three times the national average, but officials say NYC has a correction officer staffing crisis, with blame being placed on the City Council and Former Mayor Bill de Blasio for the 25 percent drop in Rikers Island correction officers since 2021. Here’s what else is happening: - A new respite site for recently-arrived migrants [opened inside of a recreation center Sunday]( in Sunset Park, and it's getting mixed reactions from local residents. - New Jersey can [now add this to its list of quirks]( It's now the only state where you can't pump your own gas. On Friday, the governor of Oregon signed a bill allowing residents to work the gas pumps themselves. - Hair stylist Dionne Alexander helped [shape 1990s hip-hop culture through iconic looks]( on trendsetters like MC Lyte, Lil Kim and Lauryn Hill. She spoke with WNYC and Gothamist about her artistry, influence and her journey with the genre. - Celebrations for the 50th anniversary of hip-hop keep on coming. The [MTA released their limited-edition MetroCards]( in honor of the genre this weekend, with more versions on the way. - While hip-hop is taking over our city, Barbie is taking over the world, and I’m loving it. The movie is [set to break $1 billion in ticket sales]( within less than a month of being in theaters. - A city program meant to get dangerous drivers off the road [hasn’t been very successful in its mission]( after three years. With the initiative set to expire in October, its future remains uncertain. - Ghost kitchens, where you think you’re ordering from “The Meltdown” but it’s actually just Denny’s, [are rampant on food delivery apps.]( - Police arrested a 17-year-old man and [charged him with second-degree murder]( in the killing of O’Shae Sibley, a professional dancer who was stabbed in a hate crime attack last weekend. - Online influencer Kai Cenat has been [hit with multiple charges]( after causing thousands of people to storm Union Square Friday with the promise of gift cards and gaming giveaways. - More [young people have been ending up in the hospital]( with marijuana-related emergencies in recent years, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control. - NYPD officers shot and killed a man who they believe [may have been in the midst of a mental health crisis](. Police say he swung a large knife at cops Friday night on Roosevelt Island. - The city doesn’t seem to think a chronic foul smell of [gasoline and paint at a Hell’s Kitchen high school]( is a cause for concern. - Some New Jersey residents [are raging a war against towns replacing natural grass]( with artificial turf, citing the harmful health and environmental effects. - Let’s [maybe not make]( “Barefoot Boy Summer” a thing. “They made our working conditions so bad that people were leaving and resigning at record numbers." - Benny Boscio, Correction Officers Benevolent Association president [ON THE RIKERS ISLAND STAFFING CRISIS.]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [How a Queens teenager helped pave a path for women in graffiti culture: Catching up with Maria 'Toofly' Castillo]( Pioneering street artist Maria 'Toofly' Castillo shares her journey and success in graffiti culture. [NYC's best techno club ‘vibe checks’ you at the door. So I tried to get in.]( To enter Basement, you have to prove you’re there for the music. Our reporter definitely was. [We Rely On Your Support]( [Judge puts onus on state to respond to NYC migrant crisis after right-to-shelter violation]( The order puts pressure on Gov. Kathy Hochul, who advocates say has not treated the humanitarian crisis with sufficient urgency. [Officials ID another Gilgo Beach murder victim after 27 years missing]( Suffolk County DA Ray Tierney said on Friday that Karen Vergata was finally identified after first going missing in 1996. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.