Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've always wondered what are the purpose of boroughs today? Do they have separate court systems? If so why are all arrestees from within NYC booked at Rikers Island?
I've always wondered what are the purpose of boroughs today? Do they have separate court systems? If so why are all arrestees from within NYC booked at Rikers Island?
Rikers Island is the local municipal jail. Don't get me wrong every borough has a place where criminals are detained and arraigned, but when sentenced for a misdemeanor criminals go to Rikers Island, but when sentenced for a felony criminals go upstate. Bookings take central booking and not at Rikers Island. However I could be wrong, but then again I never went to the criminal justice process and I don't know what its like. Every borough has their own court which follow NYS statutes and laws and] every borough has their own DA agency because each borough acts as a county within their own right. I know here in the Bronx their is a detention center at the foot of Hunts Point that used to be a former barge. I know of one guy who stayed their for two weeks until he was sentenced and was removed to Rikers Island for nearly a whole year thanks to unpaid child support. Central Bookings are located within the criminal court houses of each borough. Like here in the Bronx the Central booking is at 161st street. Or In Manhattan Central Booking is located at Folly Square and Brooklyn Central Booking is located at Columbus Square.
I've always wondered what are the purpose of boroughs today? Do they have separate court systems? If so why are all arrestees from within NYC booked at Rikers Island?
Since consolidation in 1898 the "boroughs" became part of New York City and are treated officially as counties under NYS constitution. This is why you hear "Richmond County" (Staten Island), Kings County (Brooklyn), Queens County, and Bronx County.
Each borough elects their own district attorney (again same as all other counties in NYS), but nearly all other powers are vested in the Mayor and City Council along with several other elected offices (comptroller, public advocate, etc...). This position was further strengthened by a SCOTUS decision doing away with the (now defunct) Board of Estimate. Borough Presidents have very little to nil official powers and today and indeed the offices could be eliminated with the remaining functions transferred to local elected representatives sitting on the City Council and or that body as a whole.
Riker's Island is the main jail complex for the City of New York. It houses those convicted of sentences <one year (those convicted of felonies that is sentenced to terms of one year or more and sent to the NYS prison system). Those awaiting trial, cannot post bail and or denied same are kept at Riker's as well as those awaiting transfer elsewhere.
Arraignment takes place at any of the five central booking court houses in each of the boroughs. There are also "community courts" (one in Manhattan and IIRC more were opened in Brooklyn and elsewhere) where those facing "minor" offense or criminal charges (shoplifting, prostitution, small amount of pot or other drug possession, etc...) are processed. Here they will either plead not guilty or guilty. If the latter they can be returned to custody until bail is posted (if a judge grants), or they will be sent to Riker's to await trail.
For the record many in Brooklyn were against consolidation and indeed with good reason.
At that time the city of Brooklyn was one of the top five or ten (cannot remember) in the United States. It had a vast and stable tax base that included manufacturing, farming, ports, etc... Much of the western shore of Brooklyn from south to the Queens border was industrial which explains those now toxic areas such as GC.
Unlike Manhattan Brooklyn is connected to the rest of the United States which eased transport of goods and persons to points east. The opening of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1893 meant easier transport across the East River so things relied less upon ferries. It also meant more persons could leave the cramped, crowded and dirty Manhattan for the relative bucolic Brooklyn.
Long story short some see the current renaissance of Brooklyn as the place finally getting it's own back and returning to a proper place. That is as a counterweight to the City being mainly about Manhattan.
As someone mentioned above, the boroughs of NYC are largely incorporated into and overseen by the central NYC government. Everything from sanitation to education (although, before the relatively recent modern mayoral control of schools, there was still substantial local, borough control over schools due to community board elections) to police and fire in the five boroughs are controlled by the central NYC government. However, the top law enforcement officer in each borough (AKA the district attorney) is separate and independent from the central government. And the borough president of each borough still formally selects a member of the top policy-making body of the NYC Dept. of Education. The borough presidents had significantly more power under the old City Board of Estimate (the Board essentially has significant budgetary and land use authority), when they, collectively, appointed 5 of the Board's 8 members; today, borough presidents do retain a-not-so-insignificant budget with which they can fund various projects throughout their boroughs.
Currently, apart from the district attorneys, most of the boroughs' "separate" powers may be seen in the community board system, whose members are nearly all appointed by either the borough presidents or local council members. However, these community boards, while very influential in some areas (i.e. their decisions on whether to recommend a liquor license weighs very heavily with state liquor authorities), don't operate independently of the city.
Unlike Manhattan Brooklyn is connected to the rest of the United States which eased transport of goods and persons to points east.
Just to clarify, Brooklyn is not connected to the rest of the United States. Brooklyn is properly a part of Long Island and, so, is very much disconnected from the rest of the United States, at least physically. The only borough that's largely connected to the geographic area that we'd consider the mainland (islands excluded, of course) is the Bronx, though part of Manhattan is physically linked to the Bronx.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
