The Harbor Unit of the New York City Police Department was founded on March 15, 1858. Its purpose…read morewas to combat piracy aboard the merchant ships lying at anchor in the harbor and waterfront thugs who were terrorizing the unloading docks. Within a few weeks of its founding a fleet of twelve tow boats with five man crews was formed. This method of patrol proved effective and over a short period of time the piracy and thievery was adequately dealt with. On February 1, 1863, the Harbor Unit, then known as the Marine Division, launched its first steamer, The Seneca, a side wheeler. The steamers gradually replaced the row boat fleet by the year 1901. In 1916 the first gasoline engine patrol boats were incorporated into the fleet and on April 12, 1926 the last steamer was retired from the fleet. In July 1959 the first two twin screw diesel engine patrol boats, wood hull, were added to the fleet. On July 20, 1966, the first of ten steel hull, fifty two foot twin screw diesel launches was placed into service. During June 1983, four faster thirty foot, aluminum hull, twin diesel powered launches were purchased. Over the years they have been re-powered and are still in service today. The NYPD's steel launches have all been removed from service. However there is a restored 1966 vintage fifty two foot launch (No 5) on patrol as a private U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary facility. In 1984, the first of new large aluminum boats was built. It was a forty eight foot patrol launch with a thirteen foot Boston Whaler® on the trunk cabin. After delivery, changes to the design were needed and in 1994 the first of the new fifty five foot Kenny Hanson class boats were launched. These are also equipped with thirteen foot Boston Whalers. They are powered by twin 1271 Detroit Diesels with a total of 1600 horsepower. The Harbor Unit now has a total of five in service. In 1993, the Harbor Unit took delivery on the first thirty six foot patrol launch. They are powered by twin 3208 Caterpillar Diesels. The Harbor Unit now has a total of four of these vessels in service. These fifty five foot and thirty six foot patrol launches along with assorted outboard motor boats make up the present day fleet. The New York City Police Department is responsible for patrolling 146 square miles of navigable waters and 576 miles of waterfront. Its mission is carried on throughout the harbor for the protection of life and property, the prevention and detection of crime, arrest of offenders, preservation of the public peace and the enforcement of all laws and ordinances. The Harbor Unit performs patrol duty 24 hours per day, 365 days a year, on blazing hot days of summer to frigid cold days of winter. Its primary mission is rescue of persons in distress while swimming, overboard from boating mishaps (accident, fire, explosion), despondent persons having jumped into the water from piers, bridges, or ferryboats, or the rescue of persons stranded aboard their boats which are in distress and disabled at sea. Terrorist activity is a world wide menace today. Security patrols are maintained off of the two major New York Airports, LaGuardia and J.F.K., during the arrivals and departures thereat of our President, foreign heads of state and their representatives while visiting our City. These security patrols are being extended to the waters off of the United Nations Building while it is in session with heads of state addressing it. The commercial aspect of the harbor is year-round with the movement of ferryboats, ocean liners, freighters, tankers, tugs, barges, scows, lighters, sightseeing cruisers, commercial and party fishing boats, all plying their trade daily. The pleasure boating is seasonal each year with more and more boaters taking to the water at the first signs of warm sunshine as early as April and continuing through late October. In the period when pleasure boating is at its peak, the Harbor Unit launches its smaller craft for patrol in the areas frequented by the pleasure boating public to render necessary services to them and help make their boating safe. Rikers Island with its Correctional Institution (Prison), Hart Island, and the various other islands within the City of New York are also the subject of special patrols by the Harbor Unit. The members assigned to the Harbor Unit for marine patrol are selected form the regular street patrol force of the New York City Police Department. They have prior marine experience and knowledge in small boat handling and operation, having been raised along the waterfront or having been previously employed in the maritime industry. Their personnel are specifically assigned either to launch crew duty, maintenance and repair functions at the Launch Repair Shop, or to the full time, around-the-clock Scuba Team. When you are in trouble in the waters of New York City you can be sure that you will be aided by the finest of the finest.

Nick GREAT JOB! Do you have a photograph of the Seneca? My uncle Dick Ryan retired from the Harbor…read moreUnit in 1963 and gave me a photo of the Seneca. Are you interested? Email me at islandersb@aol.com islandersb at A O L cot com

I am so grateful to the Senator's office for the Exceptional help with Immediate action and…read moreresults. Thank you for your service and everything you do for the community.

Exhibit Ends 12/4/23…read more A few month ago I stopped by the Brooklyn Central Library to check out The BOOK of HOV. The Book of Hov is an exhibition that covers the career of rap artist and mogul Jay-Z, who is a Brooklyn native. The exhibit is not very large but there is an abundant of memorabilia to look at over multiple rooms and alcoves. I attended at the end of the summer on a weekday so I was able to bypass the crowds. Upon entry, you'll be given a blue pamphlet, that provides the history of some of his albums, his triumphs in the industry, and some of his business endeavors at this stage of his career. There are 8 section that chronicle his career from start to present. Everything is self-guided so you can move at your own pace. At the start of each section there is an audio component that you can connect to that explains the section, however it was not working on the day I attended. As a born and bred New Yorker, that has been a fan of Hov since elementary school, this was very cool to attend. In addition to the exhibit the Brooklyn Library released library cards depicting the art work of Jay-z's albums available at different locations. Check it out if you can. Just A Note: This exhibit closes on 12/4/23, some of the memorabilia will be auctioned to continue to support the Brooklyn Library.

This was actually a very cool experience. It is located inside the Brooklyn central library…read more The exhibit is not very big but there are many different displays to look at and different rooms dedicated to this exhibit. There are many workers moving the line along which make everything very organized. It would be cool if they could play some of JayZ music in the background, even if it was low since I know it is located inside the library. The outside of the library is a sight to see, with lyrics written all over the building. If you are a fan, I would definitely pay a visit.

The Bay Ridge branch of the Brooklyn Public Library is a nice sized space and conveniently located…read morein the immediate vicinity of a number of schools which allows the flow of traffic of students to be rather consistent. The library has two floors and the second is designated to be the Children's Library with reading content suitable for the younger set. The main floor has computer access and complimentary WiFi for those who wish to bring their own device in and have some relative quiet surroundings. It's not too quiet on the Children's floor I am afraid and it made me laugh at how much has changed on that since I was that age and in the library. I've not taken any books out of a library in many years but still have a library card just in case I need something. My reason for being here was for the WiFi and to sit for a few minutes to update my work laptop with some information on the work I was doing. The staff seems very friendly and helpful which is always good to observe.

I saw a bunch of reviews highlighting how loud this library is--it's true!…read more Came to get my daughter a few books and loom for alone for myself. When I approached the employee about getting a replacement card, she didn't seem overly eager to assist. Nonetheless I got my replacement and when I went upstairs, I noticed how loud it was. Kids running around, loud voices from kids and parents, one person cells was going off very loudly. I ventilations I got fed up, and departed ewrlier than I had anticipated. In my former library staff would gently walk around and ask people to please lower their voices, maybe said policy needs to implemented here because this isn't an environment that would allow kids to be in a peaceful and normal library setting.

Adore this clean light big beautiful calm library! Books always are in good conditionread more

Smaller Library. They have a small play area for your…read morechildren with a small "kitchen" set. I've only been here once as I do prefer to bring my child to the Bay Ridge Location because of the set up. But my impressions are that the staff is very accommodating and are ready to help when necessary. It seems to be much quieter than the BR Location so, if you do need a quiet space for study, this would be the right location.

Five stars for the one and only Statue of Liberty…read more The first time I saw her, I'll be honest I laughed. Driving along the harbor, I squinted and thought, That's it? On TV she looks like a skyscraper with a torch. In real life, from a distance, she almost feels... small. Like seeing a rock star without the stage lights. But here's the thing: once you get out on the water and start heading toward Liberty Island, the whole experience changes. The boat ride is half the magic. The harbor air hits you, seagulls yelling overhead, the skyline flexing behind you. Ferries cut across New York Harbor, and if you're lucky you'll catch views from routes like the Staten Island Ferry, which cruises right past Lady Liberty like it's just another Tuesday commute. The closer you get, the more the story starts to sink in. Our guided tour? Fantastic. And the tour guide pure New York. That old-school accent you hear in movies? She had it dialed to eleven. Every word came out like it had been marinated in Brooklyn for 40 years. It felt authentic, gritty, and perfect for the moment. What made it even better was being there with my kids family in tow, cameras out, everyone taking it in. Watching my daughter stare up at the statue made the whole thing land differently. Suddenly it wasn't just a monument; it was a moment. A few fun facts while you're there: The statue was a gift from France to the United States in 1886. It was designed by sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, and the iron framework inside was engineered by the same guy behind the Eiffel Tower Gustave Eiffel. From ground to torch she stands about 305 feet tall, and she greets the harbor right next to Ellis Island, where millions of immigrants first stepped into America. So yes she's smaller than TV makes you think. But standing there in the harbor wind, looking up at that oxidized green giant holding a torch over the water... you realize size was never the point. History, grit, and the idea of America that's the real monument.

Finally got to mark this one off the bucket list!…read more The boat ride over is great. You get amazing views of the statue from all sides. When booking your tickets make sure to add either a pedestal view or crown view. The only spots left were for the pedestal view which left us with incredible views of New York City and an up close view of the statue of liberty. Make sure to tour the museum. It had great facts and really interesting information on the building of the statue as well as the politics involved when building it.

The employees here are extremely rude and show no respect, especially toward teenagers. I saw…read moresomeone just trying to sit next to their friend at the computer section, and staff acted like it was a serious offense. Then one of them made me feel uncomfortable just for trying to drink some water. The whole vibe is unwelcoming -- this place feels more like a prison than a public library."

Nice rebranded library with friendly staff. They gifted a book for my child. I'm very happy to…read morelive near this library.

I ran a 5K on Governors Island and as it was a beautiful sunny day I explored a bit. Its a…read morebeautiful place with many historic buildings open to explore, art exhibits, food court area with many local vendors, great views, and overall a lot to see and do. Or, just relax in one of the chairs on the house front porches and chill out. Its a nice opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, and easy to get to by a quick ferry ride.

Governor's Island is a small island with ferries coming from Manhattan and Brooklyn. Lots of grassy…read morefields all over the place. I find it kind of boring until I got to the 4 slides in the lower part of the island. The 4 slides are very big especially the first one that looks like a mini roller coaster. The hardest part is getting up to the top. There are several ways getting up. Either you go up a muddy trail that has a sharp incline with rope on the side for assistance or climb up boulders next to the slides. These slides are a lot of fun and the best thing the park can get. There are several trailers of bathrooms for women and men all around the park. Most of the park is kind of dirty looking especially around the park next to river. It's just a bland plain black gravel pavement to walk on. It's not sophisticated or pretty enough like some parts of the park as you go inside the grassy fields. I did see some signs saying some parts of the island are under renovation to make it prettier so that's good. I will definitely come back to visit when they finish renovating. Came here for a NYCRUNS 3K marathon and it was all around the island. The gravel pavement was kind of hard and rough to jog on although it was flat so it was easy when it came to that.