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Q&A
Council Member Williams questions DYCD on CMS partnerships and YMS system issues
3:58:12
·
3 min
Council Member Nantasha M. Williams engages in a Q&A session with DYCD representatives, focusing on the effectiveness of Crisis Management System (CMS) partnerships with NYPD and issues with the Youth Management System (YMS). The discussion reveals concerns about inconsistent CMS-NYPD coordination and problems with YMS accounting practices.
- Williams criticizes the haphazard nature of CMS-NYPD partnerships, highlighting inconsistencies across different areas.
- DYCD representatives defend their practices but acknowledge room for improvement.
- Williams raises concerns about YMS's cash-based accounting system, which conflicts with standard nonprofit accounting practices.
Nantasha M. Williams
3:58:12
Can you share more details?
3:58:14
You've talked about you're partnering with the NYPD.
3:58:16
I've never seen effective partnership across the CMS system with the department.
3:58:21
You have one CEO that's amazing and is invested in CMS and so maybe that partnership is really good in that catchment area.
3:58:29
You have another and then they swap CEOs every three years so you have another CEO that doesn't care about CMS and that partnership is not there.
3:58:36
They also do not coordinate.
3:58:37
When they do the big gang takedowns, the department never ever coordinates with CMS and a lot of the kids that get locked up were in the CMS program.
3:58:46
So I would just love to know a little bit more about your partnership with CMS because I have not seen effective partnership across the system.
3:58:55
It is like haphazard.
Darryl Rattray
3:59:02
So council member doctor Williams, thank you for that.
3:59:04
So we to the commissioner's point earlier, we have a very close relationship with NYPD whether it's their presence within our Cornerstone 7 Days a week to 11PM.
Nantasha M. Williams
3:59:17
I wanna ask specifically about the relationship with ONS.
Darryl Rattray
3:59:20
Again to a
Nantasha M. Williams
3:59:20
quick CMS groups, not
Darryl Rattray
3:59:22
whether it's SNL where they show up every Saturday at sites or whether it's with our CMS groups where at roll call, there are CMS groups attend roll calls at time for the ensure that they're meeting.
Nantasha M. Williams
3:59:35
Is not systematized.
3:59:38
There there's no there's nothing that says that a CMS group has to attend roll call.
3:59:43
I'll move on again.
3:59:44
What?
3:59:44
Because I'm just telling you, in terms of, like, a true partnership with the police department, there is not a it is it is haphazard.
3:59:52
There there are certain pockets where there's really good relationships, but as a system, it's not there's no relationship.
Darryl Rattray
3:59:58
Council member doctor Williams, to be fair, I would say there are many best practices happening out there.
4:00:03
The majority of CMS providers are doing those best practices.
4:00:06
Showing up at roll call, creating those relationships with local officers.
4:00:10
We know sometimes they switch out and we support them to rebuild those relationships
Jeremy Halbridge
4:00:15
where needed.
Nantasha M. Williams
4:00:16
I'll move on because I'm like way over my time.
4:00:18
I actually want to follow-up on something that council member Lewis mentioned around YMS.
4:00:24
And so is there a mechanism in place to review YMS vis a vis DYCD in the form of reviews?
4:00:32
So you give reviews on organizations.
4:00:34
Is there a way to do a client review?
4:00:36
So are you actually talking to the nonprofits that have to interact with YMS to determine whether or not they are effectively doing their job?
Jeremy Halbridge
4:00:47
Thank you very much for your question.
4:00:48
You know, as my colleague said, we have our help desk, which is a key point.
4:00:53
We also have, which was mentioned at a prior hearing, our chief nonprofit officer where
Nantasha M. Williams
4:00:58
So the answer is no.
4:00:59
You guys are not actually talking to clients or effectively reviewing YMS.
4:01:04
Well, think that's entirely I can move on again.
4:01:06
Do you know what kind of accounting system YMS operates off of?
4:01:16
Looks like you don't, but I can tell you.
Jeremy Halbridge
4:01:19
We will look into that and get back to you.
Nantasha M. Williams
4:01:20
Yes, so it's it's a cash system which is totally in contrast to like general accounting procedures that are like national standards and what happens is they're working with these nonprofits that you that are kind of locked into working with YMS and then when they have to do audits, they have to essentially redo their books because YMS only does their accounting on a cash basis which is completely contrast to general accounting procedures.
Keith Howard
4:01:51
We will take a look at it.
4:01:53
Thank you very much.
Nantasha M. Williams
4:01:53
Okay.
4:01:53
I would love to continue to follow-up with council member Lewis on YMS because I think there needs to be more oversight and there's a ton of problems that I do not think DYCD is effectively addressing with the nonprofits.
Keith Howard
4:02:04
We hear you.
4:02:05
Thank Okay.