Regional Briefs – December 22, 2015

Former NYPD Chief Kelly Moving Toward Mayoral Bid

NEW YORK – Former NYPD Chief Ray Kelly is moving closer to challenging Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2017, allowing supporters to contact potential donors, The New York Post reported. Last month, the city’s longest-serving police commissioner said, “Never say never” when asked about a mayoral run.

Bear Involved in Boy Scout Attack Won’t Be Captured

ROCKAWAY, N.J. – Officials won’t try to capture a bear that attacked a Boy Scout leader on Sunday since they blame the unseasonably warm weather for confusing hibernation pattern, NJ.com reported. The bear grabbed Christopher Petronino by the foot and yanked him into a cave. Petronino hit the bear in the head with a rock hammer, then played dead.

Police Suspect 1 Man Behind String of LI Store Holdups

WESTBURY, N.Y. – A single suspect may be behind a string of store robberies, Newsday reported. Fourteen times in Nassau and Suffolk counties since Aug. 20, including once on Monday, a masked gunman tied up customers and forced employees to hand over at least $13,000 from safes or cash registers.

NY Prisons Establish Process to Identify Problem Workers

ALBANY – New York corrections officials have established a procedure for identifying and managing problem workers in the state prison system with 53,000 inmates, The New York Times reported. All 53 prison superintendents now report directly to the commissioner’s office at least twice monthly, and there’s an analysis unit that logs inmate grievances by categories.