Oct. 17, 2017
Contact: Jane Lerner, Director of Strategic Communications
Office of the County Executive (845) 638-5645
lernerj@co.rockland.ny.us

Rockland County Executive Ed Day Presents Check to Organization Helping Domestic Violence Victims

NEW CITY, NY – Rockland County Executive Ed Day presented officials from the Center for Safety & Change with a $10,000 check from a settlement of prostitution charges against a local motel.

"What better way to respond to the exploitation of women than to further empower an organization that serves victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking," Day said.

He presented the check to Elizabeth Santiago, Center for Safety & Change executive director and Amy Siniscalchi, deputy director.

At Day's direction, the County Department of Law began using Public Nuisance statutes to crack down on businesses that allowed illegal activity, including prostitution and drugs.

The law has been used to put several massage parlors out of business.

County Attorney Thomas Humbach and District Attorney Thomas Zugibe used the Public Nuisance law to get the owners of the Days Inn in Nanuet to take actions to stop drug dealing and prostitution.

Owners of the hotel agreed to give $10,000 to the New City-based Center for Safety & Change instead of paying a civil penalty.

"This is an excellent outcome of this case," Day said. "We stopped illegal activity at a motel and helped a not-for-profit continue to do its good work."

Earlier this month, Day joined local officials and advocates to declare Domestic Violence Awareness month in Rockland County.