Massive BNP settlement will boost NYC public housing security

Part of New York's share of $8.8B payout to go for surveillance cameras, locks and lighting

From left: Jean-Laurent Bonnafe and Cyrus Vance
From left: Jean-Laurent Bonnafe and Cyrus Vance

New York City’s public housing developments will get $101 million in security upgrades as a result of a massive legal settlement earlier this year between U.S. officials and France’s largest bank BNP Paribas.

New York was awarded $440 million of the $8.8 billion total that BNP Paribas agreed to pay to federal and state governments after pleading guilty to violating U.S. anti-terrorism sanctions. The bank admitted to handling transactions with Sudanese, Cuban, and Iranian clients.

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Mayor Bill de Blasio and District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. announced the spending plan today, saying that $89 million will go to physical improvements and $12 million will go towards audits and surveys to develop crime-fighting strategies.

The $89 million will pay for a number of infrastructure upgrades, including the installation of surveillance cameras, exterior lighting and new doors and locks, Bloomberg News reported. [Bloomberg News] — Tess Hofmann