[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 28, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E271-E272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNITION OF LESLIE LEWIS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 28, 2012

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute and to honor 
Leslie Lewis. A native of the Bronx, New York, Mr. Lewis is an 
outspoken highly respected advocate for the community.
  Mr. Lewis was born and raised in the Bronx, New York but eventually 
spent a large part of his life in Scarsdale, New York. In Scarsdale, 
Mr. Lewis raised his two sons, Robert and Mark. Mr. Lewis first moved 
to Brooklyn in 1982, when he settled into a home on Wyckoff Street--
between the Gowanus Housing Projects and the Wyckoff Housing Projects. 
Shortly after moving there, he joined the precinct community council.
  Mr. Lewis worked for 30 years in the exhibition business, becoming 
president of the Greyhound Exposition Company in the process. Along 
with national trade shows, Mr. Lewis maintained his concern for 
minority areas. He developed his ``Job Power'' concept as a way to 
bring employers to unemployed urban minorities. This concept was 
recognized by then President Nixon, who transformed it into the modern 
day job fair.
  These experiences led Mr. Lewis towards recognizing his talent for 
bringing the concerns of regular people to their elected officials. 
Upon moving to Brooklyn, he developed a relationship with the district 
attorney's office in an effort to improve community relations. In his 
capacity of police liaison, as well as council president of the 84th 
Precinct, Mr. Lewis serves as a switchboard between Borough President 
Markowitz, the Brooklyn district attorney's office, the police and his 
2.5 million constituents.
  Mr. Lewis gathers complaints from the public and then communicates 
them to the police, making sure that something gets done about them. 
Crime has seen a dramatic decrease in the 84th Precinct. Since 1990, 
it's gone down over 90%, according to NYPD statistics. Because of 
efforts of community leaders like Mr. Lewis, Brooklyn neighborhoods 
have a high

[[Page E272]]

quality of life, are more walkable and real estate is more valuable.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing Leslie 
Lewis for his lifelong effort to bring additional resources into our 
local institutions, communities and neighborhoods, and helping to 
improve employment opportunities for needy Brooklyn residents.

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