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63-567: The station was opened on January 1, 2004. The station is located adjacent to the Lee P. Brown Administration Building, the METRO headquarters. The bus bay has parking spaces for nine buses. Routes that go through the Downtown Transit Center include: This Houston -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This tram-, streetcar-, or light rail-related article

126-620: A racial quota had been filled. After traveling the Northeastern United States, he finally found a recruiting station that had not, in his words, "filled their quota for Negro Marines"; however, World War II was over before Dinkins finished boot camp . He served in the Marine Corps from July 1945 through August 1946, attaining the rank of private first class . Dinkins was among the Montford Point Marines who received

189-467: A storefront, where people from the neighborhood were invited to come in and discuss their concerns or problems with one of the officers that served there. Brown emphasized through his officer training sessions that getting feedback from the public was as important as writing up tickets or doing paperwork chores. The neighborhood officers soon recognized the hot spots and the neighborhood "movers and shakers" who could be helpful in preventing problems. Brown

252-491: A "patronage appointee who kept marriage licenses and municipal records") from 1975 to 1985. He was elected Manhattan borough president in 1985 on his third run for that office. On November 7, 1989 , Dinkins was elected mayor of New York City, defeating three-term incumbent mayor Ed Koch and two others in the Democratic primary and Republican nominee Rudy Giuliani in the general election. During his campaign, Dinkins sought

315-480: A domestic worker, and William Harvey Dinkins Jr., a barber and real estate agent. His parents separated when he was six years old, after which he was raised by his father. Dinkins moved to Harlem as a child before returning to Trenton. He attended Trenton Central High School , where he graduated in 1945. Upon graduating, Dinkins attempted to enlist in the United States Marine Corps but was told that

378-588: A financial scandal days after the election. Brown has been married twice. His first wife, Yvonne Brown, died of cancer after they had four children together. He is married to Frances Young, a teacher in the Houston Independent School District . Brown is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha collegiate fraternity and Sigma Pi Phi , an African-American fraternity for those who have achieved distinction in their chosen profession. While in Houston, Dr. Brown

441-506: A five-member panel to investigate the corruption allegations, and had asked the City Council to establish an all-civilian review board to look at charges of police brutality. Brown was already on record as opposing both actions. Both Brown and Dinkins took great pains to assure reporters that the policy disagreement played no role in Brown's decision to leave. Brown submitted his resignation from

504-670: A formidable, reform-minded challenger to Koch. Additionally, the fact that Dinkins was African American helped him to avoid criticism that he was ignoring the Black vote by campaigning to whites. While a large turnout of African American voters was important to his election, Dinkins campaigned throughout the city. Dinkins' campaign manager was political consultant William Lynch Jr. , who became one of his first deputy mayors. Dinkins entered office in January 1990 pledging racial healing, and famously referred to New York City's demographic diversity as "not

567-752: A long career in law enforcement and academia; leading police departments in Atlanta , Houston and New York over the course of nearly four decades. With practical experience and a doctorate from University of California, Berkeley , he has combined research and operations in his career. After serving as Public Safety Commissioner of Atlanta, Georgia, he was appointed in 1982 as the first African-American police chief in Houston, Texas , where he implemented techniques in community policing to reduce crime. His parents, Andrew and Zelma Brown were sharecroppers in Oklahoma , and Lee Brown

630-531: A melting pot, but a gorgeous mosaic". The crime rate in New York City had risen alarmingly during the 1980s, and the rate of homicide in particular reached an all-time high of 2,245 cases during 1990, the first year of the Dinkins administration. The rates of most crimes, including all categories of violent crime, then declined during the remainder of his four-year term. That ended a 30-year upward spiral and initiated

693-425: A police officer, Dinkins attempted to diffuse tensions by inviting Garcia's family to Gracie Mansion . This gesture outraged the city's PBA, who claimed Dinkins's actions showed favoritism toward Garcia and bias against the police. To condemn Dinkins' position on policing, the city PBA organized a protest on September 16, 1992 , which quickly turned violent when nearly 4,000 off-duty police officers blocked traffic on

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756-459: A political comeback, Dinkins remained somewhat active in politics after his mayorship, and his endorsements of various candidates, including Mark Green in the 2001 mayoral race , were well-publicized. He supported Democrats Fernando Ferrer in the 2005 New York mayoral election, Bill Thompson in 2009, and Bill de Blasio in 2013. During the 2004 Democratic presidential primaries , Dinkins endorsed and actively campaigned for Wesley Clark . In

819-585: A rematch of the 1989 election . Dinkins earned 48.3 percent of the vote, down from 51 percent in 1989. One factor in his loss was his perceived indifference to the plight of the Jewish community during the Crown Heights riot. Another was a strong turnout for Giuliani in Staten Island ; a referendum on Staten Island's secession from New York was placed on the ballot that year by Democratic Governor Mario Cuomo and

882-436: A result of the captain's death. The Brown-Sanchez election attracted involvement from several national political figures, who contributed to its rhetoric. Brown was endorsed by former Democratic president Bill Clinton while Sanchez was endorsed by then-President George W. Bush , former President George H. W. Bush and his wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush ; Rudy Giuliani and a host of other Republicans. Some members of

945-653: A series of criminal convictions among the city's Democratic leadership. In March 1989, the New York City Board of Estimate (which served as the primary governing instrument of various patronage networks for decades, often superseding the mayoralty in influence) also was declared unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment 's Equal Protection Clause by the Supreme Court of the United States ; this prompted

1008-400: A trend of falling rates that continued and accelerated beyond his term. However, the high absolute levels, the peak early in his administration, and the only modest decline subsequently ( homicide down 12% from 1990 to 1993) resulted in Dinkins' suffering politically from the perception that crime remained out of control on his watch. Dinkins in fact initiated a hiring program that expanded

1071-459: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Texas train station-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Lee P. Brown Lee Patrick Brown (born October 4, 1937) is an American politician, criminologist and businessman; in 1997 he was the first African-American to be elected mayor of Houston , Texas. He was re-elected twice to serve the maximum of three terms from 1998 to 2004. He has had

1134-656: The Brooklyn Bridge and knocked over police barricades in an attempt to rush City Hall . The nearly 300 uniformed on-duty officers did little to control the riot. Despite the riot and objections from the PBA, the CCRB was reorganized and made independent from the police department in July 1993. Dinkins was rebuffed in his attempt to end the licensing of locksmiths . During his final days in office, Dinkins made last-minute negotiations with

1197-642: The Congressional Gold Medal from the United States Senate and House of Representatives. Dinkins graduated cum laude from Howard University with a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1950. He received his LL.B. from Brooklyn Law School in 1956. While maintaining a private law practice from 1956 to 1975, Dinkins rose through the Democratic Party organization in Harlem, beginning at

1260-834: The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund . Dinkins was also on the advisory board of Independent News & Media and the Black Leadership Forum, was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations , and served as chairman emeritus of the board of directors of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS. Dinkins' radio program Dialogue with Dinkins aired on WLIB radio in New York City from 1994 to 2014. His memoirs, A Mayor's Life: Governing New York's Gorgeous Mosaic , written with Peter Knobler , were published in 2013. Although he never attempted

1323-528: The New York State Assembly in 1966, eventually advancing to Manhattan borough president . He won the 1989 New York City mayoral election , becoming the first African American to hold the office. After losing re-election in 1993 , Dinkins joined the faculty of Columbia University while remaining active in municipal politics. Dinkins was born in Trenton, New Jersey , to Sarah "Sally" Lucy Dinkins,

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1386-800: The New York State Legislature . From 1994 until his death, Dinkins was a professor of professional practice at the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs . Dinkins was a member of the board of directors of the United States Tennis Association . He served on the boards of the New York City Global Partners, the Children's Health Fund , the Association to Benefit Children, and

1449-616: The Posse Foundation National Board of Directors until his death in 2020. The David N. Dinkins Municipal Building in Manhattan was named after the former mayor in 2015 by mayor Bill de Blasio . Dinkins married Joyce Burrows , the daughter of Harlem political eminence Daniel L. Burrows , in August 1953. They had two children, David Jr. and Donna. When Dinkins became mayor of New York City, Joyce retired from her position at

1512-467: The South Bronx , and Brooklyn; overall more housing was rehabilitated in Dinkins' only term than Giuliani's two terms. With the support of Governor Mario Cuomo , the city invested in supportive housing for mentally ill homeless people and achieved a decrease in the size of the city's homeless shelter population to its lowest point in two decades. In 1993, Dinkins lost to Republican Rudy Giuliani in

1575-704: The USTA National Tennis Center . By negotiating a fee for New York City based on the event's gross income, the Dinkins administration made a deal with the US Open that brings more economic benefit to the City of New York each year than the New York Yankees , New York Mets , New York Knicks , and New York Rangers combined. The city's revenue-producing events Fashion Week , Restaurant Week , and Broadway on Broadway were all created under Dinkins. Dinkins's term

1638-530: The "P stands for Pothole," referring to Brown's middle initial. Sanchez drove a Hummer as his campaign vehicle during this period, which was adorned with the banner, "With Brown in Town it's the only way to get around." Following the death of Houston Fire Captain Jay Janhke in the line of duty, Sanchez gained endorsements from the fire/emergency medical services sector. Brown changed Fire Department policy on staffing as

1701-533: The 78th District of the New York State Assembly in 1966 . From 1972 to 1973, he was president of the New York City Board of Elections . In late 1973, he was poised to take office as New York City's first Black deputy mayor in the administration of Mayor-elect Abraham D. Beame ; however, the appointment was not effectuated amid "difficulties that stemmed from [Dinkins'] failure to pay federal, state or city personal income taxes for four years." Instead, he served as city clerk (characterized by Robert D. McFadden as

1764-536: The Carver Democratic Club under the aegis of J. Raymond Jones . He became part of an influential group of African American politicians that included Denny Farrell , Percy Sutton , Basil Paterson , and Charles Rangel ; the latter three together with Dinkins were known as the " Gang of Four ". As an investor, Dinkins was one of fifty African American investors who helped Sutton found Inner City Broadcasting Corporation in 1971. Dinkins briefly represented

1827-526: The Department of Administration of Justice at Portland State University . In 1972, Brown was appointed associate director of the Institute of Urban Affairs and Research and professor of Public Administration and director of Criminal Justice programs at Howard University . In 1974, Brown was named Sheriff of Multnomah County, Oregon and in 1976 became director of the Department of Justice Services. In 1978 he

1890-516: The Hobby Center of the Performing Arts. In addition, it built and renovated new libraries, police and fire stations. Brown initiated a $ 2.9 billion development program at the city's airport, which consisted of new terminals and runways; and a consolidated rental car facility ; in addition to renovating other terminals and runways, he built a new water treatment plant. Brown also advanced

1953-474: The Houston Police Department knows it's one helluva challenge." After coming to Houston, Brown quickly began to implement methods of community policing, building relationships with the city's diverse communities. The Houston Police Officers Union (HPOU) recently published a history describing in more detail how Brown's reforms were implemented and how it became accepted by the officers as well as

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2016-468: The Mayor's press secretary said "security would be tight and gas masks would be provided for the contingent", Mayor Dinkins visited Israel as a sign of support. The Dinkins administration was adversely affected by a declining economy, which led to lower tax revenue and budget shortfalls. Nevertheless, Dinkins' mayoralty was marked by a number of significant achievements. New York City's crime rate, including

2079-435: The New York City position effective September 1, 1992. He and Mayor Dinkins held a joint news conference to explain the reason for his sudden departure. Brown stated that he was leaving to care for his wife, who was ill, and to rejoin the rest of his family, who were still in Houston. He added that he had accepted a college teaching position in Houston. In 1993 Brown was appointed by President Bill Clinton as his Director of

2142-466: The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP, or "Drug Czar"), and moved to Washington, DC. The Senate unanimously confirmed his appointment. In the late 1990s, Brown returned to Houston and entered politics directly, running for mayor. In 1997, Brown became the first African American elected as mayor of Houston. During Brown's administration, the city invested extensively in infrastructure: it started

2205-589: The President's cabinet campaigned for Sanchez in Houston. The contest had ethnic undertones as Sanchez, a Cuban American , was vying to become the first Hispanic mayor of Houston; he challenged Brown, who was the city's first African-American mayor. According to the U.S. Census 2000, the racial makeup of the city was 49.3% White (including Hispanic or Latino), 25.3% Black or African American , 0.4% Native American , 5.3% Asian , 0.18% Pacific Islander , 16.5% from other races , and 3.2% from two or more races . 37% of

2268-841: The State Department of Taxation and Finance. The couple were members of the Church of the Intercession in New York City. Joyce died on October 11, 2020, at the age of 89. Dinkins was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi Phi ("the Boule"), the oldest collegiate and first professional Greek-letter fraternities , respectively, established for African Americans. He was raised as a Master Mason in King David Lodge No. 15, F. & A. M., PHA, located in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1952. In 1994, Dinkins

2331-580: The ballots cast in the first round. Brown narrowly won reelection by a margin of three percentage points following heavy voter turnout in predominantly Black precincts, compared to relatively light turnout in Hispanic precincts, although Hispanic voting in the runoff election was much higher than previously. Brown's 2001 reelection was one of the last major political campaigns supported by the Houston-based Enron Corporation, which collapsed in

2394-483: The blessing and endorsement of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson , the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Dinkins was elected in the wake of a corruption scandal that stemmed from the decline of longtime Brooklyn Democratic Party chairman and preeminent New York City political leader Meade Esposito 's American Mafia -influenced patronage network, ultimately precipitating the suicide of Queens Borough President Donald Manes and

2457-541: The campaign for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, Dinkins served as an elected delegate from New York for Hillary Clinton . During the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries, Dinkins endorsed former Mayor Michael Bloomberg for president on February 25, 2020, just before a Democratic debate. Dinkins sat on the board of directors and in 2013 was on the Honorary Founders Board of The Jazz Foundation of America . He worked with that organization to save

2520-675: The city's Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (PBA) . In 1992, Dinkins proposed a bill to change the leadership of the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), the oversight body that examined complaints of police misconduct, from half-cop–half-civilian to all civilian and make it independent of the New York Police Department. Following the Washington Heights Riot , fueled by the beating of Jose "Kiko" Garcia, an undocumented Dominican Republic immigrant, by

2583-481: The city's affirmative action program; installed programs in city libraries to provide access to the Internet; built the state-of-the-art Houston Emergency Communications Center; implemented e-government, and opened new parks. Brown led trade missions for the business community to other countries and promoted international trade. He increased the number of foreign consulates. Brown undertook a massive program to reconstruct

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2646-431: The communities they served over a period of years. Initially, the officers were unimpressed by what Brown termed Neighborhood-Oriented Policing (NOP). Old-time officers saw it as simply reverting to a long-discredited policy of "walking a beat," and claimed the acronym meant "never on patrol." Brown and his staff divided the city into 23 identifiable "neighborhoods." Each neighborhood had a small informal office, located in

2709-528: The downtown street system and replace the aging underground utility system. The accompanying traffic problems was made a campaign issue by his opponent, three-term city councilman Orlando Sanchez in the 2001 election campaign. In 2001 Brown narrowly survived the reelection challenge and runoff against Sanchez, a Cuban-born man who grew up in Houston. The election characterized by especially high voter turnout in both black and Hispanic districts. Sanchez' supporters highlighted poor street conditions, campaigning that

2772-811: The empanelment of the New York City Charter Revision Commission , which abolished the Board of Estimate and assigned most of its responsibilities to an enlarged New York City Council via a successful referendum in November. Koch, the presumptive Democratic nominee, was politically damaged by his administration's ties to the Esposito network and his handling of racial issues, exemplified by his fealty to affluent interests in predominantly white areas of Manhattan. This enabled Dinkins to attenuate public perceptions of his previous patronage appointments and emerge as

2835-408: The first 7.5-mile leg of its light-rail system and obtained voter approval for an extension, along with increases in bus service, park and ride facilities and HOV lanes. It opened three new professional sports facilities, attracting visitors to the city. It revitalized the downtown area: constructing the city's first convention center hotel, doubling the size of the convention center; and constructing

2898-459: The first four months of 1992, compared to the previous year, indicated that Brown's program was having a positive effect, according to the Treadwell article. On the other hand, according to Treadwell, the police department was being criticized for the alleged ineffectiveness of its internal affairs division in the wake of allegations of drug dealing and bribery by some officers. Dinkins had appointed

2961-432: The homes and lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians, including musicians who survived Hurricane Katrina . He served on the boards of the Children's Health Fund (CHF) , the Association to Benefit Children, and the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund (NMCF) . Dinkins was also chairman emeritus of the board of directors of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS. He was a champion of college access, serving on

3024-506: The murder rate, declined in Dinkins' final years in office; Dinkins persuaded the state legislature to dedicate certain tax revenue for crime control (including an increase in the size of the New York Police Department along with after-school programs for teenagers), and he hired Raymond W. Kelly as police commissioner. Times Square was cleaned up during Dinkins' term, and he persuaded The Walt Disney Company to rehabilitate

3087-486: The old New Amsterdam Theatre on 42nd Street . The city negotiated a 99-year lease of city park space to the United States Tennis Association to create the USTA National Tennis Center (which Mayor Michael Bloomberg later called "the only good athletic sports stadium deal, not just in New York, but in the country"). Dinkins continued an initiative begun by Ed Koch to rehabilitate dilapidated housing in northern Harlem,

3150-569: The police department nearly 25%. The New York Times reported, "He obtained the State Legislature's permission to dedicate a tax to hire thousands of police officers, and he fought to preserve a portion of that anticrime money to keep schools open into the evening, an award-winning initiative that kept tens of thousands of teenagers off the street." Dinkins' term was marked by a greater push toward accountability and oversight regarding police misconduct, which led to friction between Dinkins and

3213-418: The population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Voting split along racial and political party lines, with a majority of African Americans and Asians (largely Democrats) supporting Brown, and a majority of Hispanic and Anglo voters (largely Republicans) supporting Sanchez. Brown had 43% in the first round of voting, and Sanchez 40%, which resulted in their competing in a run-off. Chris Bell received 16% of

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3276-410: The sanitation workers, presumably to preserve the public status of garbage removal. Giuliani, who had defeated Dinkins in the 1993 mayoral race, blamed Dinkins for a "cheap political trick" when Dinkins planned the resignation of Victor Gotbaum , Dinkins' appointee on the board of education, thus guaranteeing Gotbaum's replacement six months in office. Dinkins also signed a last-minute 99-year lease with

3339-442: The time, the force was 75% white; there were issues of perception of police justice and sensitivity in a city with a population estimated to be half minorities: black, Hispanic and Asian. Brown implemented community policing citywide, which reportedly quadrupled the number of police officers on foot patrol and had a goal of creating a partnership between the police and citizens. The fact that reported crimes were 6.7 percent lower for

3402-458: The top police job in Houston, Atlanta's police force was 20 percent black. In 1982 Brown was the first African American to be appointed as Police Chief to the City of Houston, serving until 1990. He was first appointed by Mayor Kathy Whitmire . The Houston Police Department seemed to be in constant turmoil and badly needed reform. According to one of Brown's colleagues at Atlanta, ... "Everybody knows Lee likes challenges and anyone who knows about

3465-467: Was a professor at Texas Southern University and Director of the university's Black Male Initiative Program. Brown is a co-founder of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE). Brown is chairman and CEO of Brown Group International , which is a business solutions organization. David Dinkins David Norman Dinkins (July 10, 1927 – November 23, 2020)

3528-467: Was an American politician, lawyer, and author who served as the 106th mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993. Dinkins was among the more than 20,000 Montford Point Marines , the first African-American U.S. Marines , from 1945 to 1946. He graduated cum laude from Howard University and received his law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1956. A longtime member of Harlem 's Carver Democratic Club, Dinkins began his electoral career by serving in

3591-470: Was appointed Public Safety Commissioner of Atlanta , Georgia, serving to 1982. Brown and his staff oversaw investigation of the Atlanta Child Murders case and increased efforts to provide safety in black areas of the city during the period when murders were committed. A critical element of reform during Brown's tenure was increasing diversity of the police force. By the time Brown resigned to accept

3654-579: Was born in Wewoka . His family, including five brothers and one sister, moved to California in the second wave of the Great Migration and his parents continued as farmers. A high school athlete, Brown earned a football scholarship to Fresno State University , where he earned a B.S. in criminology in 1960. That year he started as a police officer in San Jose, California , where he served for eight years. Brown

3717-430: Was credited with getting more police officers into the neighborhoods during his tenure. Relations between the residents and the police were far better than ever before, with residents becoming willing to work with the police implementing various activities. He was quoted as saying that sixty percent of all cities in the U.S. had adopted some form of NOP by the time he stepped down as Houston's chief. In December 1989 Brown

3780-527: Was elected as the president of the San Jose Police Officers' Association (union) and served from 1965 to 1966. Brown went on to earn a master's degree in sociology from San José State University in 1964, and became an assistant professor there in 1968. He also earned a second master's degree in criminology from University of California, Berkeley in 1968. In the same year, he moved to Portland, Oregon, where he established and served as chairman of

3843-741: Was marked by polarizing events such as the Family Red Apple boycott , a boycott of a Korean-owned grocery in Flatbush , Brooklyn, and the 1991 Crown Heights riot . When Lemrick Nelson was acquitted of murdering Yankel Rosenbaum during the Crown Heights riots , Dinkins said, "I have no doubt that in this case the criminal-justice system has operated fairly and openly." Later he wrote in his memoirs, "I continue to fail to understand that verdict." In 1991, when "Iraqi Scud missiles were falling" in Israel and

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3906-416: Was named by Mayor David Dinkins as Police Commissioner of New York City , the first non-New Yorker appointed in a quarter of a century as head of the nation's largest police force. In January 1990, he took over a police force that was seven times the size of Houston's, with "a complex organization of more than 26,000 officers" and a 346-member executive corps of officers at the rank of captain and above. At

3969-504: Was part of an Episcopal Church delegation to Haiti . Dinkins was hospitalized in New York on October 31, 2013, for treatment of pneumonia . He was hospitalized again for pneumonia on February 19, 2016. Dinkins starred as himself on April 13, 2018, in "Risk Management" , the 19th episode of the 8th season of the CBS police procedural drama Blue Bloods . On November 23, 2020, Dinkins died from unspecified natural causes at his home on

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