Mayors Bill de Blasio and Miguel Romero this month laid the foundation of a partnership on culture,
tourism, public safety, and emergency preparedness between New York City and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
New York City is home to more than 666,000 Puerto Ricans, one of the largest Commonwealth diaspora communities in the United States.
“Puerto Rican New Yorkers make our city the most vibrant city in the world, and they never forget where they came from. Their city won’t, either,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “As New York City and San Juan fight back COVID-19 and build a recovery for all our residents, now is the perfect time to deepen the ties between our cities and find new ways to support our friends in the Commonwealth.”
“New York City provides San Juan with a great example of an energetic and cosmopolitan city in continuous development and growth. The lessons learned by NYC will provide a great tool for our administration to replicate and learn from. On behalf of all San Juan residents, as well as the tourists who visit us, I thank Mayor de Blasio for his commitment to the people of Puerto Rico and to the development of our capital,” said Mayor Miguel Romero.
On a recent phone call, Mayors de Blasio and Romero discussed a variety of new ideas to deepen coordination between New York City and San Juan, including:
- In celebration of San Juan’s 500th anniversary, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and San Juan’s Departmento de Arte y Cultura (Department of Art and Culture) will work together to incorporate the NYC-based Puerto Rican community in the celebration.
- In anticipation of the upcoming hurricane season, New York City Emergency Management will work with San Juan’s Office of Emergency Management to plan joint training sessions for staff on the island.
- Additional coordination between the San Juan Police Department and the NYPD to train local officers on the island and share community policing procedures.
- Replicating the NYC City Cleanup Corps and how San Juan can implement a similar model using federal funding.
Find more information on Mayors Bill de Blasio here.
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