▁lead ▁the ▁fight ▁for ▁a ▁Civil ian ▁Comp la int ▁Review ▁Board ▁for ▁the ▁NY PD . ▁ ▁Fer rer ▁earned ▁his ▁B . A . ▁degree ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁He ights ▁Camp us ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁University ▁and ▁M . P . A . ▁from ▁Bar uch ▁College . ▁ ▁Bron x ▁Bor ough ▁President ▁ ▁Fer rer ▁was ▁appointed ▁Bron x ▁Bor ough ▁President ▁as ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁inc umb ent ▁Stanley ▁Simon ’ s ▁res ignation ▁in ▁connection ▁with ▁the ▁Wed tech ▁sc andal . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁Simon , ▁aware ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁under ▁investigation ▁and ▁that ▁charges ▁against ▁him ▁were ▁pending , ▁res igned ▁from ▁his ▁post . ▁A ▁year ▁earlier , ▁b ri ber y ▁and ▁ext ort ion ▁sc andal ▁at ▁the ▁Park ing ▁Vi ol ations ▁Bureau ▁took ▁down ▁then - B ron x ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁b oss ▁Stanley ▁Fried man . ▁Fer rer ▁began ▁his ▁ 1 4 - year ▁ten ure ▁as ▁Bron x ▁bor ough ▁president ▁when ▁the ▁bor ough ▁was ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁urban ▁decay ▁and ▁neglect . ▁National ▁attention ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁federal ▁commit ment ▁to ▁re build . ▁During ▁the ▁Fer rer ▁administration ▁housing ▁was ▁created ▁for ▁about ▁ 6 6 , 0 0 0 ▁families . ▁The ▁bor ough ▁saw ▁a ▁significant ▁drop ▁in ▁crime , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁Bron x ▁neighborhood , ▁and ▁a ▁steady ▁rise ▁in ▁business ▁and ▁real ▁estate ▁invest ment . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7