Yesterday, a madman on a stabbing spree mortally wounded three New Yorkers, who succumbed to their injuries. According to the New York Post and New York Daily News, the alleged perpetrator is a 51-year-old New York City shelter resident with a troubling criminal history that includes at least eight prior arrests—many for felonies—and at least one open case. Once again, New Yorkers find themselves asking the same dismal question suggested by Mayor Eric Adams, who spoke at a press conference after the attacks: What the hell was this guy doing on the street?
After all, per the Daily News, the triple-murder suspect was booked a month ago for stealing a bowl priced at nearly $1,500. Rather than getting hit with a felony grand larceny charge and remanded to pretrial detention, or held on bail, he was charged with petit larceny and released. Before that incident, he received more than a year’s worth of jail sentences in August and September for prior instances of assault and burglary. So: Why was he on the street?
The answer is simple: bad policies. In 2020, New York State’s bail and discovery reforms took effect. The bail reform made it so that nearly all accused criminals in the state would be released pretrial rather than held in detention, and it did so while strengthening the prohibition on judges considering public-safety risk when making release decisions. The discovery reform amounted to a massive unfunded compliance burden on prosecutors, which has led to skyrocketing dismissal rates. The following year, Alvin Bragg, who campaigned on promises to cut incarceration, bring fewer cases, and enact broad non-prosecution policies, was elected as Manhattan D.A.
These were just three of many missteps by New York City and State leaders seeking to go easier on criminals and harder on cops. Others include the state-level reforms to juvenile justice, police powers, and parole violations. Then there are city council initiatives like the diaphragm law, the Right To Know Act, and the How Many Stops Act. Then you have the administrative-policy reforms enacted by the city’s two “progressive” district attorneys, Eric Gonzalez (Brooklyn) and Bragg. Don’t forget the shuttering of more than a dozen state prisons, the reduction in long-term inpatient mental-health beds throughout the state, the judges who can’t keep their finger off the “release” button, or the ongoing federal monitorships of the NYPD and New York City Department of Correction, neither seemingly able to hire or keep enough officers to meet demand at present.
Yesterday’s stabbing spree is the type of tragedy that should outrage an electorate already fed up with the elevated crime and disorder since 2020. Many New Yorkers have experienced the chaos firsthand: the maniac in the throes of a schizophrenic break terrorizing a subway car, a gang of masked teenagers blocking traffic and menacing drivers, or addicts slumped in a heroin haze outside the local playground. It’s maddening—but these are political problems, which means they have political solutions.
Earlier this month, many New Yorkers made their frustration known at the polls, helping to elect Donald J. Trump, who pledged to get tough on urban crime and disorder. Trump garnered nearly 95,000 more votes across New York City’s five boroughs in 2024 than he did in 2020. Yet, national elections won’t really fix problems born in Albany, City Hall, the courts, and the offices of district attorneys—none of whom was on the ballot.
Despite New York’s deep-blue leanings, there’s hope for a course correction. Blue states and cities like California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, D.C., have recently made strides toward addressing crime. This year’s elections were especially promising for anti-crime voters. New Yorkers should take note. Without serious policy shifts from progressive politicians, New Yorkers face a harsh reality: dangerous individuals will continue to roam the streets and subways at rates far higher than before. And we’re on our own—there’s no Batman coming to save us. Even if there were, Alvin Bragg would probably put him in prison.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.