Recently, there were shooting sprees, specifically throughout the Fourth of July holiday weekend in New York City.
Between July 1 and July 4, there were 10 shootings with 16 victims.
On July 5 there were 12 more shootings and 13 victims.
Crime in the Big Apple has been increasing at an alarming rate.
Compared to the 2018 pre-COVID-19 numbers, major crimes committed in 2022 were up a staggering 38%.
The New York Post has reported that in 2022 "murders are up 30% compared to five years ago; . . . felony assault is 35% higher, and car theft is up by a whopping 217%."
Calls to 911 have been ringing off the hook.
In 2022, there were 700,000 more 911 calls than in 2019.
Exhausted, underpaid, and overworked cops, who believe politicians favor criminals over victims, are retiring in droves and recruitment campaigns are falling short.
The NYPD is down to 34,000 men and women in uniform versus 36,000 in 2020.
The force is about 1,200 below the number projected in the city’s financial plan.
Professor Maria Haberfeld, of Manhattan’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice, summed up the situation thusly, "If you are missing thousands of officers, then there is a certain impact on the ability to saturate high-crime areas."
Sadly, the Democratic majorities in the state legislature are doing nothing to resolve this crisis. They refused to make any serious changes to the flawed no-bail law.
They've also tinkered a bit, giving very little additional discretion to judges.
Leftists ignored the fact that in 2022, 40% of those out on cashless bail had been re-arrested. That translates into 30,000 people accused of committing additional crimes.
Bronx assemblymen Jeffrey Dinowitz’s bill to tighten bail laws for shoplifters convicted twice in two years was voted down.
"Not everyone is interested in creating tougher penalties" the disappointed legislator said.
"We have a serious shoplifting problem and I think we have to do more in that regard. It’s a real issue we should address."
So-called bail reforms have also led to a dramatic increase in criminal case dismissals.
For example, charges dropped in 2022 by Manhattan’s district attorney, Alvin Bragg, skyrocketed. Seventy-four percent of misdemeanors were dismissed versus 48% in 2019.
As for felony dismissals the number jumped from 21% in 2019 to 39% last year.
Albany Democrats have also refused to revisit the ponderous "Speedy Trial" law.
A report from the Manhattan Institute revealed that "the law imposes enormous clerical burdens on prosecutors, which have ultimately allowed many dangerous criminals to go free."
As for the state’s 2019 "Raise the Age" law, that holds people under 18 are not criminally responsible for any violations of penal law — it has resulted in a spike in homicides committed by young kids.
Ignoring the fact that the number of minors accused of murder in 2022, hit 161 — double the 2019 number — legislators refused to modify the act.
This inaction was even too much for Albany County’s far-left district attorney, David Soares.
After being denied an opportunity in February to testify before a state senate committee on crime, Soares released his prepared statement to the public.
Here is an excerpt, "I’m going to open by saying something you’ve all heard before; the reforms passed in 2017 and 2019, although they were well intentioned and brought about important changes, have been extremely detrimental to public safety.
"What you may not have heard before is a hard truth; that these reforms have had the most devastating impact on black and brown communities.
"If you take an honest look at the data — the increases in crime, the victims of those crimes and the location of the most violent crimes — the connection is quite clear."
New legislation sent to the governor’s desk will further weaken the criminal justice system if signed into law.
The "Clean Slate" Act will permanently seal criminal records of ex-cons who have not committed additional felonies for eight years and misdemeanors for three years.
In other words, the police, prosecutors, and the public will be in the dark about a person’s criminal history.
Another legislative beauty is the "Challenging Wrongful Convictions" Act.
Assembly Republican leader, William Barclay, rightfully argues the legislation, if approved, will "tip the scales of justice in favor of convicted criminals."
Anthony Jordan, the leader of New York’s District Attorney Association agrees.
"Under this bill, no conviction or plea would ever be final. Every plea agreement will be subject to challenges years later, when witnesses and evidence would be difficult to obtain," he said.
Radical Democrats won't be happy until they destroy the ability of law enforcement agencies to control the state’s criminal element.
Perhaps Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., will finally wake up and veto the latest attempts to lead New York deeper into barbarism.
But I doubt she will have the resolve to say no.
George J. Marlin, a former executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, is the author of "The American Catholic Voter: Two Hundred Years of Political Impact," and "Christian Persecutions in the Middle East: A 21st Century Tragedy." Read George J. Marlin's Reports — More Here.
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