The building of the state Legislature became the venue this Monday for the first formal round between the Administration of Mayor Eric Adams, which urges Albany to make changes to penal reform (such as the bail law and harsh treatment of repeat offenders), and legislators who defend the regulations that govern the system since January 2020.
For several hours, representatives of the City Administration and the NYPD responded to harsh questions about the crime data presented by the City, in a joint hearing, promoted by leaders of the Judiciary, Codes and Crime and Jails Committees, of the Assembly and the Senate.
One of the main arguments that the Adams Administration delegates brought to Albany sought to blame penal reform in part for the increase in crime and, in particular, some 1,700 repeat offenders, who are not deprived of their liberty while their trials begin. , and whom the NYPD has identified as the perpetrators of much of the crime that is shaking the Big Apple.
Despite insisting that Mayor Adams is an advocate of criminal justice reforms to establish a fairer system, Deanna Logan, director of the City’s Office of Criminal Justice, assured that crime data in the five boroughs of the City reveal that you cannot cover the sun with one finger and it is necessary to look for solutions to guarantee public safety.
“This clearly reveals something: New York City has a recidivism problem. And that problem of recidivism is driving a large part of the crime that we see today,” said the official. “We identified approximately 2,000 individuals who have a recent persistent pattern of interaction with the criminal legal system and go on to commit a violent felony. An even larger number of people with a recent persistent pattern go on to commit other crimes. This small portion of the population causes a disproportionate amount of crime in New York City and reflects a serious recidivism problem.”
The spokesperson for the Adams Administration, who since taking over the reins of New York City has advocated balancing the changes generated by penal reform, assured that the new regulations are not generating what was initially sought, which was to promote justice.
“In the current system, it is difficult to determine why a case was dismissed, but the data shows that cases dismissed have increased substantially. The data shows that the percentage of cases that were dismissed increased from 41% to 62% between 2019 and 2022 and that the cases dismissed for minor crimes increased from 48% to 74%,” the official cited, adding that in cases of crimes serious cases dismissed increased from 21% to 35% during that period.
Another of the City’s complaints is that after the implementation of the penal reform, the time elapsed from arraignment to disposition has increased from 330 days in 2019 to 424 days in 2022.
“This may mean dangerous people are spending more time on the streets and innocent people are waiting longer to clear their name,” Logan warned.
The head of the NYPD Department, Jeffrey Maddrey, assured at the hearing that despite seeing considerable reductions in crimes such as homicides and a decrease in shootings as of the last quarter of 2022, serious crimes in the last three years, which coincides with the time implementation of penal reforms increased, so he urged Albany to make adjustments that balance the needs of those accused of crimes with the needs of victims.
“To get this balance right, it is imperative that we are able to assess the impact that various reforms have had on the criminal justice system and adjust policies accordingly. The incomplete data has upset many lawmakers who have tried to address the reason behind the rise in crime that began in 2020,” the official said. “Our data shows that there are a small number of people who cause a significant amount of harm (2,000 people)…the top 327 repeat shoplifting offenders account for about 30 percent of all shoplifting arrests. 46 percent of these 327 individuals have a criminal record. In 2022, 25 percent of people arrested for robbery and 17.9 percent of people arrested for grand theft were re-arrested for another felony within 60 days.”
The NYPD spokesman also said that so far this year, half of the people arrested for robbery have been released for other serious crimes and noted that another worrying trend is the increase in the participation of minors in crime, both as perpetrators as victims.
“The number of youth shooting victims has doubled since 2017 (75 vs. 153). That’s 10 percent of all shooting victims in New York City. The number of minors who have been identified as gunmen has increased by 156 percent since 2017 (48 vs. 123),” said the police chief. “There has been a 62 percent increase in youth firearm arrests since 2017 (275 v. 448) and sadly, 24 percent of youth arrested with a gun in 2020 were involved in a shooting within the 2 years, either as a victim or as a shooter.
And although the police and municipal representatives tried to convince legislators of the need for changes, presumably due to the direct relationship that would exist between the implemented reforms and the decrease in justice and the increase in crime, the questions asked by assembly members and senators revealed who are not convinced by the City’s claims.
“If crime is going down, do you want us to change the laws based on 1,700 people when we have 20 million people statewide?” said Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, who asked the NYPD to propose better ways to fight crime from her work. police.
Then, NYPD Chief of Crime Control Strategies, Michael LiPetri, responded that the problem is not that the number of violent repeat offenders seems small, but rather that these criminals are constantly spreading fear and violence on an ongoing basis. in the neighborhoods of the Big Apple, because of how the laws currently stand.
“They are pulling the trigger in New York City multiple times and we have been very precise on that and we are always going to focus on who are the people who are being a threat by pulling the trigger and in this case it is them,” LiPetri emphasized. .
Assemblyman Kenny Burgos also questioned the NYPD data as a way of trying to show a relationship between penal reform and crime and dismissed that using the 1,700 repeat offenders as evidence is not a price gauge.
“I don’t want to conflict these issues, but we know this is not a new issue. We have always known that there is a smaller group of individuals who have been committing major crimes, but I would like to know the data they have on this issue before 2020,” said the Latino legislator, but the NYPD had no response.
Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas, who has defended penal reform tooth and nail and who opposes the reversal of progress made that has generated greater justice for disadvantaged communities, assured that it is urgent that the current legislative session focus on approving other laws that improve the conditions of the most vulnerable.
“This session we must continue advocating for our immigrant and working communities. My priorities include fighting so that all our immigrant neighbors can have health insurance, so that we can raise the minimum wage for everyone, including restaurant workers, and for resources for those who need reproductive care, “said the legislator. “We have seen how our communities have been pushed back by Albany.”
Brooklyn Democratic Senator Zellnor Myrie said he is willing to move forward with the conversation on prison reform, but based on evidence and not on opinions and positions without real support. “I am not willing to have a conversation based on anecdotes and scare tactics,” the politician said.
Data Submitted by the NYPD and the City
- 62% of cases were dismissed between 2019 and 2022
- 48% were misdemeanor cases dismissed in 2019
- 74% were the cases dismissed in 2022
- 21% were dismissed felony cases in 2019
- 35% increased the dismissed cases of this type of crime
- 1,700 to 2,000 identified criminals are the perpetrators of a good part of high percentages of criminal acts in NYC
- 327 top repeat shoplifting offenders account for 30% of all shoplifting arrests
- 46% of those individuals have a criminal record
- 25% percent of people arrested for robbery and 17.9% for grand theft were re-arrested for another felony