‘Public safety is paramount’ – Island lawmakers call for policy changes to address surge in violent crime

Murders, shootings, hate crimes, burglaries, robberies, and rapes have skyrocketed over the past year and lawmakers say ‘‘enough is enough.’'

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, City Council Minority Leader Steven Matteo, Councilman Joe Borelli, Assemblyman Michael Reilly, and Assemblyman Michael Tannousis convened on Monday morning for a press conference to call attention to the recent surge in crime and the need to change current policies in order to restore safety in Staten Island and New York City.

The conference took place in front of a Northfield bank in New Dorp. Northfield is one of the banks that has been robbed in a recent spree of bank robberies on Staten Island.

According to NYPD CompStat’s most recent report, which Malliotakis shared, when comparing the 28-day period ending on May 16 in 2020 versus this year, robberies have increased by 54.5%, murder is up by 66.7%, rapes increased by 25%, grand larceny up by 40.8%, and felony assaults increased by 22.3%

The lawmakers are in consensus that in order to restore safety in the borough and city, current bail reform policies must be improved and legislation should be in support of not against NYPD by refunding the department, restoring qualified immunity, and reinstating the plainclothes anti-crime units.

Matteo discussed the impact of the recent flux of crimes on people’s daily lives.

“We have people who don’t feel safe on the subway. We cannot safely reopen our great city,” said Matteo.

“If you expect the city to come back, if you expect tourism to come back, people need to feel safe on the subways. People need to feel safe walking around,” he continued.

Matteo also emphasized the need to support the NYPD.

“We need to stop this ridiculous notion of defunding the NYPD. They need our support they need to be able to go out there and do their job and keep our community safe,” he said.

NYPD FORMER PLAINCLOTHS UNIT

Matteo and Borelli are both calling for the NYPD’s Anti-crime unit, which was disbanded in 2020, to be restored.

Reilly who is a retired NYPD lieutenant who served in the Anti-Crime unit, spoke about the the significant role the unit played in reducing violence.

“The anti-crime team was a major factor in taking guns off the street. Why? Because they had the jump on the bad guy. Because they were in plainclothes and in unmarked vehicles,” said Reilly.

“In 2019, there were 3,600 gun arrests, 3,100 guns recovered. 1,900 of those by members of the anti-crime unit across New York City. That’s 1,900 less shootings, 1,900 less hospital visits, 1,900 less funerals that our New Yorkers have lost loved ones. Think about that,” he continued.

Reilly then made a sobering statement to underscore the impact of pulling funding from the NYPD.

“So the next time you hear someone say to defund the police, what they’re really funding is our loved ones’ funerals,” he said.

THE DANGER OF ‘BLANKET LAW’ BAIL REPORM

Tannousis, who was a prosecutor for eight years, discussed the implications of recent bail reform policies.

“You cannot have a blanket law like this that takes away a judge’s power to make a decision. That’s why we elect judges to begin with. Everything in the criminal justice system is a case by case basis,’' he said.

“There are never two defendants that are alike. No two victims are alike. No two facts are alike. There is nothing exactly the same with any two types of cases. That’s why you have a judge. That’s why you have a prosecutor. That’s why you have a defense attorney. That is the reason why a blanket law like this is so dangerous,” said Tannousis.

Malliotakis also discussed the ramifications of recent bail reform policies such as repeated offenders, some with dozens of priors, being released without bail. She also expressed concerns about criminals being released before completing their sentences.

“The governor’s parole board has a history of releasing cop killers, murderers, rapists and other dangerous individuals back onto our streets. If you talk to the NYPD, they will tell you, making sure these individuals complete their sentence is one of the top things that can help public safety,” said Malliotakis.

VOTING FOR CHANGE

Lawmakers also emphasized the power that voters have to change the course of crime in this year’s elections by choosing candidates who will make changes they believe will restore safety in the borough and city.

“Until we change the culture of who we’re sending as our government representatives, we’re still going to have rising crime,” said Borelli.

Malliotakis urges voters to research candidates as they prepare for elections and understand their views on issues such as defunding or refunding the police in order to make an informed decision at the polls.