New York City has seen a dramatic uptick in both violent crime and quality of life crimes. Anyone who is in the City knows that the main causes are the housing of people who would otherwise be in shelters, such as felons, drug addicts and parolees, in Manhattan hotels, in residential areas. This has caused criminals to be put right in the heart of Manhattan’s wealthiest areas. Also with DeBlasio’s recent attacks on the N.Y.P.D., and calls to defund the police, many officers have lost the incentive to do their jobs, and have instead adopted the attitude, of let the City see what happens without a police presence. This has left the residents of Manhattan’s most affluent neighborhoods, without police protection, while they are simultaneously exposed to hardened criminals, sex offenders, parolees and drug addicts, who see the wealthy residents of the financial district, Soho, the upper west side and the upper east side as easy prey.
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s claim that the recent uptick in shootings is somehow the fault of the New York State court system is entirely unsupported by any evidence and utterly devoid of logic,” said Legal Aid in a statement. State court system Chief Judge Janet DiFiore has also pushed back, including in a strongly worded letter sent to de Blasio.
Weighing in on the war of words—and blame—between New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the state court system over what has caused of the city’s weeks-long major rise in street crime, the Legal Aid Society is calling de Blasio’s comments blaming courthouse closures “utterly devoid of logic.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio should take responsibility for the city’s crime wave instead of shifting blame to state judges, said the court system’s spokesman.
Spokesman of the Office of Court Administration, stated that judges never stopped working. He added that throughout this pandemic, through the unceasing hard work and dedication of judges, non-judicial staff and court officers, the New York State Court system has continued to function. “Clearly the Mayor continues to refuse to take any responsibility for his actions, instead shifting the blame,” he further added. President of the New York State Supreme Court Officers Association, seconded the criticism.
State criminal court judges have continued to arraign arrested suspects and hold hearings. However, there is a massive backlog of pending criminal cases because until recently grand juries couldd meet to issue formal indictments and trials have been put on hold due to coronavirus social distancing restrictions.
De Blasio’s remarks came after at least six people were shot across the city early July — including a 16-year-old boy wounded as he left a Brooklyn party, cops said.
New York State criminal court judges have continued to arraign arrested suspects and hold hearings. However, there is a massive backlog of pending criminal cases because grand juries cannot meet to issue formal indictments and trials have been put on hold due to coronavirus social distancing restrictions. Another problem is the elimination of cash bail, means that people who have just committed crimes, are released right back onto the streets while their cases are pending. So the New York criminal courts have become revolving doors. Under previous laws, street people who lead a criminal life style would be held on bail, that they could not make, so at least they were taken off the streets, long enough to get clean and get off drugs for atleast a while, which cuts down on recurrent crime. Now they are arrested, released without bail, go back out on New York City’s streets and continue to lead a criminal lifestyle, getting high, pan handling for money and terrorizing the wealthy neighborhoods of Manhattan. It is now common to see junkies shooting up in Times Square, urinating in the flower beds of Bryant park and harassing the Manhattan residents who stayed in New York City.
As per Police Commissioner Dermot Shea statements, police are struggling to do their jobs because of anti-cop sentiment from the George Floyd protests and politically motivated laws like a new anti-chokehold bill that “handcuff” the NYPD. The pendulum has swung too far, and it is time for De Blasio to step up, make peace with the New York City Police Department and get them to do their jobs and clean up New York City. If you are not willing to do so, Mayor De Blasio, you need to step down, call for a special election and make way for somone who is capable of getting New York City back on track.
