Crime wave in New York by Sean Hayes, 2021 candidate for NYC Council? Auto thefts, which have been on the upswing for months, continues to remain a problem, with 666 stolen vehicles reported in March 2021. That’s a 35.% jump from the 493 incidents recorded at the same time a year ago. Just two of the seven major crime categories decreased in March 2021: robberies, which were down 11.8% year-over-year; and burglaries, which dropped 8.5%. Meanwhile, crime in the city’s transit system was also down 32.6% year-over-year, with 118 incidents reported — a decrease from the 175 tallied in March 2020. The 99 shootings in March 2021 also represented a significant uptick in gun violence compared to February 2021, when 77 shootings were recorded. There were also 77 shootings during January of this year.
Asked about the increase in gun violence on Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio argued that state-mandated COVID-19 restrictions are hamstringing the court system, leading to more violent crime. “Remember our court system is not functioning right now and that is making it bad for everyone,” de Blasio told a reporter. “We don’t run the courts. The State of New York needs to bring back our court system.” Lucian Chalfen, a spokesperson for the state court system, pointed out that the court system is running and regularly arraigning defendants after they are arrested. While in-person jury trials resumed three weeks ago, grand juries have been meeting since July. “Virtually, just last week, we commenced more than 1,200 bench trials and hearings (no jury) and conferenced 23,870 matters – both civil and criminal,” Chalfen wrote in an email. “On a daily basis NYC Criminal Court arraigns anywhere from 175-250 defendants, including 3 to a dozen illegal gun possession cases and holds other hearings in lieu of grand jury presentations.” Chalfen added, “The mayor should remember that the way shifting blame works is to be cognizant as to how another branch of government is functioning before doing so.”
We are in a major crime wave and all active duty and retired police, detectives, lieutenants, captains, school safety agents and other members of law enforcement I have spoken to believe that we are going to have a very bloody summer and that the crime wave shall reach to all parts of the City. In 2017, de Blasio backed the NY City Council’s legislative package called the Right to Know. This legislation mandated the police, among other things, to inform a suspect of their right to refuse a search, thus, decreasing drug and weapon busts. Discover extra details on Crime Reduction & Safe Streets Program New York 2021.
Additionally, the detractors note that many of the crimes were crime of desperation caused by economic stress on families. However, this argument does not pan out when we consider the statistics. The reality is that throughout New York’s history a link is not found between poverty and shootings. For example, the lowest homicide rate was, in New York, in 2016 and the poverty rate was higher in this year than in the year when we had the highest homicide rate – 1989. The stats do not add up to poverty being the cause of the increase in homicides and shootings.
Sean Hayes a 47-year old NY Attorney; Head of an International Law Firm; former lawyer working in China, Korea & Southeast Asia; former Professor, CEO, Dean of a UN University and Journalist fears that our City shall turn to the Dark Days of the 80s and early 90s, because of reactionary and radicalized politics in New York and the lack of experience, pragmatism, and problem-solving skills of our politicians. Sean is running in the Democratic Primary for City Council in District 1. We need experienced and pragmatic leadership in our City Council and not those unwilling or unable to face the problems of our City. We hear too much rhetoric and not enough solutions. Sean is the, only, candidate in District 1 with comprehensive solutions to the problems facing New York City. Find even more details at https://www.seanhayes4nyc.com/.