[ad_1]<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
ALBANY, NY \u2013 New York State Senator Daphne Jordan, New York State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt,\u00a0Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay,\u00a0law enforcement officials and members of the Assembly and Senate Republican Conferences\u00a0today called on Gov. Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders to reverse failed criminal justice policies and strengthen public protection in the 2022-23 State Budget.<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cSince\u00a02020, when so-called bail and discovery \u2018reforms\u2019 became law, crime rates have skyrocketed across the state. From 2019 to 2020, the murder rate increased by almost fifty percent while gun crime outside of New York City increased by nearly 30 percent. Cashless bail\u00a0has been an unmitigated disaster and must be repealed. These soft-on-crime policies resulted in 3,460\u00a0offenders arrested and released to commit violent felonies while awaiting trial. That\u2019s\u00a03,460\u00a0crimes that could have been prevented if judges had full discretion to set bail. Reversing failed criminal justice policies and strengthening public protection must be job number one to ensure the safety and security of all New Yorkers. During our Senate Session later this afternoon, I\u2019ll advance a common-sense amendment to strengthen public safety and I\u2019m hopeful that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will finally join us in our ongoing effort to repeal cashless bail,\u201d\u00a0said Senator Daphne Jordan.<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cFor the past three years, New Yorkers have seen the disastrous effects of One-Party Rule on their safety and well-being. Violent crime rates are up, security in neighborhoods is down. It\u2019s time for Albany leaders to admit what we all know \u2013 their record on public safety has been an abysmal failure, and they must decisively change course in this year\u2019s state budget. That means no more criminal coddling. Supporting law enforcement. Repealing bail reform, making Kendra\u2019s Law permanent, and fixing New York\u2019s discovery laws. Let\u2019s restore public safety to our state,\u201d\u00a0said Leader Ortt.<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cBail\u00a0reform has been a complete and utter failure \u2013 one that has made our communities less safe and the job of law enforcement more dangerous. The law was so poorly crafted it has already been revised once, and state leaders, in an election year, are saying they want to make more changes because of the fallout from this disastrous policy.\u00a0 Bail reform needs to be fully repealed.\u00a0 If my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are truly interested in creating a more fair and equitable justice system that keeps New Yorkers safe, then they need to work with law enforcement, correction officers, judges, district attorney’s and other stakeholders to enact real solutions,\u201d\u00a0said Senator Anthony Palumbo.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cThe so-called bail reform legislation enacted by NY Democrats, over the objection of Republicans, has led to a historic rise in crime, jeopardizing the safety of every New Yorker.\u00a0 It must be fully repealed now,\u201d\u00a0said Deputy Senate Republican Leader Andrew Lanza.<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cPublic safety in New York state has plummeted to an unsustainable level. That deterioration directly correlates with the pro-criminal mentality that has seeped into Albany policymaking. We stand here today calling on our colleagues across the aisle and Gov. Hochul to\u00a0finally\u00a0fix what they have broken. I am pleased to see there has been interest in walking back some of these policies, but there is still much work to do. As we approach the deadline to pass the next state budget, I sincerely hope that progress manifests to state law,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Leader Barclay.<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cThe transformative changes from the 2019 budget are not working as intended. We are not saying we need to completely undo these laws, but we do need to find ways to fix them. AND we must do it now, which means this budget cycle. We all know that some unintended consequences of our current bail, discovery and Raise the Age laws have allowed dangerous criminals to take advantage of those new laws and has contributed to an uptick in violent crimes and crimes against property, ALL leading to a loss of a sense of safety and security in our communities.\u00a0If courts cannot consider the reality that certain defendants pose a risk to public safety, then courts are not serving public justice or public safety. A sensible balance between the rights of defendants and public safety is possible. Like all new laws adjustments prudently need to be made to ensure the intended outcome,\u201d\u00a0said Washington County District Attorney J. Anthony Jordan, President of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York.<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cSheriffs have been stalwart in their opinion on bail reform.\u00a0 The original bail reform initiative, while well-intentioned, was a drastic overcorrection, and for the past several years we have been dealing with the fallout.\u00a0 It is past time that New York joins nearly every other state in the nation, as well as the federal judiciary, in allowing judges to consider a defendant\u2019s risk to public safety when considering bail or remand.\u00a0 Sheriffs believe this simple change will alleviate many of the problems we are seeing today,\u201d\u00a0said Kevin Mulverhill, Franklin County Sheriff and 1st Vice President NYS Sheriff\u2019s Association.<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cIt is far past time to return to our elected judges the discretion that was taken away from them with the passage of bail reform in 2019. This failed experiment has cost innocent people their lives, and left deep scars on the communities affected by the horrible crimes committed by people who present a clear danger to the public. We owe it to the law-abiding people of this state who want nothing more than to live peacefully in their neighborhoods to do away with this dangerous law,\u201d\u00a0said Assemblyman Joseph M. Giglio.<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cAs a former Lieutenant with the New York City Police Department, I know firsthand of the harm that the soft-on-crime policies developed by an out of touch political class can have on the safety of our citizens and the vitality of our economy. I remember New York City during its darkest days, when crime was rampant and unchecked. The bottom line is that, until we get serious about addressing the out of control crime that has gripped our state, there will be no great New York comeback,\u201d\u00a0said Assemblyman Mike Reilly.<\/b><\/p>\n
In 2019, Democrats in Albany drastically overhauled New York\u2019s criminal justice system. Those changes greatly diminished the public\u2019s safety and enabled career criminals to enjoy wide latitude to operate in New York. As such, the Republican Conferences are calling for a substantial rollback of those policies, including increased judicial discretion in setting bail and changes to parole procedures.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
After New York City Mayor Eric Adams, law enforcement officials and state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle criticized the wrong-headed liberal policies currently in place; reports indicate there may be an inclination to include changes in the budget.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Today\u2019s calls by elected officials and law enforcement build upon the Senate Republican plan to\u00a0Restore Public Safety in New York<\/a>, unveiled as part of the\u00a0Take Back New York<\/a>\u00a0agenda earlier this year. The plan involves:<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n