In far too many places in America, law enforcement is increasingly overwhelmed as criminality becomes more and more frequent. New York City might be using a strange tactic that makes it appear that fewer felonies are committed in the city. The Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been lightening more felony charges to misdemeanors, which is freeing up criminals awaiting their trials who would otherwise be behind bars. As a result, these people are able to commit more crimes on the city streets.
Since taking office on January 1, 2022, DA Bragg has been accused of being lenient towards criminals. Fifty-two percent of felonies have been downgraded to misdemeanors. A whopping fifty-two percent of felonies were downgraded to misdemeanors, which is a thirteen percent increase from last year.
While Cyrus Vance Jr. was district attorney, he never downgraded more than 40% of felonies between 2013 and 2020.
Before winning his election, District Attorney Bragg promised New Yorkers he would bring about criminal justice reform. Immediately upon taking office as Manhattan District Attorney, he issued a memo pledging that from then on, he would only pursue prison time in the most serious cases.
Willian Rolon, a career criminal, got lucky later in January. The judge told Rolon, who was facing him after threatening a store worker with a knife, that he should “feel lucky” for being charged with his crime under the watchful eye of the new District Attorney. The latter would not be as tough on criminals compared to those in the role previously.
Although DA Bragg’slenient policies towards criminals may be saving New Yorkers money, it could come at a greater cost. Since he took office, crime rates have gradually increased throughout the five boroughs; indicating that his decisions to downgrade felonies might be correlated with the rise in criminal activity. Since DA Bragg came into power, crimes such as robbery and assault have increased by 15% in Manhattan.
It would appear that District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s “woke” approach to criminal justice reform is having a dangerous effect on the streets of New York City. Although his policies regarding felony downgrade seem compassionate, it is actually endangering more people as criminals who should be imprisoned are instead being put back out on the streets. It is evident that these policies have not had the desired effect that DA Bragg wanted, and it is time to explore different methods to decrease crime rates in New York City.
If this alarming trend continues, we will never get control of crime in the city. All New Yorkers’ safety is at stake.
