Column: New York State of Crime
Recently, the House Judiciary Committee conducted a field hearing in the heart of Manhattan, in New York City as part of our effort to take our message directly to the American people, rather than the DC media bubble. The subject of the hearing was rising violent crime and the failure of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to protect public safety. Crime remains a top issue for voters across the country, particularly here in Wisconsin.
Last year, New York City saw a 23% surge in major crimes according to the NYPD. In 2019, the New York legislature passed a major bail reform law prohibiting judges from setting cash bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies and mandated the immediate release of individuals who committed these offenses back into the community. Coupled with Bragg’s record of downgrading 52% of felony charges to misdemeanors, it’s no surprise a culture of lawlessness has emerged in the flagship city.
Our panel of witnesses included Jose Alba, a bodega clerk – notably charged with murder by Bragg after defending himself from a violent criminal – other victims’ advocates, representatives of law enforcement, and even a NYC Democratic Councilman who spoke out against the soft-on-crime agenda his party supports.
In the hearing, I focused on how New York’s bail reform policies have led to an increase in pretrial releases across all categories of offense, including violent crime, and how those policies have eroded the relationship between law enforcement and the District Attorney’s office. In 2021, more than 3,700 cases in New York City had bail set at just $1.
Similar to what’s going on in New York City, low cash bail is the reason Darrell Brooks was able to attack the Waukesha Christmas Parade. His bail, set at a ridiculously low $1,000 by John Chisholm and the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, enabled him to leave jail and wreak havoc on City the Waukesha. We must fight back against pro-criminal prosecutors in all jurisdictions.
In order to shine a light on these policies and where they are happening across the country, I am reintroducing the Pretrial Release Reporting Act with Senator Ron Johnson. This bill would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue a report detailing information on individuals released on bail and pretrial release from state courts charged with crimes of violence. The DOJ has not reported on the pretrial release of felony offenders since 2007.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg may be nationally recognized for his role in making New York City unsafe, but we know all too well the effect those like him have had on our communities here in Wisconsin. Despite pushback from the Left, such as the protestors who viciously disrupted our hearing in New York City, I will never stop fighting to protect public safety and put law-abiding citizens above criminals.