Former Rockland County D.A. Michael Bongiorno op-eds that crime in rising throughout NYS because of the Rockefeller Drug Law reforms that I and fellow state legislators voted for in 2009.
Mr. Bongiorno fails to prove that the crimes are committed by drug re-offenders. He also fails to mention that crime rates rise during times of economic recession.
I continue to believe that passing and enacting Rockefeller Drug Law reforms was the right course.
Mr. Bongiorno’s OpEd follows:
“Over the past year, from Montauk to Buffalo and just about every place in between, crime, including violent crime,has risen dramatically, reversing a two-decade downward trend.
Crime and violent crime rose 12 percent in 16 of 17 “impact” jurisdictions —high-crime and drug-prone communities outside New York City, led by staggering jumps in violent crime of 40 percent in Newburgh and 30 percent in Yonkers. Buffalo and Rochester saw a near-doubling in the number of shooting victims.
Even New York City has seen a 4 percent rise in crime,with a 20 percent spike in subway crime.
Soaring crime became inevitable once elected officials embarked on a policy of emptying prisons of “nonviolent” felons,especially drug dealers. There are now some 15,000 fewer felons in prison than in 2000,and more than 4,000 fewer than in 2009.
Unsurprisingly, many drug felons have opted not to enter treatment programs,instead taking advantage of shorter sentences to return to the street sooner and continue committing crimes.”
Via http://m.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/why_crime_rising_Q1Op9v5VCRzMKgDFvnfP2L
Do you believe that reforming the Rockefeller Drug Law was right or wrong? Comment as you see fit.