According to crime statistics, state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who has a soft spot for crime, plays with his hands while his Bronx backyard burns.
In the precinct that covers the woke Democratic East Bronx, serious crimes jumped 27%, with five of the seven major crime categories surging.
The 49th Precinct, which covers the Laconia area where Heastie’s office is located, had recorded 595 major crimes through Sunday, compared to 467 during the same period in 2023, according to the data.
Rape increased by 175% (from 4 to 11), felony assault by 18% (from 89 to 105), and robbery by 6% (from 64 to 68). According to the statistics, grand thefts increased by 70% (from 148 to 251) and motor vehicle thefts increased by 9% (from 104 to 113).
“He doesn’t care about his voters. He doesn’t care about the community. Without bail reform, we wouldn’t have these problems,” said Grace Marrero, a conservative activist in the Bronx. I was furious.
Heastie was a leading proponent of the state’s controversial 2019 criminal justice reforms, which eliminated cash bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies, creating a revolving door for released felon suspects. was to be born.
Paul sparked further outrage last week when he rejected Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to stiffen penalties for retail thieves, declaring, “I never believe that increasing penalties will be a deterrent to crime.”
Many business owners are fed up with Heastie’s refusal to crack down on violent shoplifters. That includes his neighborhood, where retail thefts have increased by an astonishing 19% (from 155 to 185).
Bernard Smith, the Bronx activist who lost his 19-year-old son and 32-year-old nephew to gun violence in 2000 and founded Stop the Violence, learned a harsh lesson when he was caught shoplifting 40 years ago. That’s what he said.
Smith, now 73, was sentenced to 90 days in jail in 1985. Back then, he was doing his time, committing crimes. ”
Mr Smith said he had “zero clue” about Mr Heastie’s views on crime.
“You don’t see elderly people on the streets anymore. They’re sitting on park benches or in parks,” he said of the growing fear in the city.
Mr Heastie was unable to receive messages even after a murder took place outside his office last year.
In April, multiple gunmen fired at least 10 shots from a white BMW sedan at Gun Hill Road and Fenton Avenue outside Heastie’s one-story district office, killing a 20-year-old man in a drive-by shooting. was shot in the head. According to officials, the incident occurred around 3 p.m. on the 17th.
The newspaper learned this week that the victim, Zaire Carey, died two days after his injuries, and that the two suspects were arrested on April 28.
“And he [Heastie] I couldn’t find it anywhere,” Mr. Marrero charged.
Heastie and state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) both voted on bail, rescinding the requirement to impose the “least restrictive” standard to ensure return to court. He is resisting Hochul’s proposal to give judges more discretion.
Heastie also supports the state’s “age increase” law, which would raise the age of criminal responsibility for suspects to 18.
“While most of New York City’s police departments seem to have turned the corner, criminals in the Heastie area appear to be benefiting from his policies,” said former NYPD Sergeant and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. quipped adjunct professor Joseph Giacalone. “Crime is increasing and quality of life is decreasing.”
Activist Mr Smith added: “We’re not just standing on street corners for photo ops. You start walking down these streets. We all know where the crime is.”
