Bail reform blunder

With less than a month left in Albany’s annual budget process, the clock is ticking on correcting last year’s hastily constructed bail reform law. Defenders of the statute say there hasn’t been enough time to assess its impact on crime rates, insisting that claims the law enables recidivism are breathless and irresponsible exaggerations. The NYPD’s latest crime stats say otherwise.

Year-over-year, the seven major crimes the department tracks, including robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny and grand larceny auto, are up 22.5%. Offenses in the subway are up 40%; burglary is up 19%; shootings, up 18%. Murder is one of the few categories in decline.

Though bail reform isn’t responsible for the increase, it has been a factor.

Despite 7,000 fewer arrests in the first two months of 2020 than in the corresponding period last year, 482 individuals arrested for a felony now requiring mandatory pre-trial release went on to be rearrested, accused of committing an additional 846 crimes. Of those crimes, 299 were significant crimes like robbery, felony assault or grand larceny.

The rap sheet includes 99 robberies, 77 burglaries and at least one murder. All accused, not convicted, and a fraction of the overall spike, but it’s a pattern.

In his NYPD briefing, Mayor de Blasio said he sees a “correlation” between the law and upticks in cell phone and other subway thefts. “We expect Albany to help,” he said.

Listen to the mayor. Listen to the data. Listen to logic. Eliminate cash bail in all cases, and give judges some semblance of discretion.