When leniency is not appropriate
Manhattan: As a lifelong New Yorker and a resident of the Upper West Side, I was especially disturbed by the reported assault that occurred Thursday at the well-known and respected Carmine’s UWS (“Tourists assault NYC restaurant hostess after she questions their proof of vaccination,” Sept. 17). The health and well-being of our restaurants and guests is absolutely imperative if the city is to return to its pre-pandemic glory. New York cannot afford to have its lifeblood drained by the impetuous and grossly irresponsible behavior of those who show disrespect for the regulations that are in place to protect us from the dire consequences of continued COVID spread.
The physical abuse of a restaurant hostess has a particularly insidious impact on this city. It serves to chill restaurant enforcement of this much-needed regulation and will embolden those who choose to trample on the safety and rights of us all. Law enforcement must treat these anti-social actions with the full measure of the available sanction.
A desk appearance ticket, which was used in this case, is barely a slap on the wrist. It allows the accused to leave the precinct without being held to see a judge and is a lukewarm law enforcement response to a serious offense. It is especially ineffective when issued to tourists who will likely leave the jurisdiction and easily skip the future court date with virtual impunity when it finally arrives a month or more in the future.
These are not minor offenses and the likelihood of out-of-state tourists returning for a court date is slim at best. These defendants should have been arrested, photographed, fingerprinted and held in jail until arraigned before a judge.