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Q&A
Addressing repeat offenders in the subway system
1:16:50
ยท
117 sec
Council Member Holden raises concerns about repeat offenders in the subway system, particularly those with mental illness who commit random attacks. Commissioner Tisch responds by highlighting the NYPD's efforts and calling for changes in the broader criminal justice system.
- NYPD made a 26-year high in major felony arrests last year
- Commissioner Tisch calls for lawmakers, prosecutors, and judges to do their part in addressing the 'revolving door' for criminals
- Specific recommendations include revising the discovery law, reexamining blanket policies that allow repeat offenders to walk free, and judges exercising their full authority to hold offenders when necessary
Robert F. Holden
1:16:50
When we have somebody that's committed a number of crimes in the subways, attacks, random attacks, when you know this person has serious mental illness, when they attack people at random, and that you just keep rearresting the same person.
1:17:05
What are some of the options the NYPD can do to address this rather than because I asked I used to ask the previous administration, well, how do you red flag individuals?
1:17:16
And they didn't.
1:17:17
So 40 arrests, same individual, and we just keep going through revolving doors.
1:17:22
I know it's the justices, but what can the NYPD do to address this?
Jessica Tisch
1:17:27
As I mentioned, arrests in New York City, major felony arrests last year were at a twenty six year high.
1:17:35
Our cops are out there doing their job every day and they're doing it really well.
1:17:41
We need our lawmakers and the rest of the criminal justice system to step up and do their part and shut down the high speed revolving door for criminals that they have created.
1:17:55
That includes our lawmakers up in Albany.
1:17:58
They have to look at and in my opinion revise certain laws that were changed in 2020.
1:18:06
Chief among them, the discovery law.
1:18:09
But it also includes our prosecutors who need to reexamine any blanket policy that their office has had or holds that allows repeat offenders to just walk.
1:18:21
It also includes our judges who from time to time do not exercise their full authority to hold someone that needs to be held.
1:18:32
So I give a huge amount of credit to the police in addressing these repeat offenders and taking them into custody.
1:18:44
But we need the rest of our criminal justice system to step up.