The war of words between Bay Ridge Democrats and Republicans – the borough’s only neighborhood with a healthy two-party system – continued today with Bob Capano, a longtime GOP operative calling out local Dems for not questioning City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito‘s proposed criminal justice reforms.
Capano, who was born and raised in Bay Ridge, but now lives in Staten Island, is strongly considering moving back to his home turf to run for City Council Member Vincent Gentile‘s 43rd District seat next year when he is term limited out of office.
Among those on the Democratic side rumored to also be looking at the office include Bay Ridge Democratic Club President Justin Brannan, who currently works in the de Blasio Administration, and Vice President Andrew Gounardes, who works in the office of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
“Throughout my long history of public and community service in Brooklyn, I have always taken great pride in working for and with Democrats and Republicans. I have taken on some of the extreme views of my own Republican Party, and now I hope there are some Democratic leaders in our community who will do the same here, and stand up to City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito and say enough is enough with the far-left criminal justice ‘reforms’ that are having a dangerous impact on our cops and neighborhoods,” said Capano.
“Whether it is the countless monitors looking over the shoulders of our cops, de-criminalizing quality of life crimes, erasing open warrants for offenders, closing Rikers Island, or not giving officers a raise despite the City Council giving themselves one for over 30%, it seems there is no common sense left in the City Council, or should I say the ‘silly’ council. Will one democratic leader show the courage and put our cops and communities over blind party loyalty to City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito?”
Capano pointed out two recent surveys – one that found 97 % of NYPD police officers are more reluctant to take action because of fear of lawsuits, and the other that found that 59% of Brooklynites say the quality of life is getting worse – clearly shows the City is going in the wrong direction in its criminal justice reforms.
“As the nephew of two former Brooklyn cops, I can not remain silent. I know that the vast majority of residents of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, and Brooklyn support our NYPD, and do not want to go backwards when it comes to public safety,” said Capano.
Bay Ridge Democrats spokesperson Chris McCreight responded that Republicans should be the last people to complain about criminal justice reforms.
“Whether it’s assaulting a female reporter, tax evasion, or bribery, it speaks volumes that Bob and other Staten Island Republicans say nothing when their own party is involved in criminal activity,” he said.
Bay Ridge is also the only neighborhood in the borough with GOP elected lawmakers, although two of them, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis and Congressman Dan Donovan, largely represent Staten Island. The only GOP legislator whose district is entirely in Brooklyn is Bay Ridge State Sen. Marty Golden.
