Top NYPD brass discussed summer crime statistics Wednesday afternoon while once again taking the criminal justice system to task for allowing repeat offenders back on the street.
NYPD officials used a recently arrested 18-year-old man, with a staggering 78 prior arrests thus far, as a symbol of the department’s plea for action to be taken regarding criminal recidivism.
“We continue these conversations. Obviously, we’ve had these discussions many times. We sat here with press conferences and interviews and radio. We know what we see every single day on the street,” Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell told amNewYork Metro. “I think we do ourselves a little bit of a disservice when we just say bail reform. Criminal justice reform is the total package, and these laws were meant to address disproportionality in the criminal justice system. But a disproportionate number of our victims are people of color as well. So, we’ll continue to push for these changes.”