OPINION: Brooklyn conservative calls for ‘Common Sense’ to fight crime, help NYPD

March 10, 2016 By Bob Capano For Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Bob Capano. Photo courtesy of Bob Capano

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According to a poll just released that was commissioned by 1NY Together, a not-for-profit organization designed to bring awareness and debate to issues affecting New York City residents, and conducted by Harper polling, a majority (53 percent) of Brooklyn residents feel “less safe.” Additionally, over 58 percent of Brooklynites say the quality of life in New York City is “getting worse.” Also, according to the poll, 57 percent of Brooklyn residents oppose City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito’s proposals to erase open warrants for criminal offenders.

I have been saying for over a year, including at Brooklyn public meetings, that the criminal justice reform policies of city leaders have created an environment that has emboldened criminals and made the job of police officers more dangerous. Indeed, unfortunately our cops seem to be shot on a regular basis these days, and respect for their service and sacrifices have gone by the wayside. These poll results demonstrate that Brooklynites are feeling the effects of these ill-conceived “reforms.” We do not want to go backwards when it comes to crime and return to the bad old days.

In releasing the poll, 1NY Together Chairman Paul J. Massey Jr. stated, “Public Safety and quality of life affect everyone, regardless of political affiliation or what borough you live in. New York City has come a long way from where it was two decades ago, and those efforts were spearheaded by effective policing. But there’s a strong sense now that things are changing in this city, and we need to pay close attention to why that is. New York must always remember the men and women, and the crime-fighting tactics they used, that brought this city back from the abyss.”

Mr. Massey is exactly right.

The vast majority of Brooklynites and New Yorkers, regardless of political party affiliation, fully support our NYPD and do not want to give our streets back to criminals. I know this is especially true in Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst, where I have spent many years working closely with our 68th Precinct and local residents. This is why it is surprising that local Brooklyn Democratic leaders have remained silent in standing up to these far-left policies of Melissa Mark-Viverito. Common sense dictates that we do not mess with what has worked to make NYC safe, and we stop the experimentation with these far-left criminal justice reforms.

Bob Capano, an active community leader in Bay Ridge, has run in the past as a Republican, Conservative and Independence Party candidate in the 43rd City Council District.