JON?
JON: ALEXIS, THANKS.
JOINING US NOW, FORMER BOSTON
POLICE DEPARTMENT SUPERINTENDENT
IN CHIEF DAN YA LIN SKY, NOW A
FELLOW AT THE DUFF AND PHELPS
AGENCY FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE.
CHIEF, YOU’VE HEARD THE DA IN
MANHATTAN SAY HE THINKS THIS IS
GOING TO MAKE THIS CITY SAFER.
WHAT’S YOUR TAKE?
>> YEAH, I THINK IT’S ABOUT TIME
TO STOP POLITICS AND FOCUS ON
PUBLIC SAFETY, RIGHT?
SO BOTH SIDES ARE ON SOAP BOXES.
WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IS COME TO
THE TABLE AND HAVE A
CONVERSATION ABOUT DESIGNING A
PUBLIC SAFETY STRATEGY THAT THE
COMMUNITY WANTS AND THE POLICE
AND PROSECUTORS CAN PROVIDE IN
NEW YORK.
DISCRETION IS ALWAYS THERE.
COPS NOT ARRESTING PEOPLE FOR
SHOPLIFTING, EVERY DAY IN MY
SOCIAL MEDIA FEED I SEE A POLICE
OFFICER WHO’S PAYING FOR A
FAMILY THAT WAS SHOPLIFTING
CLOTHES OR FOOD FOR CHILDREN.
THAT’S ACCEPTED BY ALL SIDES.
SO A LOT OF THAT IS RHETORIC.
WE DO NEED TO -- JON, YOU’RE A
PILOT, RIGHT?
PILOTS HAVE CHECKLISTS, WHAT
WORKS AND WHAT DOESN’T WORK.
WE KNOW THAT INCLUDING THE
COMMUNITY IN OUR POLICING
STRATEGIES HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE IN
WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
WE KNOW THAT WORKING TOGETHER,
POLICE AND PROSECUTORS,
PROBATION, JUDGES, PAROLE,
PUBLIC SERVICE AGENCIES, THAT’S
A SOLUTION TO THESE CHALLENGES
AND PROBLEMS.
AND AS SOON AS WE CAN GET AWAY
FROM POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS AND
FOCUS ON WHAT THE COMMUNITY
WANTS -- THE COMMUNITY DOESN’T
WANT A CRIME TO BE THE
PROSECUTED, THEY’LL RALLY THEIR
LEGISLATORS AND HAVE THEM
REPEAL, RESCINDED P P OR
REVOKED.
AND THAT’S WHERE WE IMMEDIATE TO
WORK TOGETHER ON A CASE BY CASE
BASIS.
NOT EVERY SHOPLIFTING IS A
SHOPLIFTING.
THE FOLKS WHO ARE GOING INTO
GUCCI STORES WITH SLEDGEHAMMERS
AND CROWBARS, THAT’S NOT
SHOPLIFTING.
THAT’S ARMED ROBBERY.
IT NEEDS TO BE TREATED AS SUCH.
AND I THINK IT’S LESS ABOUT
POLITICAL PUNDITS IN
CONVERSATION AND MORE ABOUT
SITTING DOWN IN THE TRENCHES
WORKING TOGETHER.
THE MAYOR AND THE DISTRICT
ATTORNEY HAVE FOUR YEARS TO WORK
ON MAKING IMPROVING SECURITY IN
NEW YORK, AND I THINK THEY CAN
DO IT IF THEY COME TOGETHER AT
THE TABLE WITH THEIR EXPERIENCE
AND THEIR TEAMS WORKING HAND IN
HAND TO IDENTIFY THOSE TRULY
VIOLENT OFFENDERS AND THE
CHALLENGES FACING OUR COMMUNITY.
JON: HE EVEN SUGGESTED THAT
ARMED ROBBERY IS NOT A CRIME
THAT HE’S GOING TO PURSUE
VIGOROUSLY.
HOWARD SAFER USED TO BE THE
POLICE COMMISSIONER IN THIS CITY
OF NEW YORK.
HERE’S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY ABOUT
THE NEW, THE A’S PROPOSALS --
DA’S PROPOSALS.
>> HE WAS ELECTED TO PROSECUTE
CRIMES, NOT TO CHANGE THE LAW.
AND WHAT HE’S DOING HERE IS
CHANGING THE LAW AND ENABLING
CRIMINALS TO DO OUTRAGEOUS
THINGS.
THIS IS STUPID.
MY ADVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE
CITY OF NEW YORK IS HOLD A
RECALL ELECTION RIGHT NOW.
JON: IT WAS, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE
GIULIANI ADMINISTRATION WHEN
THEY STARTED GOING AFTER SMALL
CRIMES, TURNSTILE JUMPERS, THE
BROKEN WINDOWS POLICING, THAT
NEW YORK CITY REALLY GOT CLEANED
UP.
A LOT OF THE GUYS RESPONSIBLE
FOR LITTLE CRIMES WERE DOING BIG
CRIMES AS WELL.
SO DOES HOW’D SAFER -- HOWARD
SAFER HAS A POINT?
>> HOW’D SAFER HAS A POINT, BUT
I THINK IT’S A LITTLE EARLY TO
MAKE THAT POINT.
WE’VE HEARD WORDS AND SPEECHES.
LET’S SEE WHERE THE ACTIONS ARE.
IF THE DA IS LEGITIMATELY
DISMISSING ARMED ROBBERY CASES
AND PUTTING PEOPLE IN THE
COMMUNITY AT HARM, THEN I THINK
THE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY
SHOULD HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE.
IF IT’S MORE ABOUT THOUGHTS AND
IDEAS AND THE DEFAULT IS WE’RE
GOING TO SEE IF THERE’S A WAY,
YOU KNOW, THAT THIS PERSON’S
DRUG ADDICTED AND NO ONE WAS
SERIOUSLY HURT, A WAY WE CAN DO
SOMETHING OTHER THAN PUTTING
THEM IN PRISON, OKAY, MAYBE
THAT’S WHAT WE DO.
BUT IT’S ALL A CASE BY CASE
BASIS.
PROFESSIONAL PROSECUTORS LOOK AT
EACH CASE ON THE FACTS THAT THEY
ARE AND MAKE SMART DECISIONS
WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH POLICE
OFFICERS WHO ARE HELPING TO MAKE
THOSE DECISIONS WHO ARE ON THE
STREET EVERY DAY.
JON: "THE NEW YORK POST" TOOK A
LOOK AT HIS PROPOSALS AND PUT
OUT AN OP-ED TITLED THUS: ALVIN
BRAGG’S PSYCHOTIC POLICIES ARE A
GIFT TO THE GOP.
IT SAYS.
AND IT GOES ON TO READ: EVERY
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE AT EVERY
LEVEL FOR EVERY OFFICE IN THE
UNITED STATES AND WILL CITE
BRAGG’S MEMO AS A VANGUARD
DOCUMENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY.
IS THIS A POLITICAL ISSUE?
IS IT GOING TO REBOUND --
RESOUND, I GUESS I SHOULD SAY,
TO HURT DEMOCRATS
NATIONALLIESOME -- NATIONALLY?
>> WE HAVE SEEN WHERE
PROGRESSIVE DAs ARE TRYING TO
GET AWAY FROM TRADITIONAL
PROSECUTIONS.
AND IN SOME AREAS, IT HAS HELPED
ADDRESS CRIME.
IN BOSTON WE’VE GOT A
PROGRESSIVE DA WHO HAD SOME VERY
CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES, BUT YET WE
SAW A REDUCTION IN CRIME BECAUSE
EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS
DISAGREEMENT ON THE HOW AND THE
WHAT, THE DAY-TO-DAY, THE
PROSECUTORS WORKING HAND IF HAND
WITH POLICE TO MAKE SURE WE
PROVIDED A SCAIFE AND -- SAFE
AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE
CITIZENS OF BOSTON.
PROSECUTORS HAVE JUST TURNED A
BLIND EYE AND HAVE SHUT THE
POLICE OUT AND THE COMMUNITY OUT
FROM SOME OF THOSE
CONVERSATIONS, AND, AGAIN, GOING
BACK TO THAT CHECKLIST, IT’S
WHEN COPS, COMMUNITY AND
PROSECUTORS WORK TOGETHER.
AND THAT’S FEDERAL, STATE AND
LOCAL LEVEL TRYING TO DEAL WITH
THE CHALLENGES WE FACE IN
SECURING OUR SOCIETY.
AT THE SAME TIME, HAVING A JUST
POLICE SYSTEM, JUSTICE SYSTEM
THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO MAKE
MISTAKES AND NOT HAVE THAT
COMPLETELY DESTROY THEIR LIFE
FOR THE REST OF THEIR TIME ON
EARTH.
JON: IT’S ONE THING TO ALLOW
JUDGES AND MAYBE PROSECUTORS TO
HAVE SOME DISCRETION, BUT IF YOU
ANNOUNCE THAT YOU’RE JUST NOT
GOING TO PROSECUTE ARMED ROBBERY
ANYMORE, AREN’T YOU JUST
INVOTING MORE ARMED ROBBERY? --
INVITING MORE ARMED ROBBERY?
>> WE SAW THAT WITH THE NEW DA
COMING INTO BOSTON WHERE THE
ANNOUNCEMENT WAS NO PROSECUTING
SHOPLIFTING.
SO PEOPLE WERE SAYING YOU CAN’T
DO THIS, THE DA SAYS THIS IS
LEGAL.
THAT’S NOT WHAT THE DA IS
SAYING, NOT WHAT THE DA CAN SAY.
IT’S IS STILL A CRIME.
IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE IT,
LEGISLATIVE CHANGES.
THE DA DECIDES NOT TO PROSECUTE
OR TO CHARGE A FINE UP FRONT OR
PRETRIAL PROBATION, FINE.
IF THAT CIRCUMSTANCE IS RIGHT,
IT’S SOMEBODY WHO’S MADE A
MISTAKE, A TEENAGER WHO SCREWED
UP, ABSOLUTELY.
IF IT’S AN ONGOING RETAIL RING
AND SOMEBODY WHO’S GOT A RECORD,
THEY NEED TO BE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE.
THERE NEEDS TO BE CONSEQUENCES
FOR THAT.
AND THOSE DECISIONS NEED TO BE
MADE EACH DAY BY PROSECUTORS AND
COPS WORKING TOGETHER ON THE
PROBLEMS INVOLVING CRIME.
JON: WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS HERE
IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK.