How bad has New York City’s crime problem become? Just take a look at the jaw-dropping recidivism numbers highlighted by Mayor Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch during their year-end crime report. These aren’t just numbers; they’re a flashing neon sign of progressive policies gone disastrously wrong.
Since 2018, recidivism has exploded. Among offenders arrested three or more times in a single year for the same crime, felony assault recidivists have skyrocketed by 147%. Grand larceny-auto is up 119%, robbery climbed 83%, and shoplifting rose 64%. Even grand larceny and burglary saw increases of 71% and 61%, respectively. These aren’t unfortunate souls down on their luck. These are hardened repeat offenders taking full advantage of a system designed to let them roam free.
Take subway slasher Jamar Banks, for example. Banks had a staggering 54 arrests under his belt, including violent and property crimes, before he was allowed to prowl the city again—this time injuring two people in separate knife attacks. Stories like his are becoming the norm, not the exception, thanks to New York’s disastrous 2019 bail reform law. By removing cash bail for most crimes, the state effectively rolled out the red carpet for recidivists, giving them every incentive to keep breaking the law with little fear of consequences.
And it doesn’t stop there. Discovery “law reforms” have buried prosecutors under mountains of paperwork, making it nearly impossible to build cases effectively. Even some Democrats admit these reforms are counterproductive, but let’s not hold our breath for meaningful change. After all, progressives are too busy peddling the myth that violent criminals are just misunderstood victims of poverty and social injustice. The numbers tell a different story: these offenders are emboldened repeat criminals, exploiting a system that puts their comfort above public safety.
While Mayor Adams and Commissioner Tisch report a minor year-on-year drop in crime, these recidivism stats obliterate any illusion that public safety is improving. The 2019 bail reform law and other soft-on-crime policies have turned the Big Apple into a playground for career criminals. The Post warned this would happen, and here we are.
The solution is simple: admit the failure and fix it. New York’s elected officials need to prioritize law-abiding citizens over criminals, but that would mean standing up to the progressive activists who think handcuffing the police is a better idea than handcuffing the criminals. Until then, New Yorkers are left to navigate a city that’s become a case study in what happens when ideology trumps common sense. Conservatives have long called for policies that back the blue and put victims’ rights first. It’s time to stop experimenting with public safety and return to what works: law and order.
