New York crime wave solutions with Sean Hayes, 2021 candidate for NYC Council? Jullian Harris-Calvin, the director of the Greater Justice New York program for the Vera Institute, said that while it will take years to fully understand COVID-19’s influence on violent crime, it is undeniable that the mass death, unemployment, and economic instability that accompanied the pandemic literally upended society, especially for people who are traditionally harmed by gun violence. “COVID-19 had a unique affect on familial and community support systems. It disproportionately affected Black and brown communities,” Harris-Calvin said.

NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea has continued to insist that criminal justice reforms, including the state’s 2019 bail reform laws that went into effect last year, are driving the increase in violent crime, despite evidence to the contrary. The reforms prohibited judges from setting bail in most cases, except those charged with violent felonies. “We have one simple ask,” Shea told an interviewer last week, after a Brownsville man killed his girlfriend and two of her children before turning the gun on himself. “We need to give judges discretion to keep dangerous people in jail.” But New York’s wave of gun violence is coming at a pivotal moment in the city’s history. In June, Democratic primary voters will likely choose the next mayor. That same month, the city’s budget will be due, setting up another massive public battle over whether to redirect money from the NYPD to the city’s poorer communities, predominately Black and Latino, who are disproportionately affected by gun violence.

We are in a major crime wave and all active duty and retired police, detectives, lieutenants, captains, school safety agents and other members of law enforcement I have spoken to believe that we are going to have a very bloody summer and that the crime wave shall reach to all parts of the City. In 2014, Mayor de Blasio refused to appeal a District Court holding that “stop & frisk” is unconstitutional even though it was noted that an appeal was likely to succeed with certain reforms being made. (Sean Hayes 4 NYC agrees that reforms were needed in regard to stop & frisk, but does not approve of the blanket prohibition. We shall be writing about this in the near future – check back). Read extra information at https://www.seanhayes4nyc.com/post/new-york-is-in-the-middle-of-a-crime-wave.

The best explanation I have seen of the issues we are facing with politics is described by Mr. Rafeal Mangual. He notes in a great article on crime in New York that: “The radical wing of the criminal-justice reform movement has enjoyed enormous legislative and electoral success over the last few years, in New York and elsewhere. Such success owes much to the impression—carefully crafted and nurtured by those leading the movement—that the fight for reform is, à la Public Enemy, a fight against “the power.” David versus Goliath. Meek Mill versus The System. But that’s all just a smokescreen. When the smoke clears, it reveals that those leading the movement to de-police city streets and depopulate jails and prisons are the power. As such, they should be held accountable for their ‘victories’—and what follows from them.” Rafael A. Mangual

Sean Hayes a 47-year old NY Attorney; Head of an International Law Firm; former lawyer working in China, Korea & Southeast Asia; former Professor, CEO, Dean of a UN University and Journalist fears that our City shall turn to the Dark Days of the 80s and early 90s, because of reactionary and radicalized politics in New York and the lack of experience, pragmatism, and problem-solving skills of our politicians. Sean is running in the Democratic Primary for City Council in District 1. We need experienced and pragmatic leadership in our City Council and not those unwilling or unable to face the problems of our City. We hear too much rhetoric and not enough solutions. Sean is the, only, candidate in District 1 with comprehensive solutions to the problems facing New York City. See additional information at https://www.seanhayes4nyc.com/.