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New York City named ‘anarchist jurisdiction’ by US Justice Department

Also labled as “anarchist jurisdictions” are Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, which have seen violent clashes between protesters, police and federal agents.

By David Isaac, World Israel News

The U.S. Justice Department has tagged New York City as an “anarchist jurisdiction” on Sunday and will move to pull federal funding from the city for its failure to curb violence while at the same time defunding police, The New York Post reports on Monday.

Also labeled as “anarchist jurisdictions” are Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, which have seen violent clashes between protesters, police and federal agents.

“When state and local leaders impede their own law-enforcement officers and agencies from doing their jobs, it endangers innocent citizens who deserve to be protected, including those who are trying to peacefully assemble and protest,” U.S. Attorney General William Barr said in a statement set to be released Monday, according to the Post.

“We cannot allow federal tax dollars to be wasted when the safety of the citizenry hangs in the balance,’’ Barr said.

“It is my hope that the cities identified by the Department of Justice today will reverse course and become serious about performing the basic function of government and start protecting their own citizens.”

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The paper says it’s not known how much money will be withheld from the Big Apple, but the city receives a whopping $7 billion annually in federal assistance.

New York City has seen a spate of shootings and a year-over-year rise in violent crime that is the worst in two decades. The city has recorded twice as many shootings in August than in the same month in 2019. “Year-to-date, through August 31, there is a +87% spike in citywide shooting incidents (1,014 compared to 541),” reports NBC 4 New York.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio blames a “perfect storm” including a backlogged court system to which New York’s Office of Court Administration said he “clearly has absolutely no understanding of how the criminal justice process works.”

Others blame the $1 billion in funding removed from the New York Police Department after a wave of Black Lives Matter protests following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of police. Also blamed are changes to New York State bail laws making creating a revolving door system for criminals to return to the streets.

Still others, like Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, blame police for carrying out an intentional slowdown, a way of protesting criticism they’ve received. The NYPD denies it, and according to NBC 4, the number of gun arrests has risen in August to 359 from 357 in August 2019.

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New York City’s mayor and New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo haven’t yet officially responded to the new “anarchist” designation.

However, on Sept. 2,  responding to a memo from President Donald Trump warning that he might cut aid to cities that had defunded their police forces, Cuomo said, “He better have an army if he thinks he’s gonna walk down the street in New York.”

Getting still more personal, Cuomo said, “I think it’s because he is from New York City, and New York City rejected him. Always. He was always dismissed as a clown in New York City. Those who know him best like him least. That’s true about New York City, that’s true about his own family.”

In the memo Trump said, “In late May and early June, State and local officials allowed looting to take place for over a week, resulting in damage to an estimated 450 businesses.”

“Amidst the rising violence, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Council agreed to cut one billion dollars from the New York Police Department (NYPD) budget, including by cancelling the hiring of 1,163 officers,” the memo said.

“In light of this unconscionable rise in violence, I have offered to provide federal law enforcement assistance, but both Mayor de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo have rejected my offer,” Trump wrote.