NYC bail reform puts looters back on street, two cops shot

The chaos and violence in New York City has resulted in finger-pointing and accusations against the police, the mayor and the governor. Many are blaming the new bail-reform legislation.

By Atara Beck, World Israel News 

New Yorkers are increasingly frustrated by the violent looting and loss of life, with many slamming the new bail-reform law according to which most of those arrested over the past several days have been immediately released.

Late Wednesday night, two police officers were shot and a third was stabbed in Brooklyn, police said. The victims were rushed to Kings County Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, The New York Post reports.

The suspect was taken into custody at the scene, the Post added. He was listed in critical condition.

“It appears to be a complete cowardly, despicable, unprovoked attack on a defenseless police officer,” NYPD commissioner Dermot Shea told a press conference. “I think we are all fed up with, what we’re saying is this violence has to stop.”

Since the murder of George Floyd last week, major cities across the U.S. saw rioting, looting and violence, although there were peaceful protests as well. Downtown areas have been ransacked.

The chaos and violence in New York City has resulted in finger-pointing and accusations against the police, the mayor and the governor. Many are blaming the new bail-reform legislation.

Police made over 650 arrests on Monday night alone and “just about all of them” will be released without bail, New York City police chief Terrence Monahan told the New York Post on Tuesday.

“We had some arrests in Brooklyn where they had guns, [and] hopefully [Brooklyn district attorney] Eric Gonzalez will keep them in, [but] I can’t guarantee that’ll happen,” Monahan said. “But when it comes to a burglary [at] a commercial store, which is looting, they’re back out…

“Because of bail reform, you’re back out on the street the next day. You cannot be held on any sort of bail. I spoke to [Manhattan district attorney] Cy Vance about that, he told me there’s nothing he can do.”

According to the NYPD, organized groups of “anarchists” are targeting stores in wealthy neighborhoods, especially in lower and midtown Manhattan.

New Yorker Joel Grober told World Israel News: “I think the NYPD has not been handling the situation well. They should have been able to contain the marches. It’s sad to see what’s happening to the city.

“Since Bill Di Blasio became mayor, the city has been in decline, in my opinion.”

Grober is most incensed by the fact that the rioters are “outsiders coming in. They’re trashing the neighborhoods where they don’t live. They want to make New York look bad.”

On Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo slammed both the NYPD and de Blasio for their handling of the riots.

“The police in New York City were not effective at doing their job last night. Period,” Cuomo told reporters. He also floated the idea of “displacing” de Blasio, the Post reported, but immediately retracted the suggestion, saying it would create a “chaotic situation in the midst of an already chaotic situation, that doesn’t make sense.”

Cuomo’s remarks infuriated the police chief. “I’m watching my men and women out there dealing with stuff that no cop should ever have to deal with, bricks, bottles, rocks, hit in the face with bottles and continuing to go forward to make an arrest,” Monahan said. “For a governor to be sitting in his office saying that we’re not doing a good job — I’m outraged,” Monahan told the Post.