Major crime has surged 27% in the precinct that covers Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie's East Bronx district, with notable increases in multiple crime categories such as rape, felony assault, robbery, grand larceny, and auto larceny.
Heastie, a proponent of 2019 criminal justice reforms that eliminated cash bail for several charges, faces backlash for opposing tougher penalties for retail thieves and being perceived as soft-on-crime by critics.
Business owners express frustration towards Heastie for his reluctance to address violent shoplifting issues, leading to a 19% increase in retail theft, including incidents in his neighborhood.
Bronx activist Bernard Smith, who founded Stop the Violence after personal losses to gun violence, emphasizes the importance of personal accountability and consequences based on his own experience with shoplifting 40 years ago.
#crime-surge #criminal-justice-reform #political-criticism #violent-shoplifting #personal-accountability
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