Criminal violence is a growing problem in America, with the New York Post reporting in August that major crimes were up by 36% in the country’s biggest city. However, that doesn’t seem to concern New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D).
During a debate on Tuesday evening against Republican challenger Lee Zeldin, Hochul told Zeldin that she doesn’t know why locking criminals up is “so important to you.”
Democratic governor expresses bewilderment over Republican concerns about crime
According to Breitbart, Hochul’s remark came after Zeldin drew attention to New York’s bail laws. Under reforms signed in 2019 by then-Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, bail was eliminated for a wide swath of offenses.
Breitbart noted that Hochul has expressed support for bail reform in the past, arguing in an op-ed piece published earlier this year that the policy has been “successful.”
“We’re halfway through the debate, and she still hasn’t talked about locking up anyone committing any crimes,” Breitbart quoted Zeldin as saying.
Hochul responded, “Anyone who commits a crime under our laws, especially with the change we made to bail, has consequences. I don’t know why that’s so important to you.”
Zeldin: “This governor still has not talked about locking people committing any crimes.”
Hochul: “I don’t know why that’s so important to you.” pic.twitter.com/bczrTZTn3E
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 25, 2022
New York’s bail reform legislation has been linked to a number of high-profile crimes, including an incident earlier this month in which a repeat offender attacked a subway cleaner who attempted to stop him from harassing passengers.
Suspect was previously accused of beating an elderly woman
Fox News reported that the victim was left with a dislocated nose and a broken collarbone when he confronted Alexander Wright.
Wright was free despite having been previously arrested for at least 40 other offenses. They included allegedly beating an elderly woman and assaulting two traffic agents.
Transport Union Vice President Robert Kelley told Fox News, “This has to stop. The new bail reform must be changed.”
“Time and time again, this guy shouldn’t have even been privileged to be under the new bail reform in terms of him being free,” Kelley said.