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Commentary By John Ketcham

The Cop and the Progressive DA

Public Safety, Cities Policing, Crime Control, New York City

In July, fresh off primary wins over their rivals, Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams stood alongside Alvin Bragg, the odds-on favorite for Manhattan DA. Despite having run very different campaigns — Adams warned of rising crime and repeatedly said public safety was a prerequisite to prosperity, while Bragg led with pledges to dial back prosecutions dramatically — Adams touted the supposed sameness of the two men’s approaches to crime, saying, “It’s no different than mine.” He added: “Those (who) would try to pull us apart, they will create these tensions and fights...Shut up. Shut up.”

Though he would prefer not to hear it, Adams must know that Bragg’s stance as a progressive prosecutor is potentially at odds with the former cop’s promises to remedy what he describes as New York’s state of disorder. Even if the next mayor empowers the NYPD to make more arrests, a DA unwilling to prosecute would leave cell doors wide open for suspects — many with long rap sheets — to walk right back onto the streets. This comes on the heels of legislative changes like bail reform and the recently passed Less is More Act, both of which will already constrain Adams from achieving the crime rate reductions he’s promising New Yorkers.

Continue reading the entire piece here at New York Daily News

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John Ketcham is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

This piece originally appeared in New York Daily News