Pete explains why crime is up

From the Queens Gazette:

As a result of less cops and weaker laws, certain crimes in the 114th Precinct, and everywhere else, have been increasing. Burglaries, robberies and car thefts are up this year, and we already have almost twice as many murders as we had ALL of last year. While the murder on 28th Street and Ditmars Boulevard and the attempted murder near Mike’s Diner on 31st Street involved targeted individuals with drug histories who did not live in this neighborhood, that is little consolation.

Quality of life crimes have risen as well. Once we overlook graffiti, loud radios, litter in the parks, a growing homeless population on 31st Street, just to name a few, worse crimes follow like night after day. But without beat cops, bike cops and neighborhood patrols, this was to be expected.

It is NOT the fault of the NYPD. The blue line has been stretched too thin, and without Commissioner Kelly and the work of the men and women of our force, this would have happened much sooner.

While we live in one of the safest neighborhoods in one of the safest big cities in America, if we don’t stop this slide, it will be even harder to reverse. Concrete steps need to be taken, and taken soon.

We need to lose the attitude in our courts, our legislatures and our streets that the war on crime is over and won, and therefore we can continue to eviscerate everything that allowed us to bring this city back from the brink in the early ’90s.

We need more cops, longer jail sentences and tougher laws. We need Albany to reform its wild spending ways and stop taking $14 billion more from New York City than it gives back so we don't have to continue to choose between our cops, firefighters, district attorneys’ offices, and everything else as the city makes cuts Albany forces it to make.