Since taking office in January, the former civil rights lawyer and a former federal prosecutor have overseen a 30.5% surge in major crimes in Manhattan compared to the same time in 2021, NYPD data through Oct. 30 show. Citywide, the spike is at 29.6%.
Crime is rampant in the Midtown South Precinct, whose confines are a hub for city workers, residents, and tourists and includes Times Square, Penn Station, and Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square. Murders this year are up 14% (24 from 21) from 2021, while burglaries have jumped 45% (2,476 from 1,710), grand larceny has increased a whopping 53% (9,648 from 6,295) and robbery has soared 32% (1,785 from 1,356).
[Manhattan DA Alvin] Bragg’s progressive policies include not seeking bail or prison time for most defendants and downgrading certain felonies to misdemeanors, as outlined in his now infamous “Day 1” memo.
Along the way, he’s attracted a growing army of detractors — everyone from everyday New Yorkers, victims’ families, and even a gubernatorial candidate who says he will remove Bragg from office if elected.
“Alvin Bragg created a criminal-friendly environment without repercussions that even Snake Plissken [protagonist of the 1981 film “Escape From New York”] would approve,” snarked Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “If Bragg keeps going unchecked, the next sign you’ll see hung in Manhattan won’t be ‘Gun Free Zone,’ but ‘We’re Closed for Business.’”
— Dean Balsamini in After 10 months in office, Manhattan DA has nothing to Bragg about