Bail reform: Arrests and re-arrests dropped during lockdown

A week before the end of the third quarter, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran  filed the second- quarter county bail-reform crime report.

That's the report that counts the number of arrests,  releases without bail and re-arrests in Nassau from April 1 through June 30. The first quarter report was issued in late June.

A day earlier, this blog had submitted a Freedom of Information request to the legislative clerk for the second quarter report, but was told on Wednesday to wait 20 days. 

On Wednesday evening, coincidentally, Curran emailed legislators the arrest numbers with the promise to file the official second quarter report on Thursday.

Although New York City has reported a spike in shootings and assaults after the Democratic-controlled state legislature approved bail reform laws that took effect Jan. 1,  Nassau's major crimes have dropped during that period. (see earlier blog)

The new bail reform laws call for most alleged law breakers to be released without bail.  The county legislature voted this spring, before the state pandemic lockdown, to receive reports on the results of bail reform.

The lockdown imposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in late March appears to have kept many alleged lawbreakers at home.

The number of arrests in Nassau during the second quarter dropped more than 50 percent from the first three months of this year.

Even fewer alleged lawbreakers were rearrested, the report shows.

From January through March, Nassau police made 3,497 arrests, 3,010 of those charged were released without bail and 295 were re-arrested.

That's a near 10 percent re-arrest rate.

From April through June, Nassau police made 1,541 arrests, with 1,257 released without bail, and 93 re-arrested.

That's about a 7.4 percent re-arrest rate.

The kind of alleged crimes committed also changed.

The highest number of arrests in the first quarter (450 arrests) for people then released without bail were for controlled substances offenses. Larceny --- thefts of property worth less than $1,000 -- was the top charge during the second quarter for people released without bail (253 arrested).

Not too surprisingly, given the outbreaks of rage that have occurred nationwide during the lockdown, the next highest number of charges in the second quarter for people then released without bail were for assault and related offenses. Police report 134 people were charged with assault and related offenses from April through June and then released without bail compared to 39 in the first three months of this year.

One of the top ten charges in the second quarter -- which didn't even make the top ten list in the first quarter -- were people arrested and then released for offenses against public order: 38 arrests. Presumably this relates to protests that occurred after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.

Year to date the top charge against alleged lawbreakers released on bail and then rearrested has been larceny followed by controlled substance offenses.

The county slowly began reopening in June, just in time for the third quarter, which runs from July through Sept.

Chances are the third quarter crime report won't be released until late November -- after the Nov. 3 elections. All of Long Island's Democrat senators voted for bail reform. All are up for re-election in November.

                                                                    






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CSEA retirees file suit to stop new contract insurance change (Updated)

Image
Civil Service Employee Association retirees today were in court attempting to stop a change in health insurance included in a new union contract scheduled to take effect Jan.1. The "Nassau Retirees Legal Fund" and eight other CSEA employees argue in a class action lawsuit filed today against Nassau and County Executive Bruce Blakeman in Nassau Supreme Court that they face  " imminent and irreparable medical, emotional, and financial harm because the County intends to deprive them of promised health benefits in 2024." The new contract negotiated between the union and Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman and ratified by members in August changes the health insurance from New York's Empire plan -- which provides platinum coverage -- to the New York Excelsior plan. The Excelsior plan is more costly for union members but less expensive for the county.  Update:  The state, meanwhile, has increased rates for the Excelsior plan -- in come cases by more than 40 pe
Read more

Nassau CSEA contract deal -- talk of the county for two days -- finally announced (UPDATED)

Image
Talk around Nassau County for the past two days has been that Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman had struck a new labor agreement, signed Monday, with the county's largest union, the Nassau Civil Service Employees Association. The CSEA, which include most non-law enforcement county employees, has been working without a contract since the end of 2017. As of June, there were 3,359 fulltime CSEA members. An announcement went out late today but it didn't say much: A spokesman for Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman did not respond to an email today asking when the CSEA deal would be announced. Everyone is looking at the CSEA because exempt employees -- county workers who are hired and fired at will -- traditionally are given the same benefits as the union members. But the exempts are not happy with some of the rumors about the agreement: one is that the CSEA will take a lesser health insurance plan in return for an upfront payment, perhaps of $1,500, for each member.
Read more

Eisenhower Park restaurant to be run by D'Amato client

Image
                                                                                A Manhasset group with ties to the food service business has won its bid to run a county-owned restaurant, cigar club, and golf concessions in Eisenhower Park,  replacing longtime operator Anthony Capetola. Capetola, a colorful Republican lawyer, has operated Carltun on the Park since 1995 through various license agreements and extensions under four different county executives, Republican and Democrat. But the county selected EGB Hospitality LLC of Manhasset from two proposals for a new 15-year operating license that begins this fall, with another five-year option, according to the deal submitted to the county legislature for approval on Monday. Lawyer Elias Trahanas, of Great Neck appears to be the lead principal in the five-member EGH group, along with his brother Bobby.  EGB Management Team Both Elias and Bobby trace their food service roots to the family-operated Golden Reef Diner in Rockville Centre, s
Read more