Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh (R,C-Ballston) once again joined the Assembly and Senate Minority Conferences in calling for the immediate repeal of cashless bail.

In New York City, hate crimes have increased 97 percent from 2020 to 2021, murders have seen a 46.7 percent increase across the state from 2019 to 2020 and New York has seen the highest demand for domestic violence services in the country.

Revised data compiled by state Office of Court Administration and the state Division of Criminal Justice Services reveals that 28 percent of those freed on supervised release were re-arrested on felony charges between January 2020 and June 2021, and that participants of supervised release are re-arrested an even higher rate of 50 percent when misdemeanor arrests are factored in.

“Try as the Majority might, this issue is not going away,” said Walsh. “Data, anecdotal evidence and simple common-sense all drive me to the same conclusion as when I opposed these so-called ‘reforms’ on the Assembly floor back in 2019. It is in the best interest of public safety that these dangerous catch-and-release policies be revised immediately.”

In order to effectively mitigate the drastic increase in crime, Walsh and her colleagues are not only calling to repeal cashless bail, but to also return discretion to our judges, so they may one again decide if an offender is a public safety risk or flight risk. Additionally, it is critical to fund, not defund, our police and provide appropriate intervention or mental health rehabilitation efforts to New Yorkers who need it.