Assemblyman Matt Simpson (R,C,I-Horicon) joined his Minority Conference colleagues in presenting the ‘Restore Order Anti-Crime Initiative’. Minority members are calling on the Majority to adopt their new common-sense reforms that will combat a startling rise in crime across New York. New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester are all experiencing a rise in violent crimes in the first half of 2021. Many attribute the rise in crime to single-party rule in Albany and a lack of support for our law enforcement.

“Instead of enabling lawbreakers and expunging criminal records with little-to-no oversight, we need to support our law enforcement and commit ourselves to making our state safer, before it is too late. It is my hope that our colleagues in the Majority join us in adopting these common-sense, but very important measures. We need to sit down and discuss meaningful criminal justice reform in order to tamp down the alarming rise in crime across New York state. Our metropolitan areas are going to become unlivable if we continue to release violent criminals back on the streets in the name of bail reform. We need to restore order.” said Simpson.

The ‘Restore Order Anti-Crime Initiative’ will have the following key components:

• Restore Judicial Discretion (A.5265, Reilly) – Restores judicial discretion to allow judges the ability to determine whether a violent criminal poses a dangerous threat to the community and can be held without bail.

• Bail for Gun Crimes (A.7066, Barclay) – Removes all gun crimes from the no-bail list of offenses Democrats established in 2019.

• Parole Reform (A.5737, Barclay) – Requires a unanimous vote of at least three parole commissioners to grant a prisoner early release. Also allows a majority vote of the Legislature to remove a commissioner from the Parole Board.

• Three Strikes & You’re In (A.5334, Brabenec) – Authorizes life in prison without parole for persistent violent felony offenders.

• Shooting Into Crowds (A.4259, Jensen) – Makes it a Class B violent felony to fire into a crowded space with the intent to harm.

• Additional 5 Years for Possession (A.4762, Mikulin) – Provides for an additional 5-year term of imprisonment for committing a felony while possessing a loaded firearm.

• Bail for Hate Crimes (A.3986, M. Miller) – Makes a “hate crime” a qualified offense for purposes of bail issuance and denying pre-trial.