Governor's State of the State speeches, early 2000s: on Crime
Haley Barbour:
More state troopers; plus pay raises for state police
Another priority we have focused on is law enforcement. Our Highway Patrol and other state law enforcement have received the biggest pay raises in history to get them on a level with our neighboring states. Two [new] trooper schools in one year--one paid
for with federal funds after Katrina--have added 92 new highway patrolmen to the force. We plan a third trooper school in the next fiscal year to get us back closer to the authorized number of troopers.
Source: State of the State address to 2007 state legislature
Jan 15, 2007
George Pataki:
People must be held accountable for their actions
- I believe that government's fundamental purpose should be to empower the people we serve--to enact the policies that create opportunity and unleash the enormous creativity, industry and entrepreneurial spirit that characterize New Yorkers.
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I believe a government has no greater responsibility than the safety and security of its citizens and that people must be held accountable for their actions.
- I believe that we have a moral responsibility to help those who truly need our
help, and also to leave our next generation a natural environment that is cleaner and better protected than we found it.
- I believe that government should not simply hand people a living, but it must ensure that they have every opportunity to earn
one for themselves.
- I believe in a government that works tirelessly to preserve and uphold the freedom of its citizens and takes great care in ensuring it never impinges upon it.
Source: State of the State address to 2006 New York Legislature
Jan 4, 2006
George Pataki:
Abolished parole for violent felons
We made the fundamental changes that saved lives. And we didn't just reduce the number of crimes, we reduced the number of criminals. Because we had the courage to disregard the naysayers, there are now 8,000 fewer people in prison than in 1999.
Because of the tougher, smarter laws we enacted, the rate of recidivism in our state has fallen by an astonishing one-third. Less crime and fewer criminals. How did we do it?
By fighting for "bold, sweeping, fundamental change" to our criminal justice system. We instituted the death penalty. We abolished parole for violent felons.
We gave police new tools like DNA technology to help them get criminals off our streets and out of our neighborhoods. We passed 108 new laws that toughened penalties or closed criminal-friendly loopholes.
Source: State of the State address to 2005 New York Legislature
Jan 5, 2005
George Pataki:
Operation IMPACT: focus police in high crime upstate cities
Last year I set a new goal for our state--to make New York the safest state in America by 2009. To achieve that goal, we launched Operation IMPACT to concentrate federal, state and local law enforcement on communities in 15 upstate counties
experiencing spikes in crime. I'm pleased to report that Operation IMPACT is delivering as promised--in the last year, murder in our IMPACT communities is down almost 20%.And this year, Rochester, the first IMPACT site, has experienced
1/3 fewer murders, including a 66% drop in murders of our most at-risk population--young African American men. The "bold, sweeping, fundamental changes" we enacted together have saved lives and made New Yorkers safer. But we can do even more, and we will
Today, I am proud to announce Operation IMPACT II, which will expand the program within the original IMPACT counties, add 100 more State Troopers to this effort, and bring new IMPACT operations to other parts of the State.
Source: State of the State address to 2005 New York Legislature
Jan 5, 2005
Page last updated: Mar 14, 2021
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