State of New York Archives: on Crime


John Katko: 2002: formulated the Syracuse Gang Violence Task Force

All Americans have a right to feel safe where they live, work, and play. Students have a right to a quality public education in safe schools with equal opportunities.

As a local leader in organized crime and high-level narcotics federal prosecutions, John was instrumental in formulating the Syracuse Gang Violence Task Force in 2002 and overseeing all gang-related federal prosecutions since that time, bringing the first-ever successful RICO gang prosecutions to Syracuse. John's portfolio also includes work with the region's successful Weed and Seed programs and multiple high profile money laundering, health care fraud, and political and police corruption prosecutions.

Source: 2014 N. Y. House campaign website, JohnKatkoForCongress.com Nov 4, 2014

Rob Astorino: Block publication of gun owner names and addresses

County Executive Astorino believes in the limits of government as outlined by the U.S. Constitution. Period.

Rob Astorino stood up for law-abiding gun owners when the Journal News published their names and home addresses. It was wrong and it was dangerous. The Journal News had no right to publish the names and home addresses of law-abiding gun owners in Westchester. These were law-abiding citizens, and The Journal News treated them like sex offenders. Further, names on the list included domestic violence victims in hiding and retired judges and detectives. County Executive Rob Astorino immediately spoke out on radio and wrote (and called) the paper's publisher demanding that the online map come down and it came down.

Source: 2014 N. Y. gubernatorial campaign website, RobAstorino.com Sep 1, 2014

Rob Astorino: Address root causes of student violence like mental illness

County Executive Astorino took responsible action in the wake of the terrible 2012 Newtown school shooting. Over a period of months, he brought together school, mental health, law enforcement, non-profit, and religious leaders to share and implement best practice prevention and response initiatives to better protect our kids and their teachers in the classroom, while at the same time addressing the root causes of student violence, such as mental illness and absenteeism.
Source: 2014 N. Y. gubernatorial campaign website, RobAstorino.com Sep 1, 2014

John Katko: Capital punishment can be an effective deterrent

Q: Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?

A: Yes. My twenty-plus years of experience as a federal prosecutor tells me that capital punishment can be an effective deterrent. But such decisions are best left to the individual states and not Congress.

Source: VoteSmart 2014 N. Y. Congressional Political Courage Test Aug 30, 2014

Zephyr Teachout: Disenfranchising due to criminal convictions is undemocratic

Voting is a basic principle of our democracy. Yet New York State presently disenfranchises individuals with criminal convictions, taking away their right to vote while they are in jail. This is undemocratic. We should follow the lead of Vermont and Maine, and ensure felons never lose their right to vote.
Source: 2014 N. Y. Governor campaign website, ZephyrTeachout.com Jul 2, 2014

Zephyr Teachout: We have a long way to go on criminal justice reform

Residents of New York State deserve a criminal justice system that is fair to all and that makes policies with an eye to their long-term impact, ensuring that we don't address problems by only making them worse. Governor Cuomo has made strides in reforming our criminal justice system--but there is still a long way to go.
Source: 2014 N. Y. Governor campaign website, ZephyrTeachout.com Jul 2, 2014

Zephyr Teachout: Give minorities opportunity, not criminal justice system

Arrests for petty crimes cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars annually and needlessly introduce young people to the criminal justice system while saddling them with permanent criminal records. Being stigmatized this way has huge long-term consequences, making it far harder to find a job or get into school. We should be expanding opportunities for young blacks and Latinos rather than foreclosing them.
Source: 2014 N. Y. Governor campaign website, ZephyrTeachout.com Jul 2, 2014

Zephyr Teachout: Raise age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18

New York State should raise the age of criminal responsibility. Presently, New York automatically prosecutes children as adults: around 50,000 16- and 17-years olds are tried as adults each year. Exposing children to the hazards of incarceration in the adult prison system endangers their well-being and risks setting them down a path of recidivism, as 80% of adolescents forced into the adult prison system go on to reoffend. We should ensure we treat children like children.
Source: 2014 N. Y. Governor campaign website, ZephyrTeachout.com Jul 2, 2014

Hakeem Jeffries: Alternative sentencing for non-violent offenders

Indicate which principles you support regarding crime.
  • Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
  • Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
  • Support hate crime legislation.
    Source: N. Y. Congressional 2008 Political Courage Test Nov 1, 2008

    • The above quotations are from State of New York Politicians: Archives.
    • Click here for definitions & background information on Crime.
    • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
    2020 Presidential contenders on Crime:
      Democrats running for President:
    Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
    V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
    Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
    Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
    Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
    Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
    Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
    Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
    Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
    Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
    Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
    Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
    Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
    CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
    Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
    Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
    CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

    2020 Third Party Candidates:
    Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
    CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
    Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
    Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
    Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
    Howard Schultz(I-WA)
    Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN)     		Republicans running for President:
    Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
    Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
    Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
    V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
    Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
    Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
    Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
    Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

    2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
    Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
    Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
    Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
    Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
    Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
    Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
    Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
    Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
    Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
    Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
    Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
    Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
    Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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    Page last updated: Oct 13, 2021