|
George Pataki on Crime
Republican NY Governor
|
|
|
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, 2006
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, 2006
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.
-
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
Instituted death penalty in NY
Pataki signed the death penalty into law in March 1995 and transferred back to Oklahoma an inmate scheduled to be executed there.
Source: National Journal, the Almanac of American Politics
, Jul 6, 2000
Supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs.
Pataki adopted the National Governors Association position paper:
The Issue
The major crime issues for the 107th Congress will be: - reauthorization of the juvenile justice program, which established a block grant to states for prevention and delinquency intervention programs;
- reauthorization of programs in the 1994 crime bill, including the state criminal alien assistance program (SCAAP), a reimbursement program to state and local governments for housing illegal alien prisoners;
- the state prison grants program, formally known as the Violent Offender Incarceration/Truth-in-Sentencing (VOI/TIS) grant program, [where states receive funds based on increasing the percentage of prison sentences actually served]; and
- the Byrne block grant program, a flexible block grant that states use for innovative crime and illegal drug fighting programs.
NGA’s Position
- NGA policy calls for reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA)
and supports the underlying principles of the act. However, NGA wants some flexibility in the core requirements, e.g., allowing some accidental contact between adults and juveniles; expanding the hours before removal from 24 hours to 48 hours; holding certain incorrigible juveniles in detention; and relaxing the disproportionate minority confinement record keeping process. The Governors urge maximum flexibility to implement the spirit and purpose of the act.
- The Governors support authorization of the juvenile accountability incentive block grant (JAIBG) program.
- The Governors also support reauthorization of SCAAP and seek to raise the reimbursement ratio.
- For the Byrne block grant program, NGA seeks to continue the current program with flexibility.
- For the state prison grants program, NGA seeks to abolish all requirements and have more flexibility, with the state designating the offender population to be served.
Source: National Governors Association "Issues / Positions" 01-NGA10 on Sep 14, 2001
Page last updated: Jan 19, 2015
