Don’t blame bail reform for higher crime, NYC watchdog says

Don’t blame bail reform for higher crime, NYC watchdog says

In this photo taken Tuesday, July 7, 2015, a bail bonds sign hangs on the side of a bail bonds business near Brooklyn's courthouse complex and jail in New York. Officials say they’re eliminating cash bail for thousands of New Yorkers accused of misdemeanor and non-violent felonies in an effort to divert them from the Rikers Island jail complex. An $18 million plan to be unveiled Wednesday, July 8, will allow judges to instead require that people accused of certain crimes be monitored while they wait for their trial. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

NEW YORK (AP) — Two years into New York’s bold quest to eliminate pretrial incarceration for most crimes, state officials are considering abandoning some reforms amid public pressure to curb rising violence. But New York City’s fiscal watchdog is urging state lawmakers to “follow facts rather than fear” and think twice about adopting stricter measures, such as Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to make more crimes eligible for detention and allow judges broader latitude in setting bail. City Comptroller Brad Lander issued a report Tuesday refuting the claims of police leaders, unions and some politicians that bail reform was to blame for higher crime.

Photo: In this photo taken Tuesday, July 7, 2015, a bail bonds sign hangs on the side of a bail bonds business near Brooklyn’s courthouse complex and jail in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)