Thread. Speaking to reporters past few days. Baffled how head of NYPD could so brazenly lie. In this case about tie btwn "reform" & "crime" w/o data. Answer: bc he can & media still buys it. Even now, reporters asking *me* for data to disprove *him.* Fine:newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/10/14/bai…
A NY Post analysis *of NYPD data* found that while there were 528 shootings through June 30, 2020, only one person released due to bail reform was charged with a shooting. NY Post found NYPD Chief had been lying for over a year. He kept lying. nypost.com/2020/07/08/nyp…
Since NY bail reform went into effect, there has not been a single month when more than 0.8% of released people were re-arrested for a violent felony. This number has not changed since before bail reform. courtinnovation.org/sites/default/… 
Bail reform had *no effect on re-arrest rates for ppl charged w/ violent felonies.* Among people w/ initial violent felony charge, avg 1.2% had a violent felony re-arrest. Total pretrial re-arrest rate never exceeded 5%. Didn't stop NYPD from lying. courtinnovation.org/sites/default/…
NYC: Comparing summer 2020 (post bail reform) to the summer 2019 (pre-bail reform), reported felony crimes declined 9% & misdemeanor crimes declined 18%. Arrests dropped by almost half, with violent felony arrests dropping 17%. courtinnovation.org/sites/default/…
NY state data: released in June 2021: overall crime increased by only 1.5% compared to 2019, contradicting claims of a sharp increase. Violent crimes increased by less than 1% statewide & by just .3% in NYC, & there was a sharp decline in rape and robberies statewide.
I could keep going on w/ more statistics. And I hope journalists cite these. But here's what's sad: the fact that reporters are even asking the question--"Did bail reform cause crime"--is a win for the NYPD Chief's strategy of lying. Journalists should know better. Some examples:
Vera Institute of Justice called out NYPD Chief Dermot Shea on lying and "selective use" of short run statistics within just weeks of bail reform going into effect. He kept lying. And journalists kept printing. vera.org/downloads/publ…
Commissioner Shea’s NYPD purposefully manipulated data to make it look like “bail reform” was causing crime. He kept lying. And journalists kept printing his lies.
https://twitter.com/ScottHech/status/1235696838646403073?s=20
NYPD's Chief was exposed by Human Rights Watch for *planning* a mass coordinated assault against protestors in the Bronx. His response was to call the protestors “spoiled brats” & praise his police force for “restraint.” He kept lying. Media kept printing.
https://twitter.com/ScottHech/status/1311334325099651072?s=20
On October 1, 2021, NYPD top cop Dermot Shea was blaming crime on “bail reform” not the failures of his $11 billion force.
5 days later, he took a victory lap bc today’s stats look better. “Reflects the hard & often dangerous work of the men & women of the NYPD.”
Outrageous.
5 days later, he took a victory lap bc today’s stats look better. “Reflects the hard & often dangerous work of the men & women of the NYPD.”
Outrageous.
Last week NYPD Chief accused a person of a burglary. Weaponized tragedy as another reason to rollback bail reform. This person was caged on Rikers at the time. Exonerated. When asked about his lie days later: "“I do not know the case you’re referring to."nypost.com/2021/10/12/cop…
What’s amazing is that media outlets & lawmakers continue to listen to the NYPD Commissioner after years of “falsehoods, fearmongering, dog whistling & other unscrupulous tactics” to undermine bail reforms. Dermot Shea should be terminated. newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/10/14/bai…
What's amazing is that media outlets continue to source & print speculation by police & allies w/o (a) asking for data as back up & (b) w/o questioning the underlying--false--presumption that policing makes us safer & healthier. thenation.com/article/societ…
What's amazing is that advocates continue to have to answer questions like--"Did bail reform cause a spike in crime?"--when there is no "spike," bail reform barely exists anywhere, & we spend billions on policing. Why aren't we asking "why is policing failing to prevent crime"?
Whats amazing is that advocates continue to have to answer questions like--"Did defund cause a spike in crime?--when NO POLICE ANYWHERE WERE DEFUNDED. The question itself amplifies the lie & causes damage. If anything the story should be: "Cops lie again."
https://twitter.com/ScottHech/status/1447990350400737283?s=20
All of that said: Reporters, please keep reaching out to advocates. Keep asking these questions until we can convince you--and add to the overwhelming evidence already out there--that police lie, about everything, in court, out of court. And so you should stop taking their bait.
Meanwhile, I'm just going to keep sharing outrageous lies by NYC's very own NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea. And hope that maybe one of these overt lies by a public official with the purpose of influencing criminal policy gets him fired.
https://twitter.com/ethanbrown72/status/1450516677813276673?s=20
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
