In New York City on Monday, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing led by chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) focusing on ostensible problems with crime in Manhattan, where local District Attorney Alvin Bragg recently pursued and successfully obtained a criminal indictment of Donald Trump.
The reality is that, as a spokesperson for Bragg explained, rates of crime in significant categories are actually down, and as has been explored elsewhere, there are actually substantial rates of crime in areas under Republican control or at least leaning towards their party, like Jordan’s own state and area. In one relevant example, it’s not like the terrible tragedies of mass shootings have been somehow confined to Democratic areas. The recent shooting at the private school called The Covenant School was in Nashville, Tennessee, and a later attack at a bank took place in Kentucky. Although Republicans have often tried to tie crime — and, more specifically, violent crime — to Democratic leadership, the reality is more complicated and that many areas experience varying levels of the real-world problems actually out there, as New York City Mayor Eric Adams noted Monday in an interview for MSNBC.
The laws that Republicans have been pursuing in some states to allow concealed carry without a permit, meaning residents in covered areas can covertly carry firearms without a government permit to do so, could also be taken as helping criminals, who already sometimes use the law to their advantage, like in cases where the weapons used in mass shootings have been obtained legally.
“Ending violence, stopping crime, and supporting victims and their families are the most sacred duties of the Manhattan D.A.’s Office,” a statement from a Bragg spokesperson said. “D.A. Bragg is reducing crime in Manhattan, reversing a tough spike that began before he even took office. Virtually every major crime category is lower in Manhattan now than it was last year… For outside politicians to now appear in New York City on the taxpayer dime for a political stunt is a slap in the face to the dedicated NYPD officers, prosecutors and other public servants who work tirelessly every day with facts and data to keep our home safe.”
Bragg and Jordan, who has been conducting an investigation related to the case against Trump, have been challenging each other for a while. Bragg has also filed a lawsuit in hopes of stopping a subpoena from the GOP majority on the Judiciary panel for his former team member Mark Pomerantz, who worked on the Trump probe in Bragg’s office.
— Alvin Bragg (@ManhattanDA) April 17, 2023
Image: Gage Skidmore/ Creative Commons
