Results show overwhelming majority view crime as a serious issue, would support reforms
Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), issued the following statement on the Siena College poll released today. The results showed nearly 80% of Black and 99% of Latino New Yorkers viewed crime as either a somewhat or a very serious threat in their community.
“The results of the latest Siena poll won’t come as a surprise to anyone who lives and works in a Black or Brown community. Many of us have spent the better part of a year calling for our criminal justice system to be fine-tuned. Addressing public safety is a question of how, not if, which is why I convened New York’s unprecedented number of Black citywide and statewide leaders this month to start that conversation. Let me be clear that we’re not retreating from the hard-fought reforms that ended the jailing of men of color on Rikers simply for the crime of being too poor. But there are tweaks that can turn these good reforms into great ones by addressing issues like recidivism, giving our District Attorneys the right tools, and helping the thousands of mentally ill New Yorkers forced out onto the streets.
Let me also send a message to those Albany Republicans gathering today on this issue: We will not allow you or your billionaire buddies to demonize our leaders or our communities. You tried it during the elections, and you failed. We are going to stand up to defend our leaders every time you try to mislead the public about their commitment to public safety. Every day we see the worst of rising crime as much as we see the worst of police brutality. We will not let you roll back justice for our community or get in the way of ensuring safety on our streets.
This is a moment where Black leaders will show why voters put them in office. It is on all of us to support their efforts and stand up to those who want to turn back the clock on justice. I know we are up to that challenge.”
For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net.
