“Yonkers continues to be not only the safest large city in the State of New York but also one of the safest cities of its size in the nation…It is a shame that Councilwoman Pineda Isaac has chosen to ignore this success…She has never fought for more police in her district during her nine years serving on the Yonkers City Council,”
Keith Olson, pictured above
Op-Ed by Det. Keith Olson, President Yonkers PBA
For far too many of our elected officials, public safety and crime have become merely political talking points. All too often these issues are used as an opportunity to lay out one’s agenda in an attempt to promote themselves in an attempt to seek office or to be reelected. But for most of us, public safety is a reality, not just a topic to be shamelessly exploited.
Thankfully, from his first days in office, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano has made public safety a top priority. The results of Mayor Spano’s leadership have been astounding. Yonkers continues to be not only the safest large city in the State of New York but also one of the safest cities of its size in the nation.
In her recent OpEd, Yonkers Councilwoman Corazon Pineda Isaac makes it clear that she has joined the long list of progressives that do not respect the true importance of public safety and crime fighting. In her criticism of the Yonkers Police Department’s structure, the Councilwoman shows she is completely misinformed. While claiming to support the YPD in terms of personnel and financial resources, the fact is she has never fought for more police in her district during her nine years serving on the Yonkers City Council. And by ignoring the undeniable success of the Yonkers Police Department, which has been led and supported by Mayor Mike Spano, Councilwoman Pineda Isaac fails in her attempt to use public safety as an issue to promote her candidacy.
Here is an incontrovertible fact. While nearly every large city in the State of New York has erupted in gun violence over the last few years, including our neighbors in New York City and Mount Vernon, Yonkers has managed to hold gun violence and shootings at bay. Representing one of the City’s most crime challenged districts, the Councilwoman should know and appreciate this fact. Then again, rather than calling for the addition of a dedicated Gang Unit to the YPD as she does in her OpEd, she should know that the YPD has had a fully staffed Gang Unit for her entire tenure as the City Council representative of the 2nd District. In fact, partially in thanks to having the best Gang detectives in the Country, Yonkers has not had a single gang related shooting since October of last year.
What makes this even more remarkable is that the Yonkers Police Department’s success in combating crime has also coincided with dramatic reductions in arrests, in police uses of force and in civilian complaints, particularly excessive force complaints. Additionally, through Mayor Spano’s “Be the Change” campaign, the YPD has taken huge strides in ensuring that our police department reflects the community we serve. It is a shame that Councilwoman Pineda Isaac has chosen to ignore this success.
What Councilwoman Pineda Isaac is only now learning, going door to door talking to residents in Yonkers, Mayor Mike Spano has long understood. That is that public safety is paramount to our community and not just a political talking point. Mayor Spano has always shown an unparalleled commitment to driving down crime and keeping Yonkers residents as safe as possible and the results have been remarkable. As a lifelong Yonkers resident and a nearly 34-year veteran of the Yonkers Police Department, I proudly say that I look forward to another four years of Mike Spano as Mayor of Yonkers and of having a leader who truly understands and respects the importance of keeping our community safe.
