NYPD commissioner says bail reform law "needs to change"

The head of the New York City Police Department said in an interview Sunday that bail reforms that has allowed dangerous criminals back on the streets “absolutely” needs to change.

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell joins other prominent New York City politicians in calling for changes to the soft-on-crime bail reform law that eliminated cash bail for most misdemeanor and non-violent felonies.

“The criminal justice reform law that took effect in 2020, I think, that is definitely part of the thinking that needs to change,” she said on “The Cats Roundtable,” a local radio show.

“There are entire categories of crime where we can make an arrest, but … the judges are legally prohibited from ever setting bail — even if the same burglar or car thief commits the same crime every day and ends up in front of the same judge,” Sewell added. “They used to have that discretion, and in many cases we don’t have that anymore.”

Backlash to the soft-on-crime bail reform law has been growing steadily in New York City amidst a crime wave and multiple hate crimes committed by criminals with lengthy arrest records.

The homeless person charged with stabbeing Christina Yuna Lee after stalking her to her apartment was reportedly arrested seven times since 2017 and had three open cases in Manhattan Criminal Court. Another charged for shoving poop into a woman’s face had 22 prior arrests since 1999, and the alleged hammer attacker had 47 arrests since 2007.

Newly elected mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD captain, ran his campaign promising to be tougher on crime. He supports returning some discretion back to judges to hold defendants on bail based on their “dangerousness.”

However, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Democrat-controlled state legislature who passed the reforms have continued to reject any changes to the 2020 bail reform law.

Sewell also used her appearance to defend her officers, who have been the target of negativity and criticism due to the “defund the police” movement.

“Our officers, they are answering the calls, they’re helping people, they are engaging the public in their homes, in the streets, and on the transit system,” the police commissioner added. “I greet them on patrol. I know our cops are engaged. Don’t let anyone tell you that because of morale or criticism or bad laws our cops are mailing it in, because they are not. They are not phoning it in at all. They are out there helping New Yorkers every single day and night.”