Only in NY: Dangerous Criminals Get Rewarded With Event Tickets

Outrage in New York – new bail-reform law hasn’t even passed, yet Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio have a surprise for nearly 900 inmates – an early release before new year, showered with gifts, such as Mets tickets, gift cards and movie passes, all to “motivate” them to show up for court. 

Rewarding Criminals 

Early releases, Mets tickets, gift cards, movie passes – what better time to be a criminal? Some of the crimes the to-be-released have committed include homicide, assault on a child under the age of 11, selling drugs near or on school grounds, according to a memo by The Post. 

The program, which would see nearly 900 criminals set free with numerous presents, is run by de Blasio’s “Office of Criminal Justice in conjunction with the not-for-profit Criminal Justice Agency.” This is done in an effort to give criminals an “incentive” to show up to court. 

“I’m not aware of the specifics of the budgeting and how it works and where the funds come from,” de Blasio said, highlighting an even scarier and sadder part of the entire program – no one even knows who’s paying for it all? Is the money for rewarding criminals going to come from taxpayers again? Just like in 2017, when low-level criminal defendants were given $15 Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards to fill out questionnaires regarding their experience in court, which cost taxpayers a whopping $800,000. 

Outrage Follows 

“You’re literally rewarding them for committing a crime,” an outraged and disgusted senior staffer in Manhattan’s Criminal Court told The Post. 

NYPD cops also expressed their discontent and anger over setting suspects free and giving them gifts for dodging jail: 

“It is bad enough that [suspects] have to be reminded [to show up to court], but to be rewarded is ludicrous,” an officer from Queens said. 

“What does that say about the Mets? Are Yankees tickets reserved for murderers? I am sure it will only be a matter of time before they get out on no bail too,” another cop from Brooklyn added. 

President Trump also had a sharp reaction to the announcement, describing what Cuomo and de Blasio are doing as “killing our cities.” 

So sad to see what is happening in New York where Governor Cuomo & Mayor DeBlasio are letting out 900 Criminals, some hardened & bad, onto the sidewalks of our rapidly declining, because of them, city. The Radical Left Dems are killing our cities. NYPD Commissioner is resigning!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2019