Democrats are trying to turn Long Island into New York City. The North Shore of Nassau County is now seeing the same crime wave as New York City. As I travel throughout the North Shore, I hear stories of car thefts, house burglaries and violent crimes.
It’s hard to believe that in 2022 we are talking about these crimes going unpunished and chaos in the streets, all while Democrats fuel this crisis through failed radical policies. My opponent, Robert Zimmerman, has not only been a supporter of these enablers, but also a mouthpiece for their careless policies over the past few decades.
New York City is rampant with crime and it is now overflowing into the North Shore of Long Island. Throughout 2022, the Big Apple saw five of the seven major index-crime categories increase, driven by a 38% increase in robbery (1,630 v. 1,181), a 34.7% increase in grand larceny (4,687 v. 3,480), and a 31.1% rise in burglary (1,356 v. 1,034). Throughout the North Shore, upticks in the same index crimes are plaguing our neighborhoods with no end in sight.
The seven local police departments and districts on the North Shore of Nassau County saw an overall increase in violent and property-related crimes from 2017-2021, with a noticeable spike in 2020, the year bail reform was implemented. Most notably, the 2nd Precinct in Nassau County, located in Woodbury, reported a 700% increase in car thefts. Crime has become a spotlighted issue for voters across the Gold Coast. The only way to remedy the public safety crisis is to repeal all bail reform laws in New York.
My opponent, Robert Zimmerman, has accepted the Working Families Party (WFP) line for the November election. This shines a light on Zimmerman’s pro-criminal agenda for New York’s Third Congressional District. Moreover, the WFP wants to defund the police and champion New York’s crippling bail reform. This is catastrophic and out of touch with the people of New York. If you truly listen to the people, they are demanding safety in their community. Robert Zimmerman has it all wrong.
Under New York’s bail reform laws, hate crime offenders are not bail eligible, which means they can be released without posting bail. There has been a string of antisemitic hate crimes throughout the district. Last month, the most recent act of vandalism occurred at a public park in Nassau County, and three Hakenkreuz were etched inside bathroom stalls. While the vandals are still at large, if and when they are caught, the state will let them out onto the streets to perpetuate more hate crimes.
Criminals and perpetrators who are residents of NYC are making their way into Long Island communities and targeting our businesses and neighborhoods. They look at our quiet, serene, and peaceful Main Streets, and their eyes light up at the potential to rob our stores, assault our neighbors and wreak havoc on our streets. Although he dances around his anti-police agenda, Robert Zimmerman fully supports “reallocating resources” of our law enforcement agencies.
Zimmerman aligns himself with Gov.Kathy Hochul, who takes no accountability for the rampant crime in the streets of New York, while deflecting the blame for violence plaguing cities across the state. In other words, Zimmerman is just another pro-crime Democrat, enabling violent offenders to ruin the quality of life for law-abiding citizens.
The answer to the crime crisis is to fund our police, not defund them. We must return to a culture of respect and gratitude towards our law enforcement. I will work alongside my New York State colleagues to ensure we repeal the disastrous bail reform laws. I will fight to secure federal funding to help strengthen our law enforcement agencies. Nov. 8 is our day to take New York back and together we will send a strong message to out-of-touch Democrats, “Do not NYC our Long Island.”
George Santos
Republican candidate for Congressional District 3
