Katko, Garbarino & Malliotakis Call Out Dangerous Impact on Communities of Defunding Police

NEW YORK, NY – Rep. John Katko (R-NY), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) met last week with law enforcement officials to discuss issues facing the New York City Police Department (NYPD) including rising crime, training and recruitment concerns, and budgetary challenges. Following the roundtable, the Members held a brief media availability.

 

Ranking Member Katko:

• American Security Task Force: “It’s important for us to gather as much information as we can and we’re going to have to act on it. I have been appointed to lead the American Security Task Force in Congress. Over the next several months, we’re going to examine issues like we’re talking about today, and then make recommendations…the idea is that the task force will shine a light on and provide solutions for what I heard today.”
• State of Today’s Law Enforcement: “[Throughout my career], I worked with federal, state, and local law enforcement on a daily basis. I was always amazed at their competence, their skill, and more than anything their bravery. I’ve never, in all my time, seen the state of law enforcement that it’s in today—from the morale issues to the attrition rates to the laws that are handcuffing their ability to do their jobs and destroying our communities, particularly the minority communities.”
• Misguided Laws Are Hurting, Not Helping: “The laws are taking away tools or resources when we should be doing more for officers, such as standardizing training. We should have federal or statewide training standards that all officers can adhere to, and then they can be  held accountable to those standards which they gladly would do.”
• Cutting Back on Counterterrorism Efforts: “Some of the things that NYPD has to cut back on are proactive counterterrorism measures in New York City. New York City is ground zero for terrorism. Their counterterrorism efforts are suffering because they’re not able to put manpower on the streets like they want to.”

Rep. Garbarino:

• Unproductive Laws Jeopardize Public Safety: “One of the participants today said he can’t remember the last time a bill was passed that was actually good for policing. That’s a scary thought. But that’s why we’re here today because whether it’s New York state law, whether it’s federal law, you have to meet with the stakeholders. You have to meet with the people who actually know what it’s like on the ground.”
• Impact of Biden’s Border Crisis: “Something specific that’s very important to me in Nassau and Suffolk County, I heard today that because of what’s going on at the border, a lot of unaccompanied minors coming in, that gang assaults are up in Suffolk and Essex County. Gang crimes, gang shootings, this was something we saw 7 or 8 years ago…They’re saying they’re seeing that come back. These are what the officers are telling us. We need to fix our border crisis. If we don’t do that, we’re going to have a lot more gang activity.”
• Working Together to Support Police: “[Congress is] going to work together…along with police officers, we’re going to work to make sure that we do it right and that we help them do their jobs, not tie their hands behind their backs.”

Rep. Malliotakis:

• Skyrocketing Crime: “New Yorkers want more cops on the street. They want their families to be safe, and unfortunately, the elected officials that are running the show at city hall in Albany and in Washington are actually looking to take away the tools that our officers use to reinforce public safety in our city. We’re seeing the results of this if you look at the categories of crime here in New York City, nearly every single category has skyrocketed.”
• Numbers Speak for Themselves: “We have to continue to make sure people understand the ramifications of what’s happening. Some of those stats that were offered to us today by the NYPD and by the unions are extremely disturbing and the people at home need to understand what’s going on. Nine out of 10 people arrested with an illegal firearm are being released. 50% of those arrested for shooting someone are being released. A thousand more people will be shot by January, here in New York City, according to the trends.”
• Experience Cannot Be Easily Replaced: “You’re seeing cops retiring and we’re not going to have enough. New cops don’t have the experience to do what those seasoned police officers and detectives are doing on our streets…We need to maintain people that want to enter the NYPD going forward. I think that we are seeing a tide turning…People are seeing what’s happening.”

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