“He’s not really taking on street crime,” said Jeffrey A. Butts, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. “He’s using the crime issue for political posturing and political gain.”
Tag: law
Minor Role IV: Violent Crime More of an Adult Problem Today
Public officials may point to “juvenile” crime when responding to public concerns about community safety. Recent statements by federal officials echo the political rhetoric of the 1990s when politicians across the country blamed young people for what were actually generalized increases in crime.
Ticket Punch: The Consequences of Fare Evasion Enforcement in New York City Subways
Researchers investigated transit fare evasion in New York City subway stations between 2018 and 2023.
Missouri AG claims crime will go up if KC tightens gun laws. Experts debunk his logic.
“If a politician tells someone with basic math skills to go through advocacy materials and extrapolate from those numbers to make an argument, you can do that,” [Jeffrey] Butts said. “Of course, you end up saying things that are ridiculous.”
Newsday — Murder, Auto Theft Increased Statewide as Pandemic Played a Role
“It’s absurd to suggest that a change in New York bail practices somehow led to the shooting surge we’ve seen in cities across the country, not only New York City,” said Jeffrey Butts, research professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “I doubt the officials posing this explanation even believe it. It’s just an opportunity to score political points against a law they would oppose whether it was effective or not.”
New York Times — A 7-Year-Old Was Accused of Rape. Is Arresting Him the Answer?
There appears to be little, if any, organized opposition to raising the age of delinquency. But those who resist say doing so would hamstring the legal system, according to Jeffrey A. Butts, the director of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s Research and Evaluation Center. In rare cases involving a particularly dangerous child, he said, incarceration may prevent them from being a risk to others.