G.O.P. to Attack Bragg on Crime at a Hearing in New York

House Republicans will descend on New York for a hearing on Monday that will use crime as a political tool against Alvin L. Bragg. The Manhattan district attorney charged the former president Donald J. Trump of falsifying his business records.

According to a press release, Republicans on the Judiciary Committee will accuse Mr. Bragg during the hearing, "Victims of violent crime in Manhattan," of adopting 'procrime, antivictim policies,' which they claim have led to an increase in violent crimes and a dangerous environment for New York City residents.

Democrats dismissed the session, saying it was a ploy to deceive the public by making them believe that crime is at crisis levels due to liberal officials' lax enforcement.

The Democrats in New York said that the Republican Party was attempting to interfere with an ongoing criminal investigation in New York City. They also stated, 'On the explicit instruction of Donald Trump, the Republicans are coming to New York City to abuse their power and serve as the taxpayer-funded legal defense team of Donald Trump.

The subtext of the hearing is clear; Republicans are trying to increase voter concerns over violent crime by blaming Democrats. What the New York crime data really says -- and what is behind Monday's hearing.

Republicans are trying to harm Mr. Bragg.

House Republicans led by Jim Jordan, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, are trying to interfere in Mr. Bragg’s prosecution of Mr. Trump for falsifying records of business transactions connected to his hush-money payments to a Porn Star. They've put public pressure on Bragg to provide documents and testimony regarding his criminal case, and clogged up his office with requests.

The hearing, which is supposed to be about crime is actually about discrediting Mr. Bragg by making it appear as though he's pursuing a vendetta political against Mr. Trump and ignoring his duty of prosecuting violent crime.

Jordan issued a subpoena for Mark F. Pomerantz to access Mr. Bragg’s communications and other material. Republicans claim that Congress has jurisdiction over the request because Mr. Bragg used federal funds to pursue the case.

Since the pandemic began, crime has increased in New York. However, it is down for this year.

According to the most recent statistics, major crime in New York is slightly down this year as compared to the same period last. As in many American towns and cities, crime has increased since the coronavirus outbreak disrupted the daily routine. New York saw an increase in serious crimes in the past year. Shootings in particular increased during the coronavirus pandemic.

The number of major felony crimes is about 45 percent more than it was two years ago. Keechant Sewell said that major felony arrests were also at their highest level in 24 years at a press conference held this month.

Mr. Bragg, the top prosecutor in Manhattan, is not responsible for the entire city of New York. Crime is down by about 2.4% from last year, but it is still up from two years ago.

New York has been a success in reducing crime.

New York used to be the murder capital of America, with 2,245 shocking homicides recorded in 1990. Criminologists from across the nation have studied New York's transformation for decades, citing it as a success.

Before the violence spike during the pandemic, the number of murders dropped to less than 300. The city had 438 homicides last year.

The historic decline in New York's crime is attributed to a number of theories, including the crackdown on minor crimes, the use of statistics, the hiring more officers, and the national economic boom.

New York City is safer than many Republican-controlled states.

Mr. Bragg, since the announcement of Republican-led hearings, has called New York the "safest large city in America" and stressed that its crime rates are lower than those of cities in states where his Republican critics reside. Bragg stated that the crime rate in New York is one-third of Columbus, Ohio just south of Jordan's district.

New York also has a statistically higher level of safety relative to the population than places like Jefferson County in Arkansas, which is a Republican state. According to Jeffrey Butts of the Research and Evaluation Center of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Robeson County in N.C., Montgomery County, Ala., and Bibb County in Georgia are all statistically safer than other places within Republican and swing states, such as Jefferson County, Ark.

'When you take a look at the numbers per capita, the Bronx, and Queens suddenly don't seem so scary', Mr. Butts stated.

It is unclear what impact Mr. Bragg’s policies on crime have had in New York.

When crime increases, politicians tend to blame others and take credit for the decrease.

After taking office, Bragg announced that he would no longer prosecute certain misdemeanor offenses. He later changed his policy in response to a backlash. His proposals still angered many police officers. Peter Moskos said that they could cause morale problems in the force.

M. Moskos, however, said that he believed changes in state law -- like decriminalizing syringe use in New York -- have likely affected crime more than Mr. Bragg's proposed policy.

Mr. Moskos stated that 'Bragg' is only a minor part.