Press Release for Andrew Yang Campaign

(New York, NY) — New York City is currently faced with a new epidemic: hate crime. Following the recent uptick in anti-semitism in New York City, mayoral candidate Andrew Yang wants residents to know that he is the candidate that will tackle the growing problem of rising crime — especially hate crimes, including anti-semitism.

Yang said, “Every single day, we see hateful acts go unchecked that lead to violence on our streets and in our subways. Verbal attacks one day escalate to brutal assaults the next. Considering the unprecedented and devastating recent spike in hate crimes against Jewish, Muslim, and Asian New Yorkers across the City, it’s clear we need to exempt hate crimes from the bail reform measures enacted by the State last year. We need to send an absolute and clear message that those who commit hateful acts will be held accountable.”

Yang believes that curbing hate crimes across NYC starts with police reform and creating a high-functioning police force that serves racial justice goals. Ultimately, a Yang administration will seek to reorganize the NYPD to rebuild trust between officers and New Yorkers, particularly communities of color, to refocus the NYPD on crimes that matter, and to ensure New York recovers not as it was, but how it deserves to be – a safe city firmly grounded in equality and respect.

Yang said, “Whether the rise in anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant and anti-semitic crimes in recent years, or the rise in anti-Asian crimes since the pandemic, the NYPD must serve as true partners to the New York City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) to prevent hate crimes. This can be done by targeting prevention efforts where misinformation and disinformation are spreading, proactively protecting houses of worship and neighborhoods that police intelligence determines to be at risk of heightened violence, encouraging communities to report hate violence without the fear of retribution, and full police engagement in arresting those who commit or conspire to commit acts of violence.”

As mayor, Andrew Yang will enact several policies aimed at reducing hate crimes in the city, including:

Make the 250 new officers assigned to NYC subways a 24/7 presence, not just during rush hour; and require officers to patrol every subway car at least twice during each route.  

Ensure all houses of worship in the city are secured by launching a clergy coalition to protect houses of worship.

Take a community-oriented approach to neighborhood crime reduction with rapid response to community requests for more lighting, particularly in NYCHA developments.

Create a Deputy Mayor for Public and Community Safety with a direct line to the mayor. This position will help develop and implement a citywide strategy for violence prevention, violence interruption, and responding to violence after it has occurred.

Invest in early intervention, expanded youth referrals and a citywide scaling of hyper-local and proven effective violence prevention programs.

For more information on Yang’s anti-crime policies, visit https://www.yangforny.com/policies.