This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/it-doesnt-make-sense-to-blame-crime-on-poverty-eric-adams-new-york-bail-reform-shoplifting-public-safety-61209f0b

It Doesn’t Make Sense to Blame Crime on Poverty

New York’s homicide rate dropped sharply after 1990 even as the poor share of population rose slightly.

By Jason L. Riley

Feb. 28, 2023 6:25 pm ET

Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at City Hall in New York, Feb. 21. Photo: Michael Brochstein/Zuma Press

Being mayor of New York comes with lots of media attention, but anyone who has held the job can tell you that the real power is in Albany, the state capital, where the governor and Legislature hold major sway over everything from the subways to the public schools.

Mayor Eric Adams was back in Albany this month asking his state overlords to rethink bail-reform measures passed in 2019 that protect crime suspects from pretrial detention. The number of shoplifting complaints in New York City rose by 45% in 2022 to more than 63,000, according to New York City Police Department data. The mayor sees an obvious connection that too many of his fellow liberal Democrats willfully ignore.