Opinion: Looking back at the year in the Queens DA’s office

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.  Eagle file photo by Caroline Ourso

By Melinda Katz

As we come to the end of one of the most daunting years in modern times, I’m pleased to have this opportunity to offer Daily Eagle readers my best wishes for the New Year, to review some of the challenges and accomplishments of 2021 and to reaffirm the principles and vision that propel the Office of the Queens District Attorney into 2022.

When I took office in January 2020, my top priority was to maintain a steady hand as we re-imagined both the way a DA’s office could work and how it interacts with the community.

Fewer than three months later, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world (and closed much of our city) and the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 threw already-troubled community-police relations into further jeopardy.

Even as COVID-19 continues to disrupt criminal justice operations, my Office has stayed true to the goal of keeping the people of Queens safe while working to ensure a more equitable system. I stand extremely proud of the work that my team has done – in the face of continued adversity – to administer justice on behalf of the residents of this Borough. From safeguarding the most vulnerable members of our society from elder fraud, child abuse, and animal neglect, to obtaining restitution for victims of theft, this Office continues to administer brave justice in Queens County. We have made significant strides against criminal activity, including a few notable accomplishments:

Gun Violence

Amid escalating gun violence nationwide, my Office continues to work diligently with the NYPD to focus on the drivers of crime and violence who have tried to hold Queens neighborhoods hostage to their mayhem. These efforts resulted in multiple takedowns that included dozens of arrests and scores of illegal weapons seized. In addition to blocking the “Iron Pipeline” of guns purchased down South and illegally brought to our Borough, we have taken aim at a new form of gun trafficking that has begun to plague our streets -- the proliferation of “ghost guns” – personally manufactured firearms that bear no serial numbers or other unique identifying markers. Since August, we have conducted a total of five ghost gun takedowns in Queens, seizing 74 completed guns and parts for 91 more firearms.

Hate Crimes

COVID-19 misinformation and existing prejudice created a toxic mix that fueled hate crimes in Queens during the pandemic. This painful reality is especially difficult to grasp in the most diverse County in the nation, where our differences are our strength. Although my hate crime prosecutors work closely with the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force to help gather evidence and vigorously pursue prosecution, it is a daunting proposition to prove hate as a motive - which is what the New York Hate Crimes Statute requires. It is important to remember that even if an assault against a victim is not deemed a “hate crime” by definition of law, we still aggressively prosecute the underlying crime.

Fighting Fraud and Other Schemes

The pandemic created new ways for fraudsters and scammers to prey on the vulnerable with illegal schemes. As a result, our Frauds Bureau has been hard at work investigating and prosecuting a wide variety of financial crimes, including embezzlement, computer crimes, and scams targeting the elderly. Increased global awareness of cryptocurrency has not only attracted investors but also fraudsters who are quick to adapt and always looking to exploit new technologies. Recently, my Office’s Cyber Crimes Unit charged a website consultant with grand larceny for allegedly stealing the proceeds of an on-line sale of $233,000 in cryptocurrency.

Bail Reform

In 2022, there will need to be an honest, candid discussion on bail reform. Since January 2020, I have reviewed and amended the practices of the DA’s Office on bail requests, both to conform our policies to the new bail laws and to ensure that requests are made consistent with the notion that a person’s financial resources should not determine whether they remain in jail pending trial. A person’s actions, their criminal history, the threat they represent to our community, and the risk of flight – those are the relevant facts. Under New York’s current laws, however, the risk to the safety of the community that one represents cannot be considered in the deliberation on pre-trial incarceration – in fact, New York is the ONLY state in the nation that does not have that assessment for defendants facing pre-trial incarceration. I believe this should be revisited in 2022.

Rikers Island

From the first day of my administration, and before the current crisis, we worked to reduce the Rikers population. In this vein, I directed Assistant District Attorneys not to request high bail amounts. Instead, when necessary, such as in cases dealing with homicide, forcible rape, kidnapping and other crimes, ADAs are instructed to ask for remand – detention without bail – which does not differentiate between the poor and the wealthy. A first-class city like New York, at its very minimum, should have humane conditions in which to house those incarcerated when necessary. I am hopeful that some of the funds from the $1.9 trillion Build Back Better Act and other federal resources that the House has advanced will be allocated to address the conditions and programming inside the City’s jail facilities.

Breaking the Cycle of Crime

Holding dangerous, violent offenders accountable must always be a top priority of my office, but we remain committed to helping break the cycle of crime, drug use, and incarceration that plagues too many of our communities. That’s why, in 2021, I created a bureau dedicated to creating and expanding opportunities for eligible, non-violent offenders to participate in rehabilitative services, alternatives to incarceration and restorative justice programs – and why we continue to closely evaluate all low-level arrests with the hope of helping defendants turn their lives around.

Helping Our Kids Make Good Choices

During my nearly two years as District Attorney, I have stressed partnerships with Queens communities because I believe deeply that we can help strengthen them – and, just as importantly, that we can make sure our kids are equipped to make good choices and are empowered to steer clear of gangs, guns and crime. In November, my Office awarded nearly $3 million to 28 community-based organizations to implement our Community Youth Development and Crime Prevention Project. There is no greater investment we can make than in our future.

I believe much was accomplished in 2021 despite the debilitating effects of COVID -19, which challenged this Office and the court system in ways that no one could previously have comprehended. Clearly, there is more to do in 2022 and we will face those challenges head on.

On behalf of the entire Office, I wish you and your families a safe and happy New Year.

Melinda Katz is the Queens District Attorney.