The Nassau County Legislature unanimously passed legislation requiring the Nassau County Police Department to produce a quarterly crime report on statistics relating to Albany’s ill-conceived criminal justice reform law. These new reports will provide the quantitative data we need to urge state lawmakers to repeal and replace these dangerous laws.
The legislation will require the police department to produce a quarterly report including:
• The total number of defendants released without bail in Nassau County, the charges against
said defendants and a brief narrative description of the crimes allegedly committed;
• For defendants who have been released without bail, the total number of bench warrants issued for
failure to attend a criminal action or proceeding, including the charges against said defendants and
a brief narrative description of the crimes allegedly committed;
• The number of crimes charged against defendants while such defendants have been released
without bail on a previous criminal charge or charges, including the charges against said
defendants and a brief narrative description of the crimes allegedly committed while released
without bail.
Presiding Officer Rich Nicolello offered the following: "With daily news stories of crimes being committed by those released under this ‘reform,’ it is important for Legislators to gather as much information as possible about the effects of cashless bail in Nassau. The law will provide lawmakers and residents with quantifiable data regarding the suspects released in Nassau without bail and the crimes with which they have been charged, how many of those released have failed to appear for court proceedings, and how many have committed new crimes after being released. We can then use this information to urge state lawmakers to repeal and replace this so-called reform.”