CRIME/POLICING

Connie Tuori was killed in her apartment just a block from my old apartment on Green Street. A woman who lived through the great depression, a world war, travelled the world, killed in her own home by a woman who just eight days before had been arrested for attacking a woman. She was released without bail because of bail reform; the judge’s hands were tied with their judicial discretion stripped by the state. John Katko was pushing to tie federal funding to the effort to repeal bail reform which has failed. I’ll continue that effort, just as I pushed back against defund the police as a Tompkins County Legislator. Crime is on the rise. Just this year, Juli Boeheim was robbed in broad daylight in a Destiny USA Mall parking lot. You hear about well known people being victims of crime, but we all know someone who’s been a victim because of this surge.  

Tompkins County continues to “reimagine” policing, without the input of actual police officers. During the height of the protests, activists spray painted “Pigs” on the Ithaca Police Department, called for abolition of the police department with chants “we wanted all 63 badges,” put up wanted posters for police officers with 30 years in the department. The mayor and city council didn’t stand up for these men and women, but we, Congressman Tom Reed, Senator Tom O’Mara and myself did. We’ll continue to support the officers, deputies, troopers, keeping us safe.