Retired New York Police Department Sgt. Pete Panuccio, a 39-year-old veteran cop, told Fox News that New Yorkers live in fear in the crime-plagued city.
“There's a sense of chaos, a sense of dissolution, and what I like to call palpable fear,” he shared with Fox. “These are things you can't measure, but people are feeling fear again.”
Fox News reports:
New York City leaders have touted declining crime rates since a historically bloody 2020, which saw the highest number of homicides since 2011 among other violent crimes, according to New York City Police Department data. But Panuccio said the culture of lawlessness, which he blamed on lax progressive policies, exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic and has persisted ever since, leaving residents on edge as crime rates continue to rise.
“People are afraid to go out into the street late at night,” Panuccio said.
On January 3, New York City Mayor Eric Adams bragged about declining crime rates during a speech on public safety, calling New York City “the safest big city in America.”
Crime rates are down in America's safest big city. Join us now at 1 Police Plaza to review crime statistics for 2023. https://t.co/lSEsncFjZr
– Mayor Eric Adams (NYCMayor) January 3, 2024
Adams pointed to a 12% drop in homicides and a 25% drop in shootings between 2022 and 2023, adding that “New Yorkers are breathing easier” because of his administration's efforts to reduce crime.
But Panuccio told Fox that these numbers hid the true story and referred to pre-pandemic crime levels.
“You can play numbers games all day long, which is what the City Council really likes,” Panuccio said. “If you compare it to 2019, the jump in crime is amazing.”
“The No. 1 issue, which saved New York City in the 1990s, was public safety. Everything stems from public safety in New York City. If we don’t have public safety, we don’t have a city.”
Panuccio also accused progressive politicians of pushing anti-crime policies that emboldened criminals and fostered a culture of lawlessness.
“New York City is a captive city, taken over by progressives. Too many people have given their lives to make this city a safer place. Everything has been washed away.”
