CB 6 residents weary over bail changes
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Residents and members of Community Board 6 attend meeting regarding bail changes. Photo by Rachel Sherman
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BY RACHEL SHERMAN
FREELANCE REPORTER
Residents of the Belmont,
Bathgate, East Tremont and
West Farms neighborhoods
are receiving mixed messages
on the changes in the application
of bail in New York State,
slated to take effect in January.
At a heated Community
Board 6 meeting last month,
two police offi cers explained
that the elimination of cash
bail for non-violent misdemeanors
would mean law offenders
could be released the
same day of arrest. The offi -
cers painted a bleak picture
of what that might mean:
someone robs a community
resident’s home, is taken into
custody and then is seen out
on the street hours later.
On Wednesday night, residents
were presented with a
different picture. At the last
community board meeting of
the year, held at Fordham University,
Sonya Tennell, assistant
district attorney, represented
Bronx DA Darcel Clark
to clarify concerns around the
new law. “This is not a situation
where people are just go-
ing to be let out of jail,” she
said. “No one is coming into
your home.”
Noorjahan Wells, a CB6
board member, worried that
the presentation by the two
police offi cers caused irreparable
damage. “You can’t
unhear what you’ve already
heard from law enforcement.
So, the fear has already been
instilled.”
“The fear mongering has to
stop,” she said.
Tennell said that alternatives
to incarceration, such
as diversion programs, can
be a more appropriate sentence.
“If someone has bail set
and it’s $100, $200, $500 and
they are unable to make that
bail… we’re not going to have
someone sit in jail and await
their trial,” she said. She said
the consequences will be different
for repeat offenders but
she did not expand on what
the procedure would be.
Victor Martinez, the Bronx
borough liaison for Comptroller
Scott Stringer, later called
attention to the expense of
incarceration. It costs more
than $300,000 a year to detain
someone in a New York City
jail.
Tennell pointed out that
currently a high number of
low-level offenders from the
Bronx await release at Rikers
Island because they can’t
make bail.
Franz and fellow CB6
board member Lillie Steed
asked the representatives of
elected offi cials to provide information
on laws before they
are passed.
“The problem is that every
month we get offi cials who
talk about turkey giveaways
and that’s great. But I’ve been
on the board for 20 years and
every day they pass laws and
I’ve never once had someone
come in and say ‘This is a law
that’s going to be passed and I
voted “yes” or I voted “no” and
this is how it’s going to impact
the community,’” Franz said.
They asked offi cials for
more information on legislation,
and faster, objecting to
only hearing about the bail reform
in November, less than
two months before the bill is
to go into effect.
“When we’re out in the
community, how are we going
to go out and explain what’s
happening when we’re blindsided?”
Steed said. “Because
last month was a shamble.
Those detectives came in and
it was a shamble.”
Tennell said the district attorney
plans to speak directly
to the community at a future
board meeting. A date has not
yet been set.
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