| Releases & Statements
In recent weeks, New York City has
seen a disturbing string of bias crimes: the assault on an Orthodox
Jewish man and the vandalism of two Jewish ambulances in Crown
Heights; last weekend’s beatings of a gay man in Chelsea
and a black man in Flatlands; the July 1st beating and robbery
of an Asian woman in Sheepshead Bay; the June 30th attack on a
black man in Howard Beach. These crimes were all despicable acts
of hatred that should, and will, be punished to the full extent
of the law.
The NYPD’s firm response to
this trend is proof that New Yorkers have zero tolerance for crimes
motivated by prejudice and hatred. We have come a long way since
the days when the Crown Heights and Howard Beach neighborhoods
were symbols of mounting racial tension. We are stronger and more
unified and we will not allow a few isolated acts of brutality
to set us back.
My deepest sympathies go out to all
of the victims, their families, and the city as a whole. Their
attackers will be caught and prosecuted. The hatred that drove
them will not rise to haunt the city like it did in the past.
New Yorkers of all races, religions, and sexual orientations will
not allow it.
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