Dillon goes after Schmitt for making things up
NASSAU COUNTY LEGISLATURE MINORITY LEADER PETER SCHMITT
Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon fired back today at Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader Peter Schmitt in regards to his recent comments after the conclusion of Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi’s State of the County Address. Schmitt stated, "Crime, especially violent crime is up all over the county. Gang assaults, gang shootings, and murders, once only a bad dream in our quiet neighborhoods, have now become a scary reality....Sadly, there are only two detectives dedicated to fight this growing problem in Nassau County." This statement is absolutely false and as the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in Nassau County I take exception to Legislator Schmitt’s poorly informed statement.
"If he had taken a moment to look at the recent statistics or to contact my office he would have known the following:
According to Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) statistics, Nassau had a violent crime rate of 192.8 per 100,000 for 2003, making it among the lowest (if not the lowest) violent crime rate in the United States of jurisdictions of 1 million or more. (Source - DCJS.)
The crime rates for Nassau County from 1994 to 2003 show a reduction of 35.6% on all index crimes (murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft) and a reduction 19.7% on violent crimes (murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault). (Source: DCJS)
The FBI study of violent crime nationwide identified Edison, New Jersey as having the lowest rate of 195.4 per 100,000 population (jurisdictions 1 million or more). Nassau’s equivalent rate as calculated by DCJS is 192.8 per 100,000 population. This should be contrasted with the New York State average for violent crimes in 2003, which was 465.2 per 100,000. (Source - Division of Criminal Justice Services.)
Overall Crime in Nassau County is down 8.5% (January - March 2005) from the same time last year (January - March 2004).
The May 24, 2004 addition of Forbes Magazine identified Long Island as one of the safest locations in the Country in which to live. (Based on a FBI Statistical Analysis)
The Homicide Rate since 2001 is as follows (does not include vehicular homicides):
2001 - 34 Homicides
2002 - 26 Homicides
2003 - 24 Homicides
2004 - 24 Homicides
Contrary to Schmitt’s assertions that there only two detectives dedicated to combating gang activity, there is a Federal Gang Task Force, made up of the FBI, The Nassau County Police Department, New York State Police, Immigration (ICE), Port Washington Police Department, Freeport Police Department, Hempstead Police Department, and Nassau County Corrections, working with our office, in combating gang activity throughout the County. Additionally, the Nassau County Police Department has several Bureaus and Units attacking the gang problem throughout the county. These include the Narcotics Bureau, Bureau of Special Operations, and the Special Investigations Squad. In addition, there are gang coordinators in each of the eight precincts who monitor gang activity. The Chief of Department has a monthly meeting not only with the Nassau County Police Department components but also with the Federal Task Force, the District Attorney’s Office, Probation, Parole and the Village Police Departments."
"Scripture tells us that a house divided against itself can not stand," said Dillon. "How surprised I was to read that Peter Schmitt was criticizing the so called rise in crime under the District Attorney who is running with him on the same ticket this year. It grieves me to point to the public record to show that Mr Schmitt did not even take the time needed to get the facts before he made a significant speech. The facts are clearly set forth by the statistical records attached."
Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon fired back today at Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader Peter Schmitt in regards to his recent comments after the conclusion of Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi’s State of the County Address. Schmitt stated, "Crime, especially violent crime is up all over the county. Gang assaults, gang shootings, and murders, once only a bad dream in our quiet neighborhoods, have now become a scary reality....Sadly, there are only two detectives dedicated to fight this growing problem in Nassau County." This statement is absolutely false and as the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in Nassau County I take exception to Legislator Schmitt’s poorly informed statement.
"If he had taken a moment to look at the recent statistics or to contact my office he would have known the following:
According to Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) statistics, Nassau had a violent crime rate of 192.8 per 100,000 for 2003, making it among the lowest (if not the lowest) violent crime rate in the United States of jurisdictions of 1 million or more. (Source - DCJS.)
The crime rates for Nassau County from 1994 to 2003 show a reduction of 35.6% on all index crimes (murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft) and a reduction 19.7% on violent crimes (murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault). (Source: DCJS)
The FBI study of violent crime nationwide identified Edison, New Jersey as having the lowest rate of 195.4 per 100,000 population (jurisdictions 1 million or more). Nassau’s equivalent rate as calculated by DCJS is 192.8 per 100,000 population. This should be contrasted with the New York State average for violent crimes in 2003, which was 465.2 per 100,000. (Source - Division of Criminal Justice Services.)
Overall Crime in Nassau County is down 8.5% (January - March 2005) from the same time last year (January - March 2004).
The May 24, 2004 addition of Forbes Magazine identified Long Island as one of the safest locations in the Country in which to live. (Based on a FBI Statistical Analysis)
The Homicide Rate since 2001 is as follows (does not include vehicular homicides):
2001 - 34 Homicides
2002 - 26 Homicides
2003 - 24 Homicides
2004 - 24 Homicides
Contrary to Schmitt’s assertions that there only two detectives dedicated to combating gang activity, there is a Federal Gang Task Force, made up of the FBI, The Nassau County Police Department, New York State Police, Immigration (ICE), Port Washington Police Department, Freeport Police Department, Hempstead Police Department, and Nassau County Corrections, working with our office, in combating gang activity throughout the County. Additionally, the Nassau County Police Department has several Bureaus and Units attacking the gang problem throughout the county. These include the Narcotics Bureau, Bureau of Special Operations, and the Special Investigations Squad. In addition, there are gang coordinators in each of the eight precincts who monitor gang activity. The Chief of Department has a monthly meeting not only with the Nassau County Police Department components but also with the Federal Task Force, the District Attorney’s Office, Probation, Parole and the Village Police Departments."
"Scripture tells us that a house divided against itself can not stand," said Dillon. "How surprised I was to read that Peter Schmitt was criticizing the so called rise in crime under the District Attorney who is running with him on the same ticket this year. It grieves me to point to the public record to show that Mr Schmitt did not even take the time needed to get the facts before he made a significant speech. The facts are clearly set forth by the statistical records attached."
posted by J @ 5:12 PM
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