“With crime rising across New York State, I feel it is necessary to once again urge the State to make necessary changes to bail reform. I voted against bail reform in 2019 because I was concerned about how it would negatively impact public safety. I have continuously advocated to make important changes that will address these concerns such as adding judicial discretion, and held a roundtable in 2020 for law enforcement, district attorneys, and emergency personnel to discuss the problems they experienced with bail reform. Since bail reform was passed, many North Country residents have reached out to my office because they are concerned about these new reforms, including social service agencies and addiction services organizations that are able to provide important mental health and addiction support while people await their trial in jail. Domestic violence organizations and law enforcement agencies have also expressed concerns about how removing bail also removes what law enforcement calls a cooling off period that allows domestic violence survivors to seek safety and avoid aggression from abusers due to their arrest. Recently, New York City Mayor Eric Adams also called to make changes to bail reform as a former NYPD police officer and it’s time that we listen to people who have experience in law enforcement and bring those perspectives to the table when discussing bail reform.”