Blakeman discusses bail reform and crime reports

In the same area where a vandalism spree recently plagued East Meadow, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman released the county’s crime report, highlighting the “crime pandemic” that has occurred throughout the state.

The Aug. 15 release of data came just two weeks after Tejinder Singh, an East Meadow resident, allegedly walked up and down East Meadow Avenue and Cambridge Street, and smashed 27 car windshields with bricks.

“We are experiencing this pandemic solely because of the laws that have been promulgated in Albany and foisted upon us that make us less safe,” Blakeman said. “Woke progressive policies like bail reform and raise the age are making us all less safe.”

New York state’s bail reform law, a hot topic since its passage in 2020, calls for the release of most non-violent criminal defendants while they await trial or a plea deal. In January, Blakeman signed an executive order requiring the county Police Department to issue daily reports with pending criminal case data and the bail status of those rearrested.

According to the NCPD data, 3,019 individuals were arrested between April 1 and June 30, and 2,641 of then were released without bail, while 195 of them were rearrested.

Among the top 10 crimes that were released without bail were larceny, assault and assault-related offenses, possession of controlled substances, criminal mischief, judicial proceedings warrant, DWI related offenses, forgery and forgery-related crimes, firearms and weapons charges, and suspended and revoked drivers’ license offenses.

“Behind each of these statistics is a story but more importantly, behind each statistic is a victim,” Blakeman said. “Somebody who has been hurt, somebody who has had either damage to their property or something stolen for them or they’ve been physically threatened.”

Singh, 28, was arraigned on August 5, released with no bond and let go with a tracking ankle bracelet, according to Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. Singh’s crimes were labeled as felonies.

“That is not very comforting for the 27 victims here,” Ryder said of Singh being out without bail. “We will continue to do our job and we will continue to make these arrests, and we hope that changes come that we keep the bad people where they belong in jail.”

Shanequa Levin, Convenor of Long Island United to Transform Policing and Community Safety, told the Herald in January that bail was supposed to ensure that people return for their court dates. It was never meant to serve as a punishment for an alleged crime.

“We need to focus on the fact that an overwhelming majority of those that were released and not assigned bail were not rearrested,” Levin said in January. “We should focus on how to change policing and not focus on people who would be out anyway if they could afford the funds.”

East Meadow neighbors were shocked after hearing about the 27 smashed windshields. Most said that they never expected something like this to happen on their residential street.

“When it comes so close to home, it really, really hurts,” said Phil Peranzo, two of whose three cars were damaged by Singh. “I understand what’s going on through the state, but when it comes right into your neighborhood, it hurts. My heart is broken.”

Peranzo said only one of his car windshields was replaced by the insurance company, but the other cost him $300 out of pocket.

“A windshield is something that can be replaced,” Peranzo said, “but human life can’t be.”

Juan Vanegas, who lives on Cambridge Street, said that both his son’s and niece’s cars were damaged. He said that his niece had to pay a deductible of almost $1,000 for her windshield. His son’s car, on the other hand, got the windshield fixed by the insurance company but still has dents and scrapes left on the hood from the brick that they cannot afford to fix.

“Even if it was $100, nobody gives you $100. That’s money that you work for and now have to spend it on something you didn’t do,” Vanegas said. “It’s not fair, and now he’s out here the next day.”

Neighbors said that they saw Singh sitting out on a bench near the Cambridge Street. Others said they saw him in businesses in town.

“If I see him in front of a store, I’m making a U-turn,” Peranzo said. “It’s a snowball thing. He’s out and walking around and if I see him in front of a business I want to go to, I’m going to turn around and take my business elsewhere.”