Crime is up in New York City. Way up. The increase in crime comes after the city has cut $1 billion in funding for the New York City Police Department. The city also recently disbanded a major anti-crime unit. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says neither of those are to blame to the violent upsurge.
She has another reason. When in doubt blame COVID19. AOC said, 'Do we think this has to do with the fact that there’s record unemployment in the United States right now?' Adding, 'Maybe this has to do with the fact that people aren't paying their rent & are scared to pay their rent & so they go out & they need to feed their child & they don't have money so... they feel like they either need to shoplift some bread or go hungry.'
Let's start with the 'record unemployment' AOC talks about. It's 'record unemployment' she advocated for. The New York Congresswoman has pushed for an extended economic shutdown for months now. She's pushed for more federal benefits and yet still thinks people 'are scared to pay their rent.'
The politicians in Washington added $600 per week to state unemployment benefits. In New York State the maximum benefits are $504 per week. Which means maxed out benefits in New York during the time of COVID19 reaches $1104 every week. Extend that out over a year and a New Yorker on unemployment would receive $57,408 to not work.
And somehow AOC believes people are 'scared' to pay their rent. So much so they are committing crimes like stealing bread.
Nope.
From The New York Post:
Petit larcenies are down 7.8 percent for the year so far. Murders are up 23 percent. The number of shooting victims is up 70.4 percent. These are not robberies by desperate people; they are gang-related, drug-related, gun-related.
So is Ocasio-Cortez lying or not paying attention to what's going on in her own district? You make the call.