Albany County District Attorney David Soares says Kathy Hochul, a fellow Democrat, is focusing on the wrong matters to combat rising crime — despite efforts in recent days by the embattled governor to cast herself as tough on crime.
“Black lives are being harmed in the streets across the state because of the reforms passed by the Legislature,” the capital city lawman said Tuesday while rebuking talking points made by Hochul at a Monday press conference.
Soares noted that Albany has seen a spike in gun violence this year resulting in 12 deaths and 83 people shot.
The incumbent governor, who is seeking to be elected to her first term, touted stats showing a record number of New Yorkers were getting their guns seized following changes to the state’s Red Flag Law while also talking up new laws banning guns from certain public venues.
Hochul staged the press conference alongside state Attorney General Letitia James following polls showing Republican rivals Lee Zeldin and Michael Henry gaining ground against them in their respective races.
“Gun crimes in Albany are overwhelmingly committed using guns that are obtained illegally. Red Flag Laws cannot be used to stop the many gangland warriors patrolling the streets with ghost guns, stolen guns, and community guns,” Soares said.
Albany County District Attorney David Soares says Kathy Hochul is focusing on the wrong things to combat rising crime. Hans Pennink
Gov. Kathy Hochul has received immense backlash for not tackling New York crime rates. REUTERS/Cindy Schultz“It’s pretty strange for DA Soares to decry illegal guns, immediately pivot to ‘it’s the legislature’s fault,’ and completely ignore that the same legislature passed a first-in-the-nation law to fight illegal guns. Sounds…emotional,” state Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn) tweeted in response to the Soares statement.
The governor has defended her handling of crime by noting how the state police have beefed up efforts to seize illegal guns entering the state in partnership with others states and federal law enforcement.
“We changed the bail laws in the budget in March. We did a lot when there was a massacre in Buffalo and the overturning of the Supreme Court decision of the concealed carry laws,” Hochul said Monday while defending her record amid criticism from fellow Democrats.
Sen. Zellnor Myrie finds DA Soares’ comment on Hochul strange. AP/Hans Pennink“So, I think if you look at our history of all the advisories we’ve put out, the countless times we’ve been out there talking about crime, it is not a fair assessment to say that we’re out here now, because I’ve been doing this for the entire year.”
Such moves have hardly muted Republican calls for the state Legislature to change criminal justice reforms they blame for fueling violent crime – an idea backed by Democrats like New York City Mayor Eric Adams, former Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy and Soares.
Hochul spokeswoman Hazel Crampton-Hays did not directly respond to Soares criticism in a Tuesday statement to The Post that touted how Hochul had seized 8,000 unlawful firearms, “the highest number of illegal guns” in the past two decades.
“This is part of the Governor’s comprehensive approach toward ending the gun violence epidemic, investing millions in gun violence prevention and victim assistance programs, including in Albany, and working with law enforcement and leaders across New York on solutions to save lives, get guns off the streets, and make our communities safe,” Crampton-Hays added.
Soares has joined calls before for an overhaul of reforms that would include changes to bail reform as well as the Raise the Age law that limits how alleged gunman under age 18 can be tried in adult courts.
“At what number will the body count be enough to prompt action?” he said earlier this month.
