Defund-the-police NYC pol says constituents in high-crime area want more cops because they ‘don’t know’ better
By Rich Calder
Published March 1, 2025, 10:57 a.m. ET
A Defund the Police-pushing Bronx councilwoman who represents one of the most crime-ridden sections of NYC all but accused her constituents this week of being clueless for wanting more cops.
“People in my community ask for more cops because they don’t know other solutions,” Councilwoman Althea Stevens told NYPD brass at Monday’s public safety committee hearing while defending legislation she’s sponsoring to eliminate the Police Department’s gang database.
Stevens’ district mostly falls in the 44th Precinct, which includes the Grand Concourse, Yankee Stadium and parts of South Bronx.
NYC Councilwoman Althea Stevens told NYPD brass Monday the only reason constituents in her district – home to some of largest crime rates in the city – demand more cops is “because they don’t know other solutions.”
The NYPD’s 44th Precinct had the fourth-most reported major felony crimes (3,223) last year of the agency’s 78 precincts.
It had the fourth-most major felony crimes (3,223) last year in Gotham, with major crime surging 41% since 2019, records show.
“It’s never a good look when an elected official downplays the intelligence of their constituents who are pleading for more police,” one councilmember told The Post. “Our job is to listen to the people we represent, and eliminating the gang database while crime and gang activity are on the rise is pure insanity.”
https://nypost.com/2025/03/01/us-news/defund-the-police-nyc-pol-althea-stevens-addresses-high-crime-solutions/
