On a day of tradition and ceremony, the annual Veterans Day event was held honorably by the Richmond County American Legion at the heart of Staten Island Mall. The event held on Monday, November 11, 2024, honored veterans from all branches of service. Among the attendees was Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, known for actively being involved in issues regarding the veteran community.
Recently, Nicole Malliotakis has been engaged in a challenging interaction with Mayor Eric Adams. Malliotakis, as a representative for both Staten Island and South Brooklyn, has been vigorously advocating for transparency on migrant crimes from the NYPD. On one Tuesday, Mayor Adams pledged to act promptly on delivering the critical data that Congresswoman Malliotakis had long been seeking.
The narrative began in January when Malliotakis officially requested crime data from the NYPD under the jurisdiction of New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). The process to gain this data has been anything but smooth, with the NYPD yet to furnish the necessary information. During a conversation with Mayor Adams, Malliotakis strongly asserted that the data in question is of utmost importance for addressing crime-related issues.
Mayor Adams, a previous NYPD captain, agreed with Malliotakis, stating that there should be compliance in providing the necessary information. Particularly, he noted that the department should be capable of providing comprehensive crime data surrounding a specific address. This would help paint a clear picture of the crime landscape, effectively assisting in making necessary improvements.
The discussion with Mayor Adams came after an official FOIL request by Malliotakis, which followed an unanswered letter to former Police Commissioner Edward Caban on October 2, 2023. Malliotakis, along with several other elected officials, penned the request in search of precision and clarity concerning migrant crime data.
Among the various signatures on this letter of request were those of distinguished officials including State Senator Andrew Lanza, Assemblymen Michael Reilly, Michael Tannousis, and Sam Pirozzolo, all representing various divisions of Staten Island and Brooklyn. Further support came from Councilmen David Carr and Joseph Borelli, both ardent advocates for transparency in city governance.
The collective request from these officials sought various points of data from the NYPD, particularly concerning migrant crime. Specifically, they asked for crime incidents within a five-block radius of a city-operated migrant shelter. These inquiries were made in relation to all crimes committed during the first three-quarters of 2023.
Besides the number of crimes, the letter requested additional details including the number of individuals arrested that listed the shelter as their residence during similar periods. Other data points requested included the most common charges among those arrested, along with whether the Police Commissioner’s office had instructed meticulous recording of migrant crime.
The requests by these officials were a response to a series of recent critical incidents involving migrants. A significant example pointed out was an incident of June 2023 involving a Venezuelan migrant. The incident, noteworthy due to the shooting of two NYPD officers in Queens, escalated the urgency for clear demographic data on such crimes.
Regrettably, the NYPD has twice postponed the deadline to respond to Congresswoman Malliotakis’ FOIL request. The recent extension, which was due on Friday, November 15th, passed without any response from the department. As a result, Malliotakis has become increasingly worried about what she perceives as the NYPD’s resistance to her requests.
Malliotakis accused the city of stonewalling her request for data and avoiding transparency. According to Malliotakis, it has been over a year since the initial request, and the persistent delays are unacceptable. She stressed that without the necessary information, the city remains in the dark regarding the extent of crimes committed by illegal migrants.
The Congresswoman believes that it is vital to consider public safety in light of the city’s failure to provide the requested crime data. She asserts that this lack of transparency jeopardizes the community’s safety, as officials are left uninformed about potential threats within their districts.
Moreover, Malliotakis voiced her concern about so-called sanctuary policies, which she claims are unsupported by the American public. Malliotakis stated that the withholding of crucial information only served to increase the risk to public safety. She argues for the need to act swiftly to eliminate crime, irrespective of the city’s cooperation.
‘The delay in providing the requested information signifies a failure in city governance and is absolutely ludicrous,’ said Malliotakis on a Tuesday. She voiced her hope that come January, President Trump will take assertive actions to eliminate illegal criminals from the streets of the city, administration cooperation notwithstanding.
The Congresswoman’s determination to press for the essential crime data exemplifies her commitment to her constituents. Through her active efforts and engagements, she continues to prove herself tireless in her pursuits of transparency, better policy-making, and enhanced public safety conditions.