Rioters and looters took America by storm after the death of George Floyd last year, but getting these perpetrators to answer for their crimes seems highly unlikely — especially in New York.
According to Fox News, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. has neglected to prosecute cases against looters after the NYPD made over 485 arrests last year.
Vance has his sights set on preparing a case against another, more notorious figure instead — former President Donald Trump.
WNBC-TV in New York reported that Vance’s office dropped 222 looting cases of the 485 that were to be prosecuted.
Of the remaining 263 cases, 73 pertained to lesser charges for trespassing, 40 involved juveniles and were sent to family court, and 128 remain open for investigation.
Instead, Vance intends to dedicate his attention to tax, loan and insurance fraud allegations against Trump’s businesses — allegations the former president continually denies.
WNBC reported that, in an internal memo, Vance stated that additionally over 600 burglary arrests and over 3,500 unindicted felony cases were put on hold due to COVID-19.
Former NYPD Chief of Patrol Wilbur Chapman was quick to criticize the district attorney’s office for the irresponsible move.
“If they are so overworked that they can’t handle the mission that they’re hired for, then maybe they should find another line of work,” He said, according to the report.
“[They] allowed people who committed crimes to go scot free.”
Of course, Chapman isn’t the only resident angry about the DA’s neglect to prosecute violent criminals.
Local business owners affected by last year’s violence offered their opinions as well.
“Those numbers, to be honest with you, is disgusting,” said Jessica Betancourt, an eyeglass shop owner whose business was destroyed in the Bronx last year. “I was in total shock that everything is being brushed off to the side.”
According to the report, Betancourt is also vice president of a local merchants association and her role prompted her to reiterate the grievances her fellow small business owners have expressed.
Vance’s unwillingness to prosecute those responsible for destroying livelihoods is just salt in every small business owner’s open wounds.
And despite business owners’ concerns that wrongdoing will continue to go unchecked, Vance refuses to loosen his grip on the case built against Trump.
His neglect to fulfill his obligations as a district attorney reiterates one truth we’ve all recognized for years: the left’s unhealthy obsession with Trump takes precedence over all else.
We can safely assume that this witch hunt — and many others — against Trump won’t be over anytime soon, but the easy approach to “punishing” violent criminals speaks volumes for those wishing to cause trouble again.
How does this also translate to the businesses that succumbed to last year’s unruliness, businesses like Betancourt’s?
Their offenders will likely never see justice and, because of that, they know they can get away with doing it again.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
