Interview Highlights
– “(There’s) a crisis we have in the city that nobody’s really talking about, and that’s the crisis of 1.2 million open warrants. Most of these warrants were issued over a year ago, some over a decade ago, simply because people failed to show up, these were warrants for low level minor offenses like riding your bicycle on the sidewalks. We have so many of these warrants, and I feel they really can put our police officers in unnecessary peril, when they (police) approach someone who has a warrant … that person may decide to resist arrest or flee.”
– Speaks about his “Begin Again” program that lets people with outstanding warrants come to a community facility and resolve their legal issues with a judge. “I want people to take responsibility for their warrants, (the program) will strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the community.”
– “We can’t have folks afraid, if you’re stopped and you have a warrant out, you’re going to be put in handcuffs and brought to central booking, and I think that central booking should be reserved for folks who are committing gun violence (or) sexual assaults. I don’t believe someone who has been given a ticket for walking their own dog without a leash should end up in handcuffs.”
About Ken Thompson
Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson has just formed Violent Criminal Enterprises (VCE) Bureau designed to eradicate violent crimes Also Cybercrimes Unit, a Hate Crimes Unit, and a Crime Strategies Unit. Mr. Thompson is a former federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York. Mr. Thompson also served as a Special Assistant to the U.S. Treasury Department Undersecretary for Enforcement in Washington, D.C., and in the General Counsel’s Office at Treasury. http://brooklynda.org/brooklyn-da-ken-thompson/#sthash.o33szSQ4.dpuf
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