In this interview, author Seth Barron discusses the surge in violent and street crime in New York City, noting that the murder rate has risen and that homelessness and drug‑related disorder have become more visible and emboldened. He attributes these trends to the progressive agenda championed by former mayor Bill de Blasio, describing a systematic removal and alienation of the police that has eroded law‑and‑order effectiveness. Barron argues that while many New Yorkers recognize the deterioration in public safety, most still vote Democratic, limiting the political impact of these concerns. He observes that candidates who adopt a more sensible law‑and‑order stance are gaining traction in the Democratic primary, but structural control by progressives remains a barrier to substantive change. When asked about police staffing, Barron notes that New York’s NYPD is not in a crisis like some other cities, though retirements are rising. The conversation concludes with a promotion of Barron’s book, The Last Days of New York: A Reporter's True Tale, and a teaser for a follow‑up segment.
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The politicians have elected their own voters. They've driven out the people who couldn't stand the taxes, the crime, the corruption, and you're left with people who can tolerate it. And the people who can tolerate it aren't necessarily going to be voting in a law and order technocrat anytime soon.
Does the average New Yorker know how the murder rate has increased?
I think so, yes. Uh, it's hard to— it's hard to miss. I mean, the murder rate has gone up. I mean, the murder rate is pretty much isolated into certain, you know, high-crime areas, but certainly people know that street crime is up. That homelessness and drug addicts are— homeless and drug addicts are definitely more emboldened. You know, you see this all over the place, people stealing from drugstores, general street violence is up, and a general sense of chaos and disorder has descended upon the city. And this is all by design, really, by the removal, the steady removal and alienation of the police from doing their job, which they had done quite well. This was all built, put into place by the progressive ascendancy, as I call it, of which Bill de Blasio is fruit, flower, and fragrance. So this was like 10 years in the making, at least.
So does the average New Yorker— now that you tell me that the average New Yorker is aware of the increase in violent crime— if I ask the average New Yorker, do you hold Bill de Blasio in any way, or in any important way, responsible for this, what would the answer be?
Well, I think a lot of people, if they were honest, would say, yeah, he hasn't done a great job. Uh, you know, at the same time, there are people who are going to say, oh no, no, no, it's because of structural inequalities and poverty and, you know, the usual liberal balderdash we've been hearing since the '60s about, about root causes and, you know, the lack of opportunity. Um, but I think if people were honest, they would have to, yeah, say sure, Bill de Blasio and the movement that he represents has responsibility for this, but it won't affect their voting.
Forgive me one second. It won't affect their voting. They'll still vote Democrat.
Oh yeah, they'll absolutely vote Democrat. Um, I, I do believe that in the last year people have woken up a bit to, to the, to street disorder. And in the current primary campaign for the Democratic nomination, the, the candidates who are at least voicing a more sensible approach to law and order are at the top. I'm not saying that they're perfect, but they're not, you know, the people who really want to abolish prisons, dismantle the police, they're, they're not polling very well. Uh, people are waking up to this. Of course, you know, it doesn't take that many votes to win an election in New York City. So, but the people who are paying attention, I think, are kind of waking up a little bit. But the problem is, you know, as we know, uh, you can have everybody vote one way. It doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to change the structure of things. The liberals, the progressives, they have control of the city and its institutions, and resting it away from them is not going to be as easy as just one election.
That's a good point. What is the—
I mean, we saw this at the federal level in 2016, you know.
Yes, no, it's a winning election. Yes, but the bureaucracy remains. That is exactly right.
So Right.
What is the attrition rate in the New York City Police Department?
Um, you know, that's a very good question. I don't have that now. It's not as bad as it's been in some cities like Portland and Seattle and Minneapolis where people are just fleeing. Uh, we haven't seen, you know, de Blasio has managed the police department and he's He's never completely turned his back on them in the same way that some of these other mayors did. Um, and I think they're adding people. They are adding people. I mean, New York City still has a fair amount of money to hire police officers, and it's a pretty good job generally. But yeah, I think— I definitely think retirements are up. Uh, we're not at a crisis point yet in terms of staffing. All right, large department.
Yeah, all right, we're going to do a part 2, but I, I want to remind everybody, look, anything that Heather MacDonald writes the foreword to is obviously important. It's an important book, my friends. Seth Baron, The Last Days of New York: A Reporter's True Tale. It is up at DennisPrager.com. And I will have you back. Thank you, sir.
