Manhattan district attorney condones violence

See Cy Vance’s Broken Window: A top prosecutor affirms his virtue as he shrugs off a church’s vandalism. By William McGurn of The WSJ. Excerpts:

"Earlier this month Mr. Vance declined to prosecute 26-year-old Yadir Avila Rosas for his involvement—along with two women caught on video—in defacing St. Patrick’s Cathedral during the George Floyd protests. In addition to “BLM” for “black lives matter,” St. Pat’s was also spray-painted with the F-word.

The decision not to prosecute seems to stem from a new policy toward protest-related transgressions.

“The prosecution of protestors charged with these low-level offenses undermines critical bonds between law enforcement and the communities we serve,” Mr. Vance said in a statement. “Days after the killing of George Floyd, our nation and our city are at a crossroads in our continuing endeavor to confront racism and systemic injustice wherever it exists. Our office has a moral imperative to enact public policies which assure all New Yorkers that in our justice system and our society, black lives matter and police violence is a crime.”"

"Mr. Vance’s message about not prosecuting protestors for certain crimes is a repudiation of the broken-windows idea that you sweat the small stuff so it doesn’t become big stuff. As his press release helpfully explains, “the D.A.’s Office declines to prosecute these arrests in the interest of justice.”"

"the assumption implicit in Mr. Vance’s decision, and the many similar surrenders by authorities across America: Police and prosecutors—and citizens—must learn to tolerate more criminal activity from racial minorities, as well as higher crime rates in poor and minority neighborhoods."