Liberal bail reforms have emboldened career criminals to become more brazen and more unapologetic in their crimes. It makes for some particularly gross and aggravating stories.
Such is the case of Frank Abrokwa, a New York City man who was arrested after he allegedly assaulted a woman waiting for the subway at random. Abrokwa is accused of smashing a bag filled with his own feces on the woman’s face. He made fun of the assault, was completely unapologetic, and lashed out at the judge when he requested a protection order for the victim. Prosecutors requested he be held on $15,000 bond or $5,000 cash.
Instead, he was freed without bail, because defecating in a bag and assaulting random women with it is not a bail-eligible crime under the state’s bail reform laws.
Abrokwa has been arrested over 20 times since 1999. On Jan. 7, he allegedly punched a man multiple times in the head. On Feb. 5, he allegedly punched a man in the face at a bus terminal. On Feb. 6, he was charged for both of those incidents. He was released without bail then as well, because assaulting random people without a bag full of feces is also not a bail-eligible crime in New York.
Incidents like this highlight the complete breakdown in criminal justice that has resulted from overzealous progressive reformers in Democrat-run cities. An unrepentant, repeat criminal is free to walk around New York City assaulting people at will, and he is let off with a slap on the hand. This does nothing to deter this behavior or reform anyone; it emboldens criminals to become more brazen and more unapologetic. It only puts law-abiding residents at more risk of serious injury, or worse.
To prove that point, the day after the subway assault, Abrokwa allegedly threatened a hardware store employee with a screwdriver. Shortly after he was released with no bail for the subway assault charges, he was arrested again in connection to a hate crime, where he is accused of throwing a punch at a man after saying, “F***ing Jew, I’m going to kill you.”
This is what it looks like when ideologues put rosy notions of reform over reality and public safety. People should not have to worry about criminals with mile-long rap sheets and a clear pattern of violent offenses every time they go to the store or take public transportation. This is an inexcusable failure of public safety.
