Queens District Attorney Richard Brown was pleased with a new city report that gave his office high marks. Photo Courtesy Queens District Attorney’s Office
Queens landed high marks in the city’s newly released criminal justice system performance report, which found the borough’s district attorney’s office had the highest conviction rates for violent felony arrests in the city.
The New York City Summer 2013 Criminal Justice Indicator Report, released last week by Mayor Bloomberg and city Criminal Justice Coordinator John Feinblatt, also found that Queens had the lowest re-arrest rate in the city and the best arrest-to-arraignment time of the five boroughs.
“The report’s statistical evidence offers without a doubt substantial proof that Queens County is, and continues to be, a citywide leader in many categories,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a prepared statement. “…The bottom line is that we – together with our law enforcement colleagues – are providing a safer environment in which to live for the 2.3 million residents of Queens County, as well for those working or just visiting our great county.”
The report – the second of its kind to be released by the Bloomberg administration – used data from the judiciary, the city’s five elected District Attorneys, the Office of the New York City Special State Narcotics Prosecutor, and other city criminal justice agencies.
According to the report, Queens County’s conviction rate for violent felony arrests in 2012 was the highest among city prosecutors at 60 percent. The citywide average was 52 percent.
The report also stated that 26 percent of Queens defendants were re-arrested for a crime within a year and 10 percent were re-arrested for a felony within the year – the lowest figures in the city. Citywide, 33 percent of individuals arraigned in 2009 – the last year for which there is available data – were re-arrested for another crime within a year and 13 percent were re-arrested for a felony crime within a year.
Queens also fared better than the rest of the city with illegal gun convictions. The report stated that 77 percent of all Supreme Court defendants arrested for possession of an illegal gun landed prison time – compared to 54 percent citywide.
By Anna Gustafson
