On Tuesday's CNN Newsroom, Carol Costello did her best to downplay the significant rise in violent crime in major cities around the country during a segment with Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa. Costello wondered if "the crime statistics were so unbelievably low over the last decade or so, and there's been this little spike – right? And so, because the crime statistics were so low, does it just feel bad – but in reality, it's not really that bad?" [video below]
The anchor first noted how "the Guardian Angels are back on patrol in New York City with their berets and red jackets. The anti-crime volunteers were a common sight in the city back in the '80s and '90s. And now, they're back – a visible symbol of nationwide unease about crime. An op-ed in The Wall Street Journal last week declared a new nationwide crime wave – a consequence of the so-called 'Ferguson effect.'" She continued by playing up the decrease in some crimes, and trying to find a silver lining to rise in homicides:
CAROL COSTELLO: But let's deal in facts and focus just on New York City for now: as the New York Daily News points out, so far this year, burglaries, robberies, and larcenies are down from last year's ultra-low levels. The total homicides so far this year are at 135 – higher than last year, but 30 percent lower than 2010. So why are people so on edge right now?
Costello then turned to Sliwa and asked, "So, we just looked at the statistics. Why are people on edge now?" The talk radio host/Guardian Angels founder replied, in part, that "the shootings are up; the homicides are up; the rapes are up. These are the kinds of crimes that scare people; and obviously, make them fear, are we sliding back into the abyss? Are we crawling back into the belly of the beast?"
Moments later, when Sliwa pointed out that "New York was the safest city – large city in America for 20 years – first with Rudy Giuliani, and then [Michael] Bloomberg," the CNN journalist interjected that "it's still very safe in New York City." The guest countered by citing how "in one week alone, nine women were shot. I'm 61. At no time, as bad as it's ever been in the city, were nine women ever shot in the city? And this mayor [Bill De Blasio] with window shades on his eyes, cotton balls in his ears – oblivious – he said, why are you getting hysterical, Curtis? Hysterical – because I love this city, and I don't want it to return to the criminals."
Costello followed up with her "little spike" phrase about the crime rate. Sliwa countered that "economically, if these crimes continue – particularly, in the hot spots – you got the machete man; you got the brick man; you got the hammer man – Midtown Manhattan, where all the tourists are – hey, pretty soon, tourists are going to be saying, maybe New York City isn't the place we want to be." An on-screen graphic during that portion of the segment actually undermined the anchor's argument, as it cited the Wall Street Journal's figures about the rise in violent crime in several cities around the country – including a 180 percent rise in the numbers of homicides in Milwaukee, a 32 percent rise in the number of homicides in Atlanta, and Baltimore's gun violence going up 60 percent.
The full transcript of the Curtis Sliwa segment from Tuesday's CNN Newsroom:
CAROL COSTELLO: No, this is not a time warp. Your eyes are not deceiving you. The Guardian Angels are back on patrol in New York City with their berets and red jackets. The anti-crime volunteers were a common sight in the city back in the '80s and '90s. And now, they're back – a visible symbol of nationwide unease about crime. An op-ed in The Wall Street Journal last week declared a new nationwide crime wave – a consequence of the so-called 'Ferguson effect.'
But let's deal in facts, and focus just on New York City for now: as the New York Daily News points out, so far this year, burglaries, robberies, and larcenies are down from last year's ultra-low levels. The total homicides so far this year are at 135 – higher than last year, but 30 percent lower than 2010. So why are people so on edge right now?
Curtis Sliwa is the founder of the Guardian Angels. He joins me now. Thanks so much for stopping by.
CURTIS SLIWA, FOUNDER, GUARDIAN ANGELS: Ah, my pleasure.
COSTELLO: So, we just looked at the statistics. Why are people on edge now?
SLIWA: Well, because there's a feel in the street. You see the mentally ill roaming about; you see the homeless everywhere; and you see more aggressive behavior. And the shootings are up; the homicides are up; the rapes are up. These are the kinds of crimes that scare people; and obviously, make them fear, are we sliding back into the abyss? Are we crawling back into the belly of the beast?
And look, I got street smarts. I'm 61. We're in 18 countries, 130 cities; and I know when a city is on a decline – like a Detroit, a Chicago, Baltimore. We're showing the first effects. We don't want your pre-emptive strike. And the crown jewel of the city, Central Park – there's a good chance the rest of the city will start sliding into that criminal abyss, too.
COSTELLO: Do you have patrols operating in other cities as well?
SLIWA: Oh, yeah – Baltimore, where I'll be this weekend; 'Chi-raq' (Chicago) – Spike Lee named it, because it's like Iraq; Detroit – we go right down the list and right around the world. But those cities have had a tremendous strike in crime. New York was the safest city – large city in America for 20 years – first with Rudy Giuliani, and then [Michael] Bloomberg-
COSTELLO: But it's still – it's still very safe in New York City.
SLIWA: Well, you know, in the hood – and I'm a hood rat. So when you go into the projects – and in one week alone, nine women were shot. I'm 61. At no time, as bad as it's ever been in the city, were nine women ever shot in the city? And this mayor with window shades on his eyes, cotton balls in his ears – oblivious – he said, why are you getting hysterical, Curtis? Hysterical – because I love this city, and I don't want it to return to the criminals.
COSTELLO: Okay. You know – and I understand that. I totally get that. And I understand you got a warm reception when you guys patrolled in Central Park, and I totally get that. But the crime statistics were so unbelievably low over the last decade or so, and there's been this little spike – right? And so, because the crime statistics were so low, does it just feel bad – but in reality, it's not really that bad?
SLIWA: Ah, you could see it from the cops, who are busting their shoes and pounding doughnuts. They're not aggressive out there. They're laying up in their cars, and the criminals are beginning to taunt them. They're not showing respect; they're not showing respect to the citizens. And economically, if these crimes continue – particularly, in the hot spots – you got the machete man; you got the brick man; you got the hammer man – Midtown Manhattan, where all the tourists are – hey, pretty soon, tourists are going to be saying, maybe New York City isn't the place we want to be. That's why we have to watch our P's and Q's.
COSTELLO: I'd like my director, Scotty, to put that graphic back up, because those statistics from across the country – so we'll look at those while we continue to talk. This op-ed in The Wall Street Journal blamed the increasing homicide rates – the increase in violence across the country – on Ferguson, Missouri. Do you agree with that?
SLIWA: The Wall Street Journal should stay down there with the one-percenters. They couldn't be more hopelessly wrong. It has nothing to do with the dysfunction of Ferguson! Never before have I seen more dysfunction of white and black people in one place in America, and it continues to go on all day. No – this is the result of young men carrying guns and using guns, and cops not doing stop and frisk – not preemptively preventing this kind of horrific violence – and all it's going to lead is to more young men becoming Uzi-toting, dope-sucking, psychopathic killing machines. And then, we're going to say, what happened? How did it get so out of control? When a city is named 'Chi-raq,' and it's the hometown of our president, don't you think we all ought to be saying, we're not doing enough? We're more concerned with violence in other parts of the world than we are in some of the cities that have birthed us.
New York City has birthed me. I've shed my blood on this city. I've been shot; I've been stabbed. I don't want it to go back. And I will do everything within my power with the Guardian Angels to prevent that here, and in 18 countries and 130 cities around the world.
COSTELLO: Curtis Sliwa, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it.
SLIWA: Oh, my pleasure.
