In the hospitality industry, there is a saying that perception is reality.
In the criminal justice system, reality is reality. Well, for some people it is.
I would not count Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg among those who live and die by the facts. Perhaps he should consider a career change to the hotel industry where his "perception" would be more welcome.
Reality
Even though we have all seen the reports of out-of-control crime in New York, Bragg does not see it that way.
He stated, "There's no doubt about it, but we have really encouraging signs, the data is really moving in the right direction," reports Fox 5 NY.
I wonder what encouraging signs he is seeing… could it be the almost daily stories about straphangers being assaulted? The rapes and murders on the city streets?
Shootings may be down on Bragg's watch, but that does not mean overall violent crime is down.
And, if you ask the average resident, they will tell you that their perception is that it is not. To that point, on the violence in the city, one resident stated, "I see it all the time; I didn't see nothing change."
The stories get scarier the deeper you go into the city, meaning the poorer neighborhoods that are impacted most by crime. If they are not using guns, they are using knives. If they are not using knives, they will use a baseball bat or anything else they can get their hands on to hurt you.
New York City has a population that lives in fear, with one resident stating, "…when one of my family members gets on the train, I get a knot in my stomach."
I think that tells you everything you need to know about the "perception" of New York among its residents.
