A pair of brutally attacked Big Apple retail workers have joined the chorus of critics lashing out at state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie over his soft stance on violent criminals, claiming Tuesday he is flat-out “wrong’’ and just doesn’t “care.”
“New York has become one of the worst places on the planet. Criminals do whatever they want to do. Why? Because there’s no penalty. There’s no deterrent,” Ramon Acevedo, a grandfather and former Manhattan grocery store manager, raged to The Post.
The 68-year-old victim — who was nearly bashed to death with a hammer at a Gristedes supermarket in Chelsea in July 2020 — ripped Heastie (D-Bronx) for refusing to support beefing up penalties for those who violently target retail workers, claiming, “I just don’t believe raising penalties is ever a deterrent to crime.”
Acevedo, who ended up retiring in the wake of his bloody assault after 47 years at the store, was left with a gaping gash in his forehead when his accused attacker, Oscar Apronti, came at him swinging with the hammer.
“This guy almost killed me. Another half an inch to the right would have ended my life,” Acevedo said.
His alleged attacker, whom he had recognized from prior shoplifting attempts at his store, was also accused of assaulting a worker with a broken bottle at the nearby Chelsea Fine Food bodega just three months earlier.
“The politicians take care of themselves instead of the people,” Acevedo said of Heastie’s refusal to crack down on violent perps like the one who allegedly battered him.
“They’re not affected. They’re definitely out of touch. They don’t care. They should do their jobs and protect us. If criminals don’t do the time, what’s to deter them from striking again?”
Acevedo’s attacker was slapped with assault, stalking and criminal possession of a weapon charges when he was eventually nabbed over the violent assaults. --->READ MORE HERE
Powerful state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) doubled down Tuesday on his stance that stiffer penalties don’t deter criminals — just the latest example of him allegedly being soft on crime.
Heastie — who has previously opposed proposed rollbacks of the state’s infamous 2019 criminal-justice reforms — landed in hot water last week when he balked at backing Gov. Kathy Hochul’s push to stiffen punishments for thugs who assault retail workers, claiming, “I just don’t believe raising penalties is ever a deterrent to crime.”
“I was simply asked a question of, ‘Do I believe that increasing penalties deters crime,’ and I gave a simple answer, ‘No,’ ” Heastie told reporters Tuesday. “I don’t believe, in the history of increasing penalties, has that ever been the reason that crime has gone down.”
Hochul has been pushing the state legislature to jack up penalties for thugs who assault retail workers to the same levels as attacks on nurses, firefighters and sanitation workers.
The governor is making the push as part of a package of measures to crack down on retail theft. Her proposal also includes funding for state police and district attorneys to better catch crooks, especially sophisticated organized rings that pilfer stolen goods.
Heastie has left the door open on other aspects of Hochul’s proposal, but the increased-penalties component remains a sticking point.
State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-Staten Island) sponsored a bill that mirrors Hochul’s proposal for increased penalties. --->READ MORE HERE
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