THE MARCH OF LIBERALISM – AT 10:14 A.M. ET: As night follows day, crime follows liberalism.  After two decades of dramatic crime reduction under Mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg, New Yorkers elected the hopelessly leftist Bill de Blasio, who immediately took on the police, who had been heroic in driving the murder rate down 80%.  Now, murder is back.  From the New York Daily News:   

The murder rate in New York City has spiked an alarming 20% in the first two months of the year, prompting NYPD brass to rethink strategy to curb the deadly trend.

Since Jan. 1, 54 murders have been recorded in the city, up nine from the same period a year ago, according to the grim stats released Monday.

Shootings have also climbed 20% — with 149 so far in 2015 compared with 126 in the first two months of 2014.

But overall, crime has dropped 11% in most major crime categories, including burglary, robbery, rape, grand larceny and auto theft.

Murder is the indicator.  It always tells the story.

The bump in killings came despite a 12-day span over the first two weeks of February when no murders were recorded.

NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said the rise in killings and shootings should not be taken as indications of “the bad old days roaring back.”

COMMENT:  That is a huge murder increase.  We won't pre-judge, and New York is not yet back to the bad old days.  We'll watch to see if the trend continues.  In that case de Blasio might have a hard time getting re-elected.

William Bratton was actually Giuliani's first police commissioner and did a fine job.  De Blasio brought him back, probably to ease fears that the new mayor would be soft on crime.  But de Blasio's anti-police attitude has had its impact, and I'm not sure Bratton is really allowed to do his job.   If not, he should resign.

March 3, 2015