A Democratic nominee for NYC Council District 22 has unveiled a radical policy which would allow victims of violent crimes to help their attackers in the name of "restorative justice."
Socialist candidate Tiffany Cabán wants victimized New Yorkers to bear the burden of the crimes against them, reported the New York Post. Her 48-page manifesto would strip cops and courts of some of their most basic law enforcement roles — like sending violent perps to prison. Her idea is being blasted as insane.
Removing Police and Scaling-Up Community-led Safety
"Communities will be empowered to develop individualized strategies to help heal wounds of violence rather than being forced to rely on policing and prisons as the only recourse," reads the policy from the Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidate in the non-competitive race.
Cabán's plan, titled "A New Vision of Public Safety for New York City," posits a scenario in which the victim of a violent mugging would be largely responsible for deciding the fate of their assailant, according to The Post.
Youth Restorative Justice Programs
But the "Kumbaya"-style idea doesn't include actually getting the assailant off the streets with the goals of protecting others to protect others.
"Example of Use: A person is beaten up, suffers a broken rib, and is robbed of his wallet. First, his needs are heard and affirmed, and he works with trained staff to develop a service and healing plan," Cabán's proposal reads.
"Then, when he is ready, he participates in restorative justice circles with the person who harmed him and their respective support systems. He asks questions and gets answers, and they develop an accountability and consequences plan."
The proposal also highlights that restorative justice programs and mediation experts can de-escalate conflict and facilitate resolution through dialogue.
Who is Tiffany Cabán?
Cabán is an American attorney, political candidate, and political organizer. She is the Democratic nominee for the 22nd district of the New York City Council. She was a candidate in the Democratic primary for Queens County's District Attorney in the State of New York, which she narrowly lost to Queens Borough president Melinda Katz. Cabán lives in Astoria, Queens and identifies as queer.
Cabán has been an ardent advocate of the 'Defund the NYPD' movement and describes herself as a police "abolitionist." She is an advocate for making severe cuts to the NYPD budget in favor of allocating greater resources to mental health and job creation programs—as well as an array of other programs.
Social Media Reactions
Some netizens slammed Cabán's proposal while others supported her by saying "the whole point of the plan is to give victims the right to decide what happens."
One Twitter user wrote, "This is insane and outright stupid. You want victims to coddle their assailants? To further traumatize the victim???? What happens when your victim snaps under such unrealistic pressure? Will you then have the assailant coddle the victim?" Another said, "This is in Chapter 1 of the Book of Bad Ideas."
One internet user said, "Cabán is a pro criminal idiot. People like her don't care about crime or the victims so long as it doesn't affect them personally. Woke democrats are braindead. Stop voting for them or don't complain when you get hit by the fallout of their insane policies."
One comment read, "Honestly the mere possibility of having to do a "Restorative Justice Circle "with a member of the DSis enough to deter even the most hardened gang member from committing a crime. This plan has my vote!"
Is this a joke. Sounds like a game my grandkids would play.
— Carp (@carpdundee) September 1, 2021
