New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is offering gift cards to criminal suspects in order to make their court hearings a “happier” process, the New York Post reported.
The Democratic mayor has devoted $800,000 in taxpayer money to a new program to give criminal suspects $15 Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards if they fill out a brief survey about their experience in the courtroom, the NY Post reported Sunday. Police claim that the move is another attempt by de Blasio to appease criminals and leave taxpayers holding the bill. De Blasio began awarding prison inmates with pizza parties in October if they behaved well.
“Once again, the mayor wants to appease the criminals at taxpayers’ expense,” a New York Police Department source told the NY Post. “Next thing they’ll be giving out Macy’s cards so these perps could do their holiday shopping.”
Police are less than enthused with the new program, claiming it incentivizes crime.
“There’s a long-standing statement that crime doesn’t pay. We’ve now proved it does,” Sergeants union president Ed Mullins told the NY Post. “It now pays for a $15 Dunkin’ Donuts card. Maybe we can give them confiscated firearms, too.”
Survey respondent Juan Cruz told the NY Post he was defending against a misdemeanor charge, and that he was happy to answer the survey.
“I told them I’ve been here too many times to not understand the process,” he said. “But hey, got me a doughnut and cup of coffee when I get out of here.”
Supporters of the program claim it will increase trust in the justice system and make defendants more likely to show up to court.
“If a litigant feels they’re being treated with respect, they have an idea what’s going on…they’re more likely to perceive the process as fair,” Adam Mansky of the Center for Court Innovation told the New York Daily News. “They’re more likely to comply with their obligations, come back to court, pay their fine.”
But court officers were also frustrated with the survey, as it requests defendants to rank them based on how “helpful” and “happy” they were in the courtroom.
“We don’t need any training, judges don’t need any training. We all know how to do our jobs, and we already treat people with courtesy,” Dennis Quirk, president of the Court Officers Association, told the NY Post. “Next, City Hall is going to want us to hand out ice cream cones and candy bars. Many of these people committed crimes. How much more do we want to coddle them?”
The NYPD did not respond to a request for comment from The Daily Caller News Foundation in time for publication.
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