On June 13th, Patrick Timmins, who is running for Manhattan District Attorney, presented his political platform to voters in Manhattan’s Chinatown Democratic community center. He pledged to strengthen subway and street safety, crack down on theft and violent crimes, and restore security in the entire Manhattan area, including the Asian communities.
Timmins, born in Washington Heights, Manhattan, is a practicing lawyer with 32 years of experience. He previously served as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx and is currently a law professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice with 21 years of teaching experience. He is the only Democratic candidate challenging Alvin Bragg and identifies himself as a “rational and pragmatic Democrat.”
Timmins has proposed a series of security-enhancing campaign initiatives, including increasing subway police presence to prevent pushing incidents and attacks, setting up satellite arraignment hubs in high-traffic areas, and advocating for strict penalties for violent crimes. He promises to reverse the current ineffective prosecution practices and work closely with the police department to ensure a fair and safe security environment for Chinatown businesses and residents.
He believes that fare evasion is the starting point of subway crime chains and points out that New York City loses up to $800 million annually due to fare evasion cases that the current prosecutor refuses to pursue. He also criticizes congestion pricing policies for being unhelpful to Chinatown and weakening the local economy.
If elected, Timmins plans to prosecute all store thefts, including “zero-dollar purchase” cases targeting small businesses, and even the smallest theft offenses. He criticizes the current policy of not prosecuting anyone stealing less than $1,000 and ensuring that offenders are released without charges.
Citing the example of Chinatown landlord Brian Chen losing his job at Harvard University after being prosecuted for five months, Timmins emphasizes respecting due process rights and conducting comprehensive reviews of case backgrounds and motives before prosecution.
He promises to provide special protection for the Asian community’s safety. During his first week in office, he will appoint two Asian community liaisons to report directly to the district attorney’s office on the security situation in Chinatown and the Lower East Side. He will work closely with the 5th precinct police station to address frequent thefts at fruit stands, jewelry stores, and clothing shops to ensure Chinatown small businesses receive the protection they deserve.
Regarding mental health and crime issues, Timmins states that a distinction must be made between mental illness and criminal responsibility. It is crucial to understand the psychological condition of individuals, provide necessary treatment, but not absolve them of responsibility for their actions.