Trump Crime Drop Contrasts With New York Policies

If one needed another example of the difference in the public safety priorities of the Democrats and Republicans, the latest crime statistics released by the White House should do it.

According to the Justice Department's National Crime Victimization Survey, serious violent crime dropped 25% in 2025 under President Donald Trump, while aggravated assaults declined 31% and property victimization fell 19%. Motor vehicle theft dropped 30%, and burglary or trespassing declined 25%.

The findings come against the backdrop of the Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library closing its Neighborhood Road branch because of persistent drug activity, criminal behavior, and threats to public safety.

While President Trump has made law enforcement and criminal accountability central priorities, Republicans in New York are fighting the cashless bail laws of the Democrats, which they blame for allowing repeat offenders to return to the streets.

The White House described the 2025 decline as the largest one-year reduction in serious violent crime in the survey's history. The Justice Department's preliminary report measured a 25% decline in violent victimization excluding simple assault.

Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, who has repeatedly called for repealing cashless bail, pointed to the deteriorating conditions in Mastic Beach.

“Cashless bail has turned our criminal justice system upside down. The criminals have more rights than the victims, the police are being handcuffed by Albany, and now the residents of Mastic Beach are losing library services because people are afraid to walk down the street. This is absolutely disgraceful,” DeStefano said.

Senator Dean Murray, Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Libraries Committee, likewise condemned Albany's policies.

“Law abiding residents should not have to lose access to essential community services just because the Democrat leadership in Albany has rammed through dangerous policies that fail to adequately address crime and hold repeat offenders accountable,” Murray said.

The Neighborhood Road branch is scheduled to close at the end of December for approximately three months before reopening as a specialized programming center. Books will be transferred to the Shirley and Moriches branches.

The White House credited the national decline to President Trump's immigration enforcement, support for law enforcement, and crackdown on drug trafficking.

Murray warned that the library's situation could be repeated elsewhere. “No neighborhood is immune when public safety is compromised,” he said.