Recidivism

The New York Post reports Mayor de Blasio's decriminalization of minor offences is having the expected effect - New York City is rapidly becoming an armpit again. The story is headed by a photo of a vagrant pissing in the street as cars zip by ... and he isn't even French!

Here’s an up-close look at a quality-of-life offense the City Council wants to decriminalize. This urinating vagrant turned a busy stretch of Broadway into his own private bathroom yesterday – an offense that would result in a mere summons if Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and her pals get their way.

Mark-Viverito in April announced plans to decriminalize public urination along with five other low-level offenses: biking on the sidewalk, public consumption of alcohol, being in a park after dark, failure to obey a park sign and jumping subway turnstiles.

This is backing away from the proven "broken windows" model of proactive policing that cleaned up NYC 20 years ago. I hope New Yorkers, always an abrasive lot, enjoy what they freely elected. It couldn't happen to a more richly deserving group.