What does a mugging cost taxpayers? According to Rockland District Attorney Michael Bongiorno, when a 101-year-old woman is beaten and robbed of $33 it can translate into $1 million at the end of the day. And while crime is down in Rockland, the costs to business, residents and the state continue to climb.
Taking just one of thousands of cases his office prosecutes each year, Bongiorno picked that particular offense to demonstrate how the system works and how it affects the community.
“Most people don”™t think about the impact crime has on the business community ”“ but the next time you read about one in the paper, think ”˜cha-chin,”™” Bongiorno said. ”˜First, the 101-year-old woman who was mugged is going to need medical care and counseling for the psychological trauma. Perhaps the people who witnessed the crime will need counseling as well. The building”™s owner will have to look at upgrades in the security in the building where she lives. Then there is the cost to the judicial system, bringing the perpetrator through the courts, the stenographer, the police officers who must be there to testify, bringing in the witnesses, paperwork, jury costs.
“In this case, the mugger had a record for multiple crimes and got a 10-year sentence ”“ at $35,000 a year, that”™s $350,000 just to house and contain this criminal. Then, after his release, there will be the cost of probation officers to monitor him. I”™m not even considering the possible lawsuits that might stem from this incident ”“ perhaps the woman”™s family will sue the building owner ”“ was he negligent? Insurance premiums ”“ they go up, too.
“Neighborhoods and businesses suffer from the perception that an area is not safe anymore.”
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A ripple effect
Bongiorno said he cited that particular crime as an example of how a $33 theft can impact one person”™s life and an entire community. “Imagine if the victim had been someone with a family to support, and they lost that breadwinner? Every crime, even if it seems insignificant or ”˜victimless,”™ doesn”™t just impact the immediate victim ”“ it hits businesses, taxpayers and the public.”
The $450 billion New York state spends annually, fueled by the cost of crime, does not take into account white-collar crime, Bongiorno said.
“That”™s an extra layer of cost to the employers. They may need to install or upgrade surveillance cameras. They lose productivity in the workplace. In the final analysis, the cost of crime is $1.7 trillion a year nationally.”
Bongiorno told members of the Rockland Business Association that keeping Main Street vital is a key component to keeping down crime. His own neighborhood, Spring Valley, saw its Main Street decline when the malls came in, he said. But with the rebirth the village is experiencing, “It has had a psychological effect, too. People begin to see it as a safe place to shop and to walk around in.”
Rather than viewing changing populations as a negative, Bongiorno said, villages and towns should build on these new cultures and make this an attraction ”“ not detraction. “Spring Valley has a booming Latino and Caribbean culture ”¦ we should be capitalizing on that rather than perceiving it as a negative.”
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Employers beware
Employers should be more aware of their employees”™ actions and watch for signs of possible white-collar crime. “If you have an employee that talks about their gambling losses or may have a substance-abuse problem ”“ these are people who can be in dire financial straights. Some life circumstances drive people to theft.”
Theft through computer systems is also on the rise. “If someone can hack into the FBI”™s or Pentagon”™s computer systems, how safe do you think your own computer systems are?”
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He advised companies to consider bringing in an outside consultant. He also recommends companies invest in surveillance equipment. When asked how many businesses in the room have a system, few hands went up.
“We had one case where the perpetrator actually commented on how good he looked on camera,” Bongiorno said. “Good surveillance helps police make the best case.”
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