The only way to stop New York's constant release of people who have been convicted of killing police officers is at the ballot box, where people can vote in leaders who will change the state's parole board, former New York Police Department Commissioner Ray Kelly told Newsmax on Sunday.
"Clearly, this has been brought about by progressive politicians, people who lean way to the left to think somehow they're doing the right thing," Kelly told Newsmax's "Wake Up America Weekend."
"Rather than looking at the former corners of the event itself, they now look at something called progress, how the individual is progressing, how he's been socialized in jail," he added.
But when it comes to the convicted murderer of a police officer in uniform, "these individuals go free, walk the streets, and the families and the loved ones of the police officers suffer this gut-wrenching loss for the rest of their lives," Kelly said.
His comments come as the New York Post reports that a parole board will later this month consider David McClary, who shot and killed NYPD Officer Edward Byrne in 1988.
If McClary is released, he will be the 44th convicted police killer to be set free in New York in the past eight years.
Kelly also questioned the membership of the state parole board, pointing out that former or current members of law enforcement are not permitted to be included.
"People who have the most invested interest in keeping police officers safe and keeping us all safe, they can't be on the panel," Kelly said. "It's just, it's bizarre, and it's something that has to be changed. But the only way you can do that, unfortunately, is the ballot box."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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