Control the criminals responsible for this plague

"The system continues to fail us. We are not safe anymore. Not even the members of the service. I know you were tired of these laws — especially the ones from the new DA. I hope he’s watching you speak through me right now."

These are the words of slain NYPD Officer Rivera’s widow, Dominique Luzuriaga. Officer Rivera was laid to rest last week. His partner, Officer Mora will be buried on Wednesday. 

As a native New Yorker and a doctor on the front lines of COVID for the past two years, having taken care of over 21,000 COVID patients, I can tell you firsthand, the pandemic is not just COVID but there is a second plague.

The proof is in the data: COVID cases in NYC were down over 80 percent in early January. Today, crime rates are increasing: over 100,000 crime incidents were reported in NYC in 2021 -- felony assaults, robbery, murder, and rape. Pharmacies and neighborhood stores are closing as brazen thieves continue to steal knowing there will be no repercussions. .