Overall Crime Rates Down from When District Attorney Hoovler Took Office
Crime Statistics Remained Largely Consistent Across Periods Before, During, and After Implementation of Criminal Justice Reforms and the COVID Pandemic
DA Hoovler Credits Planning, Technological Innovations and Cooperation from Police Agencies for Orange County’s Crime Statistics Remaining Consistent
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler proudly announced figures disclosed by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (“DCJS”) that show that Orange County maintained consistency in dispositions of felony and misdemeanor criminal cases from 2019-2023. The statistics show that the outcomes in criminal charges brought in Orange County did not significantly change after the implementation of a sweeping set of Criminal Justice Reforms (“CJR”) in 2020 or the COVID pandemic that followed soon thereafter. District Attorney Hoovler credits the prescient restructuring and planning that his Office accomplished in 2019 in anticipation of the CJR, as well as willingness of Orange County’s police agencies to work with the District Attorney’s Office in implementing the new systems. As part of the restructuring, the Office implemented a digital discovery system, and created a first-of-its-kind for offices outside of New York City, Early Case Assessment Bureau (“ECAB”) designed to achieve compliance with the mandates of the CJR. The move towards embracing technology allowed the Office to perform and deliver justice on behalf of the citizens of Orange County even when the COVID pandemic reduced most operations of the criminal justice system to a halt. Most gratifyingly, the DCJS statistics show that overall crime in Orange County has gone down since District Attorney Hoovler took office, notwithstanding the increasingly challenging rules and environment that police and prosecutors must contend with.
“Law enforcement, including police and prosecutors, can best serve the citizenry by leading the way in adopting technology,” said District Attorney Hoovler. “Being a 21st century prosecutor means anticipating changes in our criminal justice system and not being afraid to change the status quo so that we are prepared to meet head-on the challenges we face every day. I am glad, though not surprised, that the figures published by DCJS show what we already know: that hard work by motivated professionals armed with state-of-the-art technology can stem the tide of crime in our community. I thank my staff and our law enforcement partners for their continued dedication to the fight for justice.”
