Lawmakers Proposing Increased Penalties For Gang-Related Crimes
Brooklyn lawmakers are pushing an anti-gang bill they say could have prevented the March 16 death of a Bronx fire department emergency medical technician run down by her car-jacked ambulance.
Republican Sen. Martin J. Golden gathered first responders who worked with slain EMT Yadira Arroyo to announce a bill Tuesday that would increase penalties for acts that are part of ongoing criminal gang organizations.
The proposal would create anti-crime programs that focus on patterns of gang activity and expand education and intervention to prevent the growth of street gangs.
Golden says the man charged with Arroyo's murder had a history of criminal gang activity and similar legislation could have kept him off the streets. Assemblyman Joseph Lentol is also backing the bill.
