District Attorney Candidates Spar Over Staten Island Crime Rate
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
Voters on Staten Island head to the polls Tuesday to elect a district attorney and the candidates are making their final push.
Democratic candidate Mike Ryan is pointing to a recent attempted sexual assault in West Brighton as proof of how crime, particularly rape, has increased in the borough.
He said Republican incumbent Dan Donovan is not doing enough to fight it.
"Mr. Donovan needs to hear a message loud and clear. The streets of Staten Island are not safe and they're not safe because you're not doing your job to protect us," said Ryan.
At his own rally in New Dorp, Donovan disputed Ryan's claim and said Staten Island's crime rate has remained low under his watch.
"We've hired people in my office to deal with people who are victims of sexual assault. We take care of their needs. We've been very successful in prosecuting people who assault women in our communities. So I think people are much more confident," Donovan said.
Donovan defeated Ryan in the district attorney race four years ago with nearly 70 percent of the vote.