Wagner Houses
Manhattan District Attorney
Alvin Bragg is the 37th District Attorney elected
01
Gun Violence
Prosecuting Drivers of Violence
We’re holding people accountable for carrying guns. Gun violence spiked across the country during the pandemic, including here in Manhattan, and we’re meeting the moment by zeroing in on drivers of violence with our gun prosecutions. We also meet daily with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies through the Gun Violence Strategic Partnership to share information and focus resources on the most prolific drivers of violence.
Combatting gun violence is D.A. Bragg’s top priority. We’re targeting drivers of violence, gun traffickers, and ghost gun manufacturers to keep New York safe, while working with our communities to prevent gun violence from happening in the first place.
02
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Special Victims Division
D.A. Bragg created the Office’s first Special Victims Division, elevating the role of our Intimate Partner & Sexual Violence Bureau, and the Child Abuse, Human Trafficking, and Elder Abuse Units. The Division includes specially trained Assistant D.A.s, as well as investigators, analysts, and social workers who work exclusively on these extremely sensitive cases.
In line with its mission to center survivors, the Special Victims Division is helmed by leaders with expertise in providing services to survivors and implementing trauma-informed policies.
03
White Collar Crime
District Attorney Bragg is a longtime white-collar prosecutor who believes in holding powerful people accountable for harming everyday New Yorkers.
04
Hate Crimes
New Yorkers of all backgrounds deserve to feel safe in Manhattan. Through our enhanced Hate Crimes Unit, we’re investigating and prosecuting more hate crimes than ever before.
Reporting to the Unit Chief and Deputy Unit Chief, our Hate Crimes Unit now includes 20 cross-designated prosecutors, two senior investigative analysts, and a paralegal. The Unit is supported by specially trained staff across multiple areas of the Office, including the Community Partnerships Unit’s Deputy Director for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, investigators proficient in Cantonese, victim services counselors and advocates fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin, and an LGBTQIA+ victim services advocate.
05
Reform and Fairness
We’re restructuring our practice to reflect the simple fact that safety and fairness go hand-in-hand. We’re elevating effective alternatives to incarceration, expanding our use of restorative justice, investing in our communities to connect people in need to services, and ensuring that young who come into contact with the justice system receive age-appropriate treatment.
Perhaps the most significant change to the Office during D.A. Bragg’s first year in office was the creation of a new division, Pathways to Public Safety, to enhance and elevate our use of programming and diversion. Specially trained Pathways Assistant D.A.s are embedded in each of the Office’s six Trial Bureaus to screen and assess every case as early as possible. We assess each case individually, and if diversion is appropriate, we tailor services individually to meet the person’s needs.
We have substantially increased our felony Alternatives to Incarceration referrals, developed a strategic plan to expand our use of restorative justice, and we’re working to expand Manhattan Mental Health Court
06
Holding the System Accountable
“Community trust in the justice system is essential to achieving public safety. New Yorkers must know that law enforcement is acting with the utmost integrity in the pursuit of equal justice under the law. Without that belief, our criminal justice system will fail to deliver the real and lasting safety that every community deserves.” — D.A. Bragg.
One of the first things D.A. Bragg did upon taking office was to create a Post-Conviction Justice Unit (“PCJU”) to review wrongful convictions and address the root causes behind them. Aligned with national best practices, PCJU is an independent unit separate from trial and appellate prosecutors. All investigations are done in collaboration with impacted individuals and their attorneys, including reviewing and analyzing evidence. PCJU takes a holistic approach to post-conviction justice, including providing services and support to exonerees and survivors, and advising the Office in best practices through trainings and root cause analyses.
07
Transit Crime
We make our transit system safer by holding offenders accountable for acts of violence in the system, alongside our partners in law enforcement.
Prosecuting Transit Crime
New Yorkers rely on public transportation. Our transit system must be a safe environment for Manhattanites and visitors alike. Every day, we work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who threaten the safety of anyone utilizing our transit system and we will continue to prosecute those who commit acts of violence against commuters, riders, or transit workers.
08
Community Engagement and Programs
The Community Partnerships Unit serves as the liaison between Manhattan communities and the DA’s Office.
The Community Engagement Team assigns staff geographically to provide a consistent presence in all Manhattan communities. They attend community meetings and build relationships with community partners to ensure a collaborative approach to safety strategies.
Alvin – a lifelong Manhattanite who served as a state and federal prosecutor – has spent more than two decades fighting to make our communities safer and our criminal justice system fairer.