DA Speaks:

After a long day, which started at 5 a.m. in front of the Queens courthouse, and possessing a tired and raspy voice, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown appeared before community leaders at a CB 5 meeting to discuss the reduction of crime, quality-of-life concerns, and the uncertain future dealing significant budget cuts to his department.
Having been the Queens District Attorney for nearly a dozen years, Mr.Brown recalled his first full year in office in 1991. Queens County realized 361 homicides that year; last year the total number of homicides in the borough was down to 93. 
"This is really quite remarkable," said Mr.Brown, who spoke about other statistics such as the level of auto theft, stating that when he first took office the number of stolen vehicles was approximately 52,000 per year and that last year’s statistics showed the number of to be under 8,900.
Mr.Brown stated that his office with his staff of approximately 300 assistant district attorneys, has a very busy schedule handling approximately 60,000 arrest cases per year.
Mr.Brown has been in public service for the better part of 45 years. He said the budget problems are the toughest he has ever seen. Along with a hiring freeze, the Queens district attorney informed the audience that his office took a 2.5 % cut in December and another 7% cut in this year’s budget while the city’s administration is contemplating an additional 3% cut to his operations in this year’s budget.
"We clearly have to do more with less," said Mr.Brown, who added that he didn’t want to see the erosion of the gains made over the past years, particularly in the reduction of violent crimes and the increase in the quality of life for Queens citizens.
Responding to the graffiti concerns voiced by Community Board 5 member Vito Maranzano, the DA agreed that graffiti is not an insignificant crime and that he takes such criminal activity seriously. Mr.Brown mentioned that the 104th Precinct commander, Captain Peter Loehle, has assigned a sergeant specifically addressing the graffiti issues in the area. 
"I remember full well, as most of you do, what the Long Island Expressway used to look like," said Mr.Brown who emphasized that he has seen some of the graffiti problems starting to creep back in certain areas.  "I think you’re going to find more and more significant jail time for these vandals, and perhaps more money for restitution to help clean up the damage that has been done by these kids," said Mr.Brown.
The district attorney spoke about his earlier days activities concerning the sentencing of 38-year-old John Taylor, who was the mastermind behind the Wendy’s massacre, which took the lives of five people approximately 2-1/2 years ago. "They were killed execution style in the basement of Wendy’s," said Mr.Brown adding that the sentencing resulted in the death penalty for the convicted murderer.
"It was probably the most horrendous crime I’ve seen in all my years with the criminal justice system," said Mr.Brown who told of how he got to know the families of the victims and the trauma they have been put through since the crime. "I hope this time that they can see some level of closure.
Mr.Brown, who admitted being against the death penalty, spoke about the fact that although Taylor was scheduled to be executed next year, in all likelihood his appeal process could take as long as 10 years. He also reminded the audience that although New Jersey has had the death penalty for more than 13 years, the state has yet to execute any of the criminals on death row. The district attorney assured those in attendance that the next few years will be extremely difficult for the Wendy’s killer.
"He will be locked up in a very small cell for 23 out of 24 hours a day and the lights will always be on," said Mr.Brown. He also mentioned the fact that Taylor will be videotaped 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. "He will spend the next many years, while his appeal is pending, in an environment that will force him to think about what he did."