Campaign Corner

BY: Staff Reporters of the Sun

In the process of casting himself as a so-called Giuliani Democrat, Rep. Anthony Weiner struck a tough line yesterday in a policy speech outlining his plans for combating crime and terrorism in New York, invoking the "broken windows" theory of policing and urging that the New York Po lice Department increase its use of technology in solving "cold cases" and preventing crime.

If elected mayor, Mr. Weiner said, he would hire 3,800 more police officers and would require that all sex offenders - whom he labeled "recidivist criminals" - submit a DNA sample to the state registry as a precautionary measure, even though current law does not require the filing of a DNA sample for offenders convicted before 1994.

Mr. Weiner also identified gangs as one of the greatest threats to New Yorkers' security, suggesting as the appropriate response the speedier deportation of illegal immigrants convicted of felonies. Despite urging a greater crackdown on "gateway crimes" to prevent future felonies, however, Mr. Weiner would not advocate increased deportation of illegal immigrants convicted of minor offenses.

On the subject of protecting New York from terrorism, Mr. Weiner said the responsibilities of the mayor extended beyond city law enforcement. If elected, the congressman said, he would be more vocal than Mayor Bloomberg in advocating a foreign policy that would protect Americans from terrorist attacks. Mr. Weiner reiterated his harsh criticism of the Saudi regime and faulted Mr. Bloomberg for his unwavering support of the United Nations' designs on New York parkland, even after Secretary-General Annan laid a wreath at the grave of Palestinian terrorist Yasser Arafat.

"This mayor is far too passive on issues that don't fall into the tidy box of his job description," Mr. Weiner said.

A spokesman for the Bloomberg campaign, Stuart Loeser, responded by saying: "Weiner has no public-safety record to speak of, and his proposals are riddled with exaggerations and misstatements."