With violent attacks on the rise in New York and many crimes going unprosecuted, state law enforcement’s firepower is focused on a truly dangerous criminal adversary: ​​a pet squirrel.

Dan Longo’s beloved pet, Peanut, was seized from his home in Pine City, New York on October 30. In response to anonymous reports of “potentially unsafe wildlife housing,” Elmira’s overly zealous (to put it kindly) animal control officers from the Department of Environmental Conservation showed up in a convoy of vehicles at Longo’s home. The DEC officers, ten in total, forcibly removed Peanut. After Peanut allegedly bit one of the officers, the squirrel was euthanized — ostensibly to test for rabies, although squirrels “almost never get rabies,” according to none other than the New York State Department of Health. But why should we expect the state’s wildlife workers to know such relevant things?

As the officers raided Longo’s home, they took the opportunity to question his wife about her immigration status. Their interest in the issue is surprising, given the state’s usual course of action: Illegal immigrants have been pouring into New York for years, putting a heavy burden on public services, shelters and even schools. Violent Venezuelan gang members from Tren de Aragua are “hiding in plain sight” in New York City’s migrant shelters. But Longo’s wife: now there’s a woman to watch.

The raid on Longo’s home lasted five hours. Longo said the experience made him feel “like a drug dealer.” He should be so lucky. Drug dealers and addicts in New York can ply their trade without government interference. Not only are they left largely untouched across the state, but in many jurisdictions they also enjoy taxpayer-funded paraphernalia.

The DEC’s diligent focus on tracking down lawbreakers stands in stark contrast to New York law enforcement’s approach to other crimes. Tattooed gang members roam the streets of New York with impunity, the New York Police Department seems helpless in dealing with dangerous criminal immigrants, and the clearance rate is low: 41.47 percent in New York City as a whole, 29 percent in Manhattan. In 2023, New York State’s 126,920 arrests resulted in just 58,871 convictions—a conviction rate of a dismal 46 percent.

The few criminals that the police do manage to arrest are often released. Sixty-six percent of those released without bail are rearrested within two years. Dantay Moore stabbed and killed a 63-year-old grandmother. Although Moore already had fifteen convictions, he was sent back to the streets to kill. Guy Rivera, who shot and killed NYPD officer Jonathan Diller, had nine previous felony arrests. Alvin Doris hit an 11-year-old and broke his nose. Doris had nine prior arrests, including four prior assault charges. In 2023, 250 people were responsible for 2,500 arrests in the city, and 70 percent of those arrested were repeat offenders.

A 2024 study of crime in New York City found that “violent crime categories, such as assaults, are on a significant increase,” leaving many New Yorkers “with a growing sense of insecurity in their neighborhoods.”

New York could spend more taxpayer dollars on making communities safer and families safer. The state could aggressively assist federal immigration authorities in removing dangerous criminals. It could hire more police officers to curb petty crime and devote more resources to solving violent cases.

Instead, the administration has found a way to make New York families feel even less safe: by demonstrating that the state can now join migrants and criminals in invading private homes and harassing citizens. No New Yorker will be reassured knowing that the DEC has taken Peanut off the streets. As for the bad guys, they don’t need to lose any sleep.

Photos: Spencer Platt/Getty Images (left) / Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images (right)