Charles Joe Hynes was a Democratic politician who served as Brooklyn district attorney between 1990 and 2013. He successfully ran for election to this role multiple times.
Hynes also ran for governor of New York in 1998 but was unsuccessful. He held his final election campaign for Brooklyn district attorney in 2013, which is when he lost to the Democratic politician Kenneth P. Thompson.
A Charles Hynes Campaign Overview
During his long-standing political career, Hynes proposed and implemented many key policies.
Gang violence
Hynes was strongly opposed to gang violence during his campaigns and tenure as a district attorney.
He formed a Gang Bureau, which both prosecuted and mentored gang members in an effort to keep them off the streets. Hynes described this as a “360-degree approach” to preventing gang violence.
Child protection
The formation of the Crimes against Children Bureau was one of Hynes’ central policies. The purpose of the bureau was to process criminal cases involving children in a manner that would protect the child but at the same time, prosecute the offender.
According to Hynes, this policy also involved teaching parents better parenting skills.
Protecting victims of sex crimes and sex crime prevention
Hynes also proposed operating a Sex Crimes Bureau. This bureau aimed to prevent sex crimes within communities.
This bureau also tried to remove people working in prostitution from these kinds of activities. Additionally, the bureau targeted customers to reduce demand for prostitution.
A CyberPredators Unit was also established by Charles Hynes to detect and prosecute cases involving child pornography.
Domestic abuse
Preventing domestic abuse by establishing courts that specialized in domestic violence was another one of Hynes’ policies.
Hynes also supported the setting up of family justice centers. These centers engaged advocates on a non-profit basis.
Preventing elder abuse
Charles Hynes suggested setting up the Elder Abuse Unit as a way to protect the elderly. The unit made it easier to get a protection order, even from a hospital bed.
Resolving outstanding summonses
Hynes proposed initiatives to settle summonses for low-level crimes to reduce rates of reoffending.
He encouraged the setting up of programs held at churches and within boroughs, which allowed people to enter into rehabilitation programs rather than go to court.
Protecting the environment
As both the incumbent and candidate for District Attorney, Hynes supported the cleaning up various waterways around New York City.
To protect the environment, he encouraged the awarding of fines for pollution and the prosecution of environmental offenders.
Stopping human trafficking
Within his work as district attorney, Hynes created the Human Trafficking Bureau. The purpose of this bureau was to investigate and prosecute human trafficking crimes.
LGBT rights
Hynes campaigned for a “zero-tolerance” policy for hate crimes against LGBT people within Brooklyn.
He also encouraged the inclusion of members of the LGBT community within the office of the district attorney.
What Is Charles Hynes Doing Now?
Sadly, Charles Hynes passed away in January 2019 at the age of 83. The exact cause of his death is unknown.
Community leaders, NYPD, and FDNY members who worked with him attended a memorial service in February 2019. We thank him for his service.
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