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Mayors from across the Granite State, as well as the entire Manchester Board of Aldermen, are joining in a bipartisan push and are backing Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s call to reform bail. 

“This is not a partisan issue, it’s a safety issue, and the safety of our cities is non-negotiable,” Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais said.

Rochester Mayor Paul Callaghan, Claremont Mayor Dale Girard, Dover Mayor Robert Carrier, Keene Mayor Jay Kahn, Berlin Mayor Robert Cone, Franklin Mayor Desiree McLaughlin, and Concord Mayor Byron Champlin joined Ruais in a letter to House Speaker Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) and Senate President Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry) urging action on bail reform.

“Our citizens, businesses and tourists deserve our best efforts when it comes to keeping our streets safe,” the mayors wrote.

Ayotte has made fixing the bail system a top priority since taking office. She wants to see the 2018 attempt at bail reform, which made it easier for suspects to get released without posting cash bail, rolled back.

“Our current system is a joke to criminals. Too often, offenders are back on the street before officers who arrested them have even finished filing their paperwork. Our law enforcement officers and the public deserve better than this. The safest state in the nation deserves better than this,” Ayotte said.

In an op-ed for NHJournal, Ayotte pledged that, if the current bail reform proposal doesn’t make it to her desk, she will get it done anyway. The governor is putting bail reform into House Bill 2, the state budget trailer, to make sure it passes.

Manchester’s Board of Aldermen says the 2018 law reforming bail has had disastrous consequences for the city. In 2024, Manchester Police arrested 2,971 adults in 4,551 incidents. That’s because 27 percent of people arrested in Manchester last year were arrested more than once. Of the individuals arrested, 24 percent of them, or 715 people, were already out on bail at the time of their arrest.

“We understand the good intentions behind the previous changes to our bail laws. However, those good intentions have been replaced by criminal acts … When individuals are not held accountable for their actions, it encourages more bad behavior,” the Aldermen said in a statement.

Manchester became ground zero for the bail reform debate last month when Kyle Bisson, 25, was released on personal recognizance bail after he repeatedly stabbed another man in an Elm Street confrontation. Bisson has a criminal record, including a prior assault conviction, but he was not out on bail when he was arrested for the Feb. 7 fight. Manchester’s Police prosecutor did not request cash bail at Bisson’s initial bail hearing.

Cities and towns throughout New Hampshire are already struggling to hire police officers, leaving those they do have overworked. The revolving door bail system is only making the staffing and morale problems worse, the mayors said in their letter.

“This problem compounds itself when criminals cycle through a process of arrest and release, only to be arrested again,” the mayors said.

People just want safe cities again, Ruais added. 

“We need to focus on making sure violent and repeat offenders are taken off our streets,” Ruais said. “We are counting on the legislature to do the right thing, which will go a long way to making all Granite Staters safer, regardless of where they live.”

The alleged stabber at the center of the bail reform firestorm remains free after a Hillsborough Superior Court judge refused to revoke his personal recognizance bail.

Judge Michael Klass denied Hillsborough County Attorney John Coughlin’s motion to have Kyle Bisson, 25, locked up pending trial on assault charges, saying video evidence shows the alleged victim was an aggressor in the violent Feb. 7 fracas.

“The video reflects that (the victim) and the defendant both played a role in this incident,” Klass said. “They both appeared to be aggressors at times.”

Bisson’s initial no-cash bail for the alleged violent assault, coupled with his prior domestic violence conviction, led to renewed calls for bail reform from Gov. Kelly Ayotte, Mayor Jay Ruais, and the Manchester Police Department.

Ayotte’s office did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Ruais said he’s disappointed in Klass’ ruling but remains determined to see the bail system changed.

“From the beginning, this case has demonstrated the urgent need for Bail Reform and I am disappointed the defendant’s PR Bail was not revoked. This incident brought real violence to our downtown, threatening citizens and business owners, which is unacceptable,” Ruais said. “Despite today’s decision, I remain confident that legislators in Concord are listening and will get behind the necessary changes to our bail laws. Violent and repeat offenders need to stay behind bars,” Ruais said.

Court records show Bisson was released on personal recognizance bail after the police department’s prosecutor did not request cash bail during the initial arraignment. With calls for sanctioning the original Bail Magistrate Stephanie Johnson coming from Concord, Coughlin’s office filed a motion to have Bisson’s bail revoked.

But Klass said Wednesday the prosecutor does not have evidence to justify holding Bisson in jail before he’s convicted of a crime. While state law allows for defendants to be held pre-trial, that is typically reserved for people deemed a danger to the community.

Klass said the evidence in the case shows the alleged victim, Michael Perry, 42, instigated the confrontation that took place outside Bunny’s Convenience Store in Manchester. Perry reportedly used a racial slur to insult Bisson, and took the first swing, according to court records.

While Perry reportedly claimed to have a knife, but did not, Bisson actually had a knife when the fight began. Bisson stabbed Perry several times before Perry ran away and the knife wielding Bisson chased him, according to court records. 

When the fight was over, Bisson threw away his knife and jacket before calling 911 to report that he had been stabbed. Bisson did have a single stab wound to his chest, an injury that was likely self-inflicted by accident during the fight, according to the police report.

Ayotte used Bisson’s arrest and release as an illustration of the need for bail reform during a speech in the House chamber last week, saying it is unacceptable for people like him to walk free after a violent attack.

“What happened in Manchester last Friday night is completely unbelievable, when an individual accused of repeatedly stabbing a complete stranger, and who has a prior conviction for domestic violence, is allowed to walk free by a magistrate. I cannot emphasize this enough,” Ayotte told lawmakers. “Send me legislation to fix this once and for all.” 

If the current push for bail reform is successful, it will be the third time New Hampshire has tinkered with the system since Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bail reform bill in 2018.

That reform was supposed to eliminate cash bail for non-violent suspects. But the law’s detractors say it simply enabled repeat offenders to get out of jail and continue their criminal activity. A reform of the reform bill signed last year put a stop to the release of people re-arrested while already out on bail, as well as causing certain violent offenders to be only allowed bail after review by a judge or magistrate.

It appears the Bisson case fell within the framework of last year’s law. Bisson was not out on bail when he was arrested for the Feb. 7 fight. And he did get a bail hearing in front of a magistrate where the prosecutor did not seek cash bail. 

Her budget speech may have been focused on fiscal issues like education funding and spending cuts, but it was Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s comments on bail reform that’s created the most conversation — and backlash.

Ayotte used part of her speech Thursday to decry a stabbing in downtown Manchester in which the suspect had been released on personal recognizance.

“What happened in Manchester last Friday night is completely unbelievable, when an individual accused of repeatedly stabbing a complete stranger, and who has a prior conviction for domestic violence, is allowed to walk free by a magistrate. I cannot emphasize this enough,” Ayotte told the state legislators listening to her speech in the House chamber. “Send me legislation to fix this once and for all.”

A few hours later, those same House members debated a proposal to consider impeaching Magistrate Stephanie Johnson, who allowed suspect Kyle Bisson, 26, to go free. Rep. Buzz Scherr (D-Portsmouth) spoke on the floor in defense of both the suspect and the decision.

Scherr described the incident surrounding the stabbing as a “tussle” and claimed both Bisson and his alleged victim could be seen as at fault. According to Scherr, the victim also had a knife and struck first in the fracas, leaving Bisson to defend himself as best he could.

“This is not the horror that people that we know made it to be. This is a simple fight between two people instigated by the alleged victim,” Scherr said. 

Scherr is an outspoken supporter of “decarceration” efforts, with the goal of keeping people out of jail if possible. In a recent op-ed, Scherr dismissed stories of violent offenders who reoffended after being released rather than held on bail as mere “seductive anecdotes.”

However, the Manchester Police report filed in court conflicts with Scherr’s version of the stabbing. According to police, the victim, who was not armed, was stabbed between nine and 13 times by Bisson. While the victim tried to run away, Bisson is seen on surveillance video chasing the man, brandishing his knife, according to the report.

Bison did end up with a stab wound to his chest, likely the result of an accidental self-stabbing, he told police. 

While the alleged victim did claim to have a knife, and did swing first after a verbal altercation with Bisson, he told police he did both actions to scare off the armed Bisson. Bisson is seen on video taking out his knife, dropping it in the snow, and picking it up again in order to stab the victim, according to the report.

After the assault, Bisson walked off, throwing away the knife and his jacket, according to the report. He told police he did not want to be seen and deal with the police inquiry. 

Ayotte and other New Hampshire Republicans were stunned by the response from some defenders of the current bail law to this incident. During a WMUR interview that aired Sunday, Ayotte said it’s time for legislators opposed to reversing the failed bail reform effort to stop blaming victims and police.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Ayotte said of Scherr’s comments. “That is part of the problem. They’re trying to protect their own bad votes.”

“Why are you trying to defend people who committed harm?” Ayotte added.

Mayor Jay Ruais was also outraged by Bisson’s release and the response, saying the assault is a perfect illustration of the current bail law’s failure.

“On what planet is it considered acceptable to stab another human being at least 9 times, then be released back out onto our streets? This is unconscionable. Our police, our residents, and our visitors are put at risk when criminals like this continue to be released, and it has to stop,” Ruais said.

The revolving door that lets criminals loose hours after their arrest is getting shut down as Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bail reform bill into law on Thursday. It followed months of lobbying from Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais.

“We have been fighting for these pro-victim fixes to bail reform for a long time and appreciate Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais leading the effort of local officials to help get it over the finish line,” Sununu said.

Ruais took up the bail reform cause on his first day in office, heading to Concord to demand lawmakers fix the system that he said allowed alleged criminals to go crime sprees with brief time outs for arrests.

“This is a victory for Manchester and every other town and city in our state,” Ruais said. “The safety of our city is non-negotiable, and this bill contains many reforms that will make Manchester safer. I want to thank the governor and legislature for their efforts to work together in a bipartisan way to reaffirm their commitment to the safety of our communities.”

Manchester’s crime problem became emblematic of the problem with the bail system. In March, Ruais said that of the 817 people Manchester Police arrested in the first few months of the year, 306 — or 37 percent — were already out on bail for a previous criminal charge. In the 12 months prior, repeat offenders made up 26 percent of the total arrests, with 1,178 people already on bail of the total 4,529.

Ruais campaigned on the need to fix bail, support police, and clean up the city, winning a stunning victory over Mayor Joyce Craig’s handpicked successor, Democrat Kevin Cavanaugh. 

House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Chairman Rep. Terry Roy (R-Deerfield) said the bill signed Thursday corrects serious flaws in the 2018 law that attempted to make the bill system more just.  

“These flaws allowed offenders to be released despite being re-arrested for violations of multiple bail release conditions. Sometimes these were violent offenders and their release led to tragic results. We heard from law enforcement, that oftentimes, arrestees were released and back on the street before the officer had the opportunity to complete the report,” Roy said on Twitter/X.

The new law saw police chiefs, the New Hampshire ACLU, Republicans, and Democrats work together, said Rep. David Meuse (D-Portsmouth.)

“This bill is the end product of a good-faith effort by legislators from both parties and stakeholders as diverse as ACLU-NH and the New Hampshire Chiefs of Police Association. It shows that enhancing public safety and protecting civil liberties don’t have to be mutually exclusive. I’m pleased that the governor chose to sign it into law,” Meuse said.

Perhaps more surprisingly, the need for bail reform even had House Republicans working with Senate Republicans. 

“After years of violent criminals and re-offenders being released on PR bail because of a flawed system, the House and Senate finally found a compromise that will work,” said Sen. Bill Gannon (R-Sandown). “I am thankful for the bipartisan efforts of Chairman Terry Roy, the House Criminal Justice Committee, and the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who spent countless hours working on this. This is a huge win for the state of New Hampshire and we should be proud to deliver real results for our communities.”

The new law closes the revolving door by stopping the release of people re-arrested while already on bail, as well as causing certain violent offenders to be only allowed bail after review by a judge or magistrate, according to Roy. The old system allowed offenders to get bail reviews by civilian bail commissioners instead of the the bail commissioner. 

Other changes include having the courts pay bail commissioners instead of the defendants, more training for bail commissioners, and more protections for crime victims.  The bill also requires notification for victims of domestic violence before their alleged abuser is released on bail. 

The law also updates the way technology is used so police officers will be able to check someone’s bail status in real time. The prior system had paper bail orders entered into databases, meaning there could be a lag time before the bail was entered into computer systems police access, meaning officers couldn’t know if someone they had in custody was already out on bail, Roy said.

“Under the 2018 system, officers were often forced to rely on the honor system, hoping an arrestee would tell them that they were already on bail from another charge in a different jurisdiction,” Roy said. 

The 2018 reform sought to stop the unintended consequence of a cash bail system that put poor people to jail pre-trial. In some cases, people would be held for weeks or months in jail without a conviction because they could not come up with a few hundred dollars for bail. 

Roy said the bill signed Thursday will still keep people charged with nonviolent crimes from going to jail without a conviction. Cash bail will not be universal, but set aside for people charged in violent crimes or people who allegedly commit crimes while already out on bail.

“Cash bail remains a legitimate tool available to the courts, but only to assure an appearance by someone who is able to pay. It will not be used as a way to hold people,” Roy said.

In fact, Roy said the new law makes sure that no one will be held more than 24 hours without having their case reviewed by the court, including weekends and holidays. 

Manchester’s neighborhoods are struggling to keep up with the revolving door criminal justice system that’s releasing violent suspects even before their arrest reports are complete.

Mayor Jay Ruais said Monday city residents are fed up with a system that allows people charged with violent crimes to get out with no cash or personal recognizance bail within hours. In many cases, those same people are arrested again on new charges.

“The safety of our city is non-negotiable, and the men and women of the Manchester Police Department are heroes, full stop. Unfortunately, the state’s current bail system is undermining their efforts to make Manchester safe. When 40 percent of those arrested are ending up back on our streets, and 27 percent of those arrested are already out on bail, our police are fighting an uphill battle,” Ruais said.

Since the start of the year, Manchester Police have arrested 1,646 people, and at least 40 percent — more than 650 of those suspects — were released almost immediately on PR bail. The state needs to finally step in and fix the bail system that’s fueling the problem in Manchester, Ruais insists.

“There is not a single thing that would have a more transformative impact on the quality of life in our city than passing bail reform. It’s crucial for our legislators to take action to ensure the safety of our community and prevent repeat offenders from cycling through arrest, release and rearrest,” Ruais said.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Kelly Ayotte got a look at the problem up close during her recent ride-along with Manchester police. The officer she rode with had just returned to work after a violent encounter with a suspect who was out on bail, she said.

“Last week, I did a ride along with the Manchester Police Department, and the officer I accompanied had previously been injured by a criminal let out on bail, resulting in him being out of work for six months. Our state’s failed ‘bail reform’ experiment has created a revolving door that allows violent criminals back into our communities, putting officers at risk and undermining their efforts to protect Granite Staters,” Ayotte said.

Ruais is focused on seeing bail reform happen. On his first day as mayor, he traveled to Concord to lobby state lawmakers to the cause. It’s a more direct approach than that of his predecessor, Democrat Joyce Craig, who advocated for the lower standards for bail that have released so many repeat offenders on the the streets.

Craig did not respond to a request for comment about her current view of bail reform. Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington, the other Democratic gubernatorial hopeful, also declined to comment.

A proposal to change the bail system is currently under debate in the legislature. After the House passed a bill to tighten up the bail system and create a new bail magistrate position, the Senate weighed in with amendments to require that people charged with certain violent crimes have a hearing before a judge before being allowed out on PR bail. Reforming bail is now splitting Democratic unity in the Senate.

One of the three contenders in the Democratic primary for U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster’s seat in Congress, state Sen. Becky Whiteley (D-Hopkinton), opposes pretrial detention, saying it increases the odds an innocent person will plead guilty to a crime they did not commit. 

“Do we want that?” Whitley said during a recent Senate debate. “That’s really troubling.”

But Senate Minority Leader Donna Soucy (D-Manchester) said lawmakers must act as the problem is only getting worse.

“Doing nothing can’t happen,” Soucy said. “We’re never going to get it perfect. We have to get it as close to right as we can.”

Ayotte said as governor she’d protect police officers and citizens by keeping violent offenders in jail.

“As governor I will shut and lock the revolving door to keep our officers – and our communities – safe. I thank Mayor Ruais for fighting on this issue for the people of Manchester and the brave men and women of the Manchester Police Department,” Ayotte said.

“We’re being inundated with repeat offenders,” Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais said Wednesday, and it’s past time for the state legislature to do something about it.

That was the mayor’s message during a gathering of city leaders in the Aldermanic Chambers to call on lawmakers in Concord to fix the bail system that’s made Manchester ground zero for a revolving door system for criminals.

Of the 817 people Manchester Police arrested this year alone, 306 — or 37 percent — were already out on bail for a previous criminal charge. In the last 12 months, repeat offenders made up 26 percent of the total arrests, with 1,178 people already on bail of the total 4,529.

Ruais gathered city leaders Wednesday in the Aldermanic Chambers to call on lawmakers in Concord to fix the bail system that’s made Manchester ground zero for a revolving door system for criminals.

“People need to feel safe on our streets. The safety of our citizens is non-negotiable. We cannot allow our community to experience this repeat criminal activity,” Ruais said.

As state lawmakers debate different proposals to fix the bail system, Ruais and city leaders advocated for two changes they say would have a meaningful impact: Eliminate personal recognizance bail for all felony charges, and require anyone who is arrested while on bail to go before a judge for a new bail hearing.

Assistant Police Chief Peter Marr said the problem of repeat offenders getting easy personal recognizance bail and then going on to commit more crimes is directly tied to the 2018 bail reform law. The broken system is pushing police officers to the brink, Marr said.

“It’s very tough, it is a morale decreaser,” Marr said. “It does have an effect.”

The most common charges for people on bail are drug possession, being a felon in possession of a dangerous weapon, simple assault, and criminal threatening, Ruais said.

“The questions that I would ask is this: Which of these crimes are acceptable to [allow to] occur repeatedly in our community? And what is it going to take to fix this?” Ruais said.

In the summer of 2022, Raymond Moore, now 42, allegedly stabbed and killed 75-year-old Manchester resident Daniel Whitmore. Whitmore had been walking and feeding ducks when he was allegedly killed by Moore, a man who at the time was on bail for two different cases, one involving an assault charge and one involving resisting arrest. Moore is currently being held after he was found incompetent to stand trial.

Ruais got elected with a promise to tackle crime, addiction, and homelessness that’s impacting Manchester’s quality of life. During a meeting this week with the board members of the 1269 Cafe, a Christian outreach ministry for the city’s homeless located on Union Street, Ruais said the board members expressed concern with safety in the surrounding neighborhood.

Even with statistics showing a drop in criminal activity in Manchester, that is not what is happening around the 1269 Cafe, Ruais said.

“The problem is they don’t see it’s getting better,” Ruais said.

Staff at 1269 were unable to comment to NHJournal Wednesday. Inside 1269’s facility, people were being served meals downstairs while staff upstairs assisted others with rehabilitation intake services. Outside the building a group of homeless people gathered, and there were many small sidewalk encampments throughout the neighborhood.

Manchester’s problem with repeat offender crime is a problem that affects the whole state, Ruais said. Repeat offenders drive the perception the city is not safe for businesses, residents, and visitors in New Hampshire’s largest city. Manchester can be an economic force for good in the Granite State, he said, but it is being held back by the 25 to 30 percent of repeat offender criminals.

“A thriving Manchester is good for the entire state of New Hampshire,” Ruais said.

Senate Republicans stand between the New Hampshire Advantage and dangerous judicial overreach in the ConVal decision that could force an income tax on Granite Staters, said Senate President Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro).

Speaking before the Senate’s first session of the year at a Wednesday press conference in the Legislative Office Building, Bardley said the ConVal education funding decision essentially forces $536 million in new spending.

“There is no way, in my opinion, to do that without an income tax, or a sales tax or, possibly, both,” Bradley said. “That totally undermines the New Hampshire Advantage, and we just can’t go that route.”

Rockingham Superior Court Judge David Ruoff sided with the Contoocook Valley School District in its lawsuit against the state, ruling New Hampshire’s education funding system does not pay enough in adequacy grants and is, therefore, in violation of the state constitution. The Claremont state Supreme Court decisions from the 1990s found students have a right to an adequate education. That put the onus on lawmakers to define how much an adequate education costs and to come up with a fair way to fund it.

Ruoff’s decision, released in November, found the current adequacy grant of about $4,100 per pupil is too low and ought to be at least $7,300 per pupil. Ruoff left the final amount and funding mechanism up to the legislature. But Bradley said Ruoff’s decision puts New Hampshire on the road to an income tax. 

Worse, according to Bradley, it would force New Hampshire to revert to a donor town-type funding system where property taxes paid by homeowners in wealthier communities would be transferred to school systems in less-affluent cities or towns. That won’t happen while the GOP maintains control of the Senate, Bradley pledged.

“Between the 14 of us, an income tax, a sales tax, and donor towns are off the table,” Bradley said.

Some Democrats have already floated the idea of blocking the phase-out of the state’s tax on interest and dividends tax. Republicans say it’s just one step toward the longstanding goal of Granite State progressives to impose an income tax in the name of equity and social justice.

Gov. Chris Sununu is appealing Ruoff’s order to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Bradley said it remains to be seen if the ConVal decision survives the appeal. 

Protecting New Hampshire’s strong economy and free way of life from a tax regime is one of the Senate GOP’s top priorities for the coming session, Bradley said.

“It’s vitally important that we protect hardworking men and women from higher taxes, allow small businesses to thrive, and maintain our economic status,” Bradley said.

Public safety is the second pillar of the Senate GOP’s agenda, he said, and that starts with bail reform. The House and Senate have competing proposals to fix the 2018 bail reform law. While it was supposed to end cash bail for non-violent offenders, it’s now blamed for returning violent criminals to the streets.

“Our bail system, with the best intentions several years ago, was reformed, and those reforms did not protect the public,” Bradley said.

Despite differences in the proposals, Bradley said he is optimistic a deal can be struck between the two chambers to fix the bail system one way or another. 

“I think the House has made a good faith effort,” Bradley said. “Nobody gets everything they want around here.”

The Senate is also looking to block sanctuary cities in New Hampshire, strengthen protections at the Northern Border, and pass mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl traffickers, said Sen. Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry). 

The GOP agenda includes a parental transparency proposal that guarantees guardians access to school information about their children, a hotly-contested issue as some school districts insist teachers and administrators have the right to keep secrets – or even lie to – parents about their children’s behavior.

The senators will also push for local property tax relief, improvements to health care and mental health care, clean drinking water, investments in affordable housing, and a constitutional amendment to enshrine New Hampshire’s First in the Nation presidential primary into law. 

While the senators presented a united front for their agenda, there is a major fault line when it comes to marijuana legalization. Sununu reversed course last year by calling for the legislature to legalize recreational marijuana. Bradley admits the issue divides his caucus, but there will be a legalization effort this year he hopes everyone can agree to.

“There is the opportunity to get that done, but we’ll see what happens,” Bradley said.

Less than 24 hours after being sworn in, Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais was already at work on one of his top priorities: reducing crime on his city’s streets by fixing the state’s broken bail system.

Ruais led a bipartisan coalition of Manchester officials to the capitol Wednesday morning, where he laid out what he sees as the brutal math from lax bail rules.

“The reason I made this one of my first official acts is to highlight the importance of this issue to our city,” Ruais said. “In 2023, 813 criminals were arrested, released, and rearrested. Many of these criminals were not just arrested for petty crimes but violent assaults, robberies, and other serious offenses.

“There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that would have a more transformative effect on the city of Manchester than reforming our state’s bail laws,” Ruais added.

Since 2018’s controversial bail reform law, thousands of alleged Manchester criminals charged with violent crimes have been released without bail only to get arrested on new charges. Rep. Ross Berry (R-Manchester) said some of those suspects have been charged with murder.

“Eight is the number of times my constituent was stabbed to death by somebody already out on double-PR bail,” Berry said.

Ruais, a Republican, scored his upset victory over Democrat Kevin Cavanaugh in last year’s election by running on issues like crime, homelessness, and the city’s lack of order. The word is out on the street in Manchester that criminals get a free pass, Ward 3 Alderman Pat Long warned.

“I recall being in a (homeless) encampment in Manchester and overhearing the residents in that encampment talking about no concern with breaking into cars, trespassing. There was no concern (because) they would be back out on the street in a couple of hours,” Long said.

Long is also a Democratic state representative.

The original bail reform bill passed in 2018 was aimed at keeping poor people who are charged with non-violent crimes from getting locked up because they could not afford a $100 or $200 cash bail, according to Sen. Donna Soucy (D-Manchester). Soucy said even in 2018, she and other lawmakers were worried about the unintended consequences.

“This has been an issue for a long time,” Soucy said. “I was in the Senate when we initially enacted bail reform, and although well-intentioned, I think we all recognized this law needs fine-tuning.”

Ruais promised in Tuesday’s inaugural address he would champion bail reform and lobby lawmakers until they got it right.

“The fight for our security will continue today, it will continue tomorrow, and it will continue until everyone in our community feels safe,” Ruais said Tuesday.

Ruais made sure to get to Concord Wednesday, on his first full day on the job, to put friendly pressure on lawmakers as they opened their legislative session for the year. Two proposed bail reform bills, one in the House and one in the Senate, have a good chance to pass this session.

Ruais isn’t saying which proposal he prefers, leaving it up to legislators to do their job in crafting a bill that works and will pass.

On Wednesday, the Senate voted to move its bill, SB-249, to the Senate Finance Committee. Sen. Daryl Abbas (R-Salem) said it is past time for a bail reform bill that protects people.

“We have heard testimony for years in both the House and the Senate that we need bail reform. We have dangerous individuals committing crimes, being released on bail, and then immediately reoffending,” Abbas said. “No one should be denied bail solely because they cannot afford it, and this bill will not change that. This bill requires a judge to determine whether a violent offender poses a threat to the public before being released. Senate Republicans have been fighting for years for common sense bail reform, and we will continue to do so to keep our communities safe.”

Hours after Nashua’s James Morris was charged with senselessly assaulting police officers during a traffic stop, he made bail and was back on the streets.

“It’s certainly frustrating for the officers,” said Nashua Sgt. John Cinelli. 

James Morris

Morris, 32, is just one of the alleged violent offenders who have caused mayhem in recent days in incidents throughout the state, incidents abetted by New Hampshire’s reformed bail system. 

The 2018 bail reform was meant to eliminate the unintended consequence of the cash bail system that resulted in cases of poor people charged with relatively minor, nonviolent crimes but who were unable to afford bail.

People like Jeffrey Pendleton, a 26-year-old Nashua panhandler arrested in 2016 on a marijuana possession charge. Pendleton ended up in Valley Street Jail in Manchester when he couldn’t come up with the $100 cash bail. Five days later, he was found dead in his cell from a drug overdose.

But now, instead of protecting poor, nonviolent offenders, bail reform is letting people charged with violent felonies stay on the street.

Police stopped Morris’ car near School Street Friday night, and he refused to give the officers his identity before he decided to start fighting with them, according to Cinelli.

“We have no idea why he did that,” Cinelli said.

On Thursday, Concord homeless man Victor Manns, 23, allegedly stabbed two tourists on South Main Street and led officers on a prolonged manhunt. Manns’ was walking around despite being charged with assault in June and again in August in separate incidents.

Victor Manns

According to police, the couple were in their car parked in front of a business on South Main Street when Manns, wearing a mask and a hood, approached and began hitting the car. The alarmed couple got out of the car. Manns reportedly brandished his knife, threatened the pair, and then stabbed them, according to police.

Manns ran from the scene of the attack, kicking off a two-hour police search of the downtown area before he was captured.

On Friday, Claremont woman Brandie Jones, 33, allegedly hit a Nashua police officer with her car to avoid a felony arrest. At the time of the incident, Jones was wanted in Londonderry on warrants, including a breach of her previous bail in another case.

Brandie Jones

Nashua police had previously stopped Jones but gave a false name to officers as she had been convicted of being a habitual traffic offender by the state. If caught driving, habitual offenders face new felony charges.

After getting stopped for the second time on Friday night, Cinelli said Jones was getting out of her car as instructed by police when she changed her mind. With the door still open, she got back in the driver’s seat and sped off. The open car door hit one officer, Cinelli said.

Jones made it to Londonderry, where she ditched her car and ran. Londonderry Police eventually found her with the help of a police dog and took her into custody. 

Cinelli said that none of the Nashua officers suffered any serious injuries from the incidents involving Jones and Morris. The couple attacked by Manns both suffered lacerations, and one sustained minor injuries, which required a trip to the hospital. 

Cinelli said the 2018 bail reform law makes it easy for people charged with a crime to avoid jail, get back out, and re-offend. 

“When these guys are getting bail and getting out that quickly, what is going to stop (them) from doing it to more officers or civilians who don’t have the ability to defend themselves,” Cinelli said.

Jay Ruais, the Republican running to replace Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, has been demanding changes to the state’s bail system as crime becomes a bigger problem in the Queen City. In recent weeks, two men charged in an Elm Street shooting got released on relatively low cash bail. In another incident, 10 people were arrested for being part of a street fight in the area of Auburn and Cedar Streets, where two men were stabbed. Most of those suspects were quickly released on bail.

“Violent, dangerous, and repeat offenders should never be on our streets,” Ruais said. “As mayor, I will make sure our police have the resources and tools they need to make our community more safe.”

A week after two men charged in the Ash Street shooting were released on bail, the three Democrats running to become Manchester’s next mayor have yet to address the need for bail reform.

Jay Ruais, the sole Republican running against Democrats Kevin Cavanaugh, Will Stewart, and June Trisciani, called their silence “unconscionable.”

“Our police and our city deserve better,” Ruais said Tuesday, pledging to “fight to fix our broken bail system to keep dangerous, violent and repeat criminals off our streets.” 

The city’s SWAT team responded to a report of a fight last week to find a man suffering a gunshot wound to his leg. In short order, Brandon Middaugh, 32, and Justin Middaugh, 30, were both arrested, charged with simple assault, and released.

“It’s the same story every day in Manchester. A police officer heroically does their job, and the offender is back out on the streets before the ink is dry on their paperwork,” Ruais said. In a statement, his campaign said, “Ruais is the only candidate for mayor to call for significant reforms to our state’s current bail system. He is now calling on the rest of the candidates to join him in demanding a fix to this problem.”

His Democratic opponents have stayed silent.

All three — Stewart, Cavanaugh, and Trisciani — refused to respond to NHJournal’s request for comment or explain their stance on bail reform. All three are elected members of the city’s Board of Aldermen. The three are devoting the remaining days before the Sept. 19 primary canvassing and talking up issues like housing, homelessness, and the arts for Stewart, reproductive rights for Trisciani, and organized labor for Cavanaugh.

Ruais said their silence on crime and bail reform simply isn’t good enough.

“I urge the voters of Manchester to hold our elected official’s feet to the fire and demand an answer to this question. Will they support the status quo, or will they fight for our city’s safety?” Ruais said. “I am the only candidate in this race who will deliver action and results to fix the public safety issues we are seeing on our streets and in our neighborhoods.

Between April and December of last year, Manchester Police arrested more than 700 people who were already out on bail. That included homeless man Richard Moore, 41, who allegedly stabbed and killed 75-year-old Daniel Whitmore last year. Moore was on bail for two separate violent incidents when he allegedly killed the elderly man. 

Even though Manchester Police statistics show a drop in all reported crimes from this time last year, Manchester residents have been experiencing an uptick in crime in recent months. Property crime reports were at 238 for July, the highest of the year so far. The most recent data available runs through the end of July.

The number of violent crimes reported has been lower on average for much of the year, about 31 incidents per month through April, but spiked to 50 in May. June and July saw 46 and 49 incidents, respectively.

There are other red flags in the data. There were just five homicides in Manchester in all of 2022. By the end of July this year, there have already been another five homicides.

Reports of drug crimes totaled 538 for the year through the end of July, slightly higher than the same period in 2022, which saw 516 reports.