Middletown Mayor Joe DeStefano is calling out new bail laws in his State of the City address.
DeStefano says crime is up 15% in his city.
He says 93 people were arrested three times, 25 people were arrested five times, and one person was arrested 24 times because of the law change.
DeStefano says the crimes include assault, petit larceny, and drug possession. "It is a big deal when a person walks into your store repeatedly and steals. It is a big deal when a store clerk is beaten to a pulp with fists."
The mayor says the police chief is working on minor changes to the department's policing model to handle challenges from bail reform.