'Hold criminals responsible': GOP candidate Alison Esposito calls for change after NYPD officer Jonathan Diller's death on 'Fox & Friends'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: 'Fox & Friends' host Carley Shimkus was joined by Republican congressional candidate Alison Esposito to discuss the tragic death of NYPD officer Jonathan Diller and the changes that are expected moving forward in light of his murder on Monday, April 1, 2024, episode of the show

Esposito, who attended Diller's wake on Saturday, March 27, shared that reforms were long overdue as she was reminded of a similar fate that befell late New York City Detective Jason Rivera two years ago, Fox News reported.

"(It's) not rocket science. It's 101. Hold criminals responsible for their actions," Esposito said, before adding, "The government's number one job is to keep their people safe and then get out of their lives."

Esposito, who left her 25-year-long law enforcement career to run for the state's lieutenant governor in 2022 with GOP gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin, is now running against Democrat Representative Pat Ryan in swing District 18.

NYPD cop's death serves as a wake-up call to authorities

Officer Diller, 31, was allegedly shot dead by career criminal Guy Rivera, 34, during a routine traffic stop in Queens on Monday evening, March 25.

His widow Stephanie "made an impassioned plea to the elected officials" demanding change, Esposito said.

"How many more police officers and how many more families need to make the ultimate sacrifice before we start protecting them?" Stephanie said while delivering the eulogy.

Her speech reminded Esposito of a similar plea made by the widow of Rivera in 2022.

"Dominique Rivera begged our feckless leaders to do something about bail reform, to do something about holding criminals accountable. And it went on deaf ears. It fell on deaf ears. I pray that this is the change, the wake-up call that this city needs," Esposito told Shimkus.

Alison Esposito's objectives to run for Congress

"This is a deep blue state, but it's really a red state with blue dots. And I submit that the last one and this coming one isn't a red wave. It is a red, white and blue wave. It is a common sense wave," Esposito said about the upcoming presidential election.

"This is Democrats, Republicans, Independents standing up and saying enough is enough. We want our public safety. We want to back our law enforcement first," she added.

"We need more work in education," Esposito continued, before adding, "We need more work making sure that children have things to do rather than turning to crime. But once the criminal is there, once they are violent repeat offenders, that's not when bail reform and criminal justice reform is supposed to take effect."