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Bratton Happy To Be "Giving Up As Much As I Am" To Be NYPD Commissioner
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 2, 2014
Modified Jan 2, 2014
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 2, 2014
Modified Jan 2, 2014
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In his first public speech in his second tenure as NYPD Commissioner, Bill Bratton called himself a "change agent" and vowed not to repeat the mistake of his predecessor, who oversaw historic lows in crime while alienating large swaths of the city. "You really are not celebrating what you have achieved the way that you should," Bratton told more than 800 NYPD officers and dignitaries at 1 Police Plaza this afternoon. "You have accomplished so much. This mystery, if you will, of how so much positive things have been occurring…where did we disconnect?"
"That's why I came back, that's why I'm giving up as much as I am," Bratton said, in a moment of candor. "And God knows what my wife is giving up to do this. I love this profession, I love this city, I love this department." Bratton's wife, Rikki Klieman, is an attorney who frequently appears on television.
It's no "mystery" how Ray Kelly and Michael Bloomberg helped get Bill de Blasio elected and Bratton his old job back: their relentless, arrogant prosecution of tactics like stop and frisk and Muslim surveillance, while perpetuating the notion that the NYPD was acting without any real oversight. Bratton alluded to the root of the "mystery" and his mandate at a press conference following his swearing-in.
"The department and the law office have really been moving in one direction, and the mayor has been elected on the idea that he's going to do things differently and policing necessary follows in those political directions," he said, standing next to a grinning de Blasio. "That's the way it works in a constitutional democracy."
Bratton added, "When crime is down there is an expectation that the intrusion of police into citizens' lives should also diminish."
The new commissioner said he would ensure that all future police stops were "constitutional, respectful, and compassionate," a promise that is perhaps easier to make given that the number of stops have already been drastically reined in. Yet he was more circumspect on what he would do about his department's unprecedented intrusions on New Yorkers who happen to practice Islam.
"What Ray Kelly did to this department after 9/11 was phenomenal," Bratton said. "We all agree that this city has been kept safe in many respects due to the improved intelligence gathering, and it is important to understand the parameters…I don't think I spent 1% of my time on terrorism in 1994. Now, based on my briefings last week, it's 30 to 40% of my time."
Bratton also praised Kelly's work on Operation Crew Cut, which targets the social media accounts of violent crews in public housing complexes. "It's a phenomenal program. We'll grow that initiative but we'll do it slowly and carefully."
What would working with an Inspector General and a federal monitor be like for Bratton? "Piece of cake," he said, before adding, "A facetious remark, but in LA, understand that I worked for seven years under the most significant consent decree…If you commit to making it work, it will work. They are shields that I am able to stand with. When there were controversial shootings or incidents, the fact that they represent the public, not the police…that works to the benefit of the police department."
Mayor de Blasio said that his administration was still working on "the legal specifics" on dropping the Bloomberg administration's appeal of the federal stop and frisk verdict, but vowed that they would provide specifics "in the coming days."
The mayor also brought up the NYPD's new commitment to investigating and preventing traffic fatalities. "It's not crime, necessarily, though sometimes it is," de Blasio said. "It is a huge public safety question."
"A life lost is a life lost," Bratton chimed in on cue. "Intensive focus on traffic issues is one of the issues the mayor has asked us to look at."
Bratton, who used to drink with reporters at the now-defunct Elaine's, promised a more transparent department. "I am a great believer in transparency. Ask your colleagues in Los Angeles...Some of you still have my personal cell phone number. It was never really abused."
Tagged
Bill Bratton
bill de blasio
change agents,
stop and frisk
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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