De Blasio hits back at Gov. Cuomo over police reform demands
By Nolan Hicks
New York Post
September 25, 2020
An impatient Mayor Bill de Blasio slapped back at Governor Andrew Cuomo’s demand that City Hall produce a new police reform plan on Friday, saying the fight was animated by nothing more than Cuomo’s dislike of him.
“He doesn’t have facts straight. It’s just quite clear. And look, if he wants to make personal attacks, he can do that, but he does not have his facts straight,” Hizzoner told WNYC’s Brian Lehrer during his weekly radio interview with the host.
“Seven years of nonstop reform, and it’s time we have an honest conversation about this and stop these games.”
Cuomo in June ordered every city in the state to draft a new plan to overhaul law enforcement practices amid the weeks of protests that erupted following the brutal police custody death of Minnesota man George Floyd.
On Lehrer, de Blasio claimed his administration has already fulfilled those requirements by retraining cops to be more aware of potential racial bias, emphasizing beat cops working with neighborhood residents to police the streets and the continued declines in the number of stops after a judge ruled NYPD’s frisking strategy was unconstitutional.
“No police force in New York State comes close to having achieved these many reforms and they do matter and there’s more coming and you’re going to see it all and we’ll present it all to the state,” de Blasio argued, before claiming that Cuomo did not respect the NYPD because of animus between the two men.
De Blasio continued: “I think the Governor should take his personal feelings out of the situation and actually engage and respect the NYPD and the changes it’s made and respect the fact that this administration from day one has been focused on change and reform.”
The plans ordered by Cuomo aren’t due until April, but that didn’t stop the three-term governor — who regularly tweaks de Blasio, a one-time friend — from taking City Hall to task Thursday for not having gotten it done yet.
“Step up and lead. 146 jurisdictions are doing it. Why isn’t New York City doing it,” said Cuomo, at a Manhattan press conference. “The Mayor can lead it, City Council President can lead it, Comptroller could lead it. Public Advocate could lead it. If none of them want to lead it, I will find someone to lead it.”
Floyd’s death was seared into Security camera footage captured one of the arresting Minneapolis cops, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes as he cried out that he couldn’t breathe — leading to rare murder charges being filed against the officer.
Floyd’s cry carried a special resonance with protestors in New York City as it echoed a similar caught on video moment of anguish from Eric Garner, the Staten Island man who died after he was violently arrested by NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo for selling untaxed cigarettes.
Pantaleo was never charged but, following years of delays, was eventually fired in 2019 by then-Police Commissioner James O’Neill for violating the department’s guidelines.
“Past actions have not addressed the fundamental relationship issue. One hundred forty six communities have already started this process and no other place needs it more than New York City — get everyone at the table and get to work,” said Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi.
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