Former New York Police Department Commissioner Ray Kelly said Democrats in the city are “sitting on their hands” and staying quiet as crime rages.
Kelly joined the 77 WABC radio show for a Sunday broadcast and slammed Mayor Bill de Blasio and other Democrats for lack of action.
“This mayor is atrocious,” he said. “If I had a magic wand I’d remove him. But, unfortunately, what’s waiting in the wings is no better.”
“Crime is raging out of control here in New York City,” he continued. “I don’t see anything that’s going to change the trajectory of that continuing to rise. There are disorderly groups all over the city challenging police officers. … Police are generally backing off … because their political leaders, the mayors … are telling cops to back off.”
The former commissioner under previous Mayors David Dinkins and Michael Bloomberg added that Democrats have been silent amid protests to rip down statues deemed racist and the overall surging crime in the city.
“It’s such a change from years ago. You just don’t hear anything from [Democrats],” Kelly said. “They’re sitting on their hands. Or they’re being very supportive [of] taking down the statues. … That’s what they’re interested in. That’s what they’re supporting. Rather than, ‘Hey, let’s get some good old basic law and order.’ What about everyday citizens?”
The city has seen surging violent crime in recent weeks, with 10 shootings and one dead in a nine-hour span over Independence Day weekend.
June saw more of the same, with law enforcement sources telling the New York Post that murders and shootings were much higher than in the same period last June. There were 13 murders between June 1-7, with 40 reported shootings. There were five murders and 24 shootings during the same time period in 2019.
Kelly added in his radio interview that the city’s budget to cut funding to the NYPD by $1 billion is “kind of kabuki financing.” He added that “we have de Blasio here for another 18 months,” as New York City’s next mayoral election in 2021.
