New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned Gov. Andrew Cuomo for saying that the city’s police department failed to contain the riots for the past several days.
In a briefing on Tuesday, Cuomo said that the New York City Police Department and de Blasio “did not do their job” and failed to protect the city. During an interview on 1010 Wins later that night, de Blasio said Cuomo was “wrong” to criticize the police.
“He dishonored the men and women of the NYPD. … It’s disgraceful … I think he owes an apology to the 36,000 hardworking men and women who are working for us. … It was absolutely inappropriate,” de Blasio said. “We’ve had differences, undoubtedly sharp differences … but during this crisis, no. I’m very angry at what the governor said about the NYPD. Again, he can take a shot at me anytime he wants, but that’s not the point.”
Cuomo had lamented the riots in New York City had led to looting, fires, and vandalism throughout the city. He said the police force should have been able to regain control of the city.
“The NYPD and the mayor did not do their job last night, I believe that,” Cuomo said. “Second, you have 38,000 NYPD people. It is the largest police department in the United States of America. Use the 38,000 people and protect property. Use the police, protect property and people. Look at the videos. It was a disgrace.”
“I think the mayor underestimates the scope of the problem and the duration of the problem. What happened in NYC was inexcusable,” he added.
Cuomo’s office noted that the governor was referring specifically to New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea and not the department as a whole. De Blasio said that was not acceptable, either.
“If someone says the NYPD, they refer to the entire organization. If he wanted to say Commissioner Shea, he’s a big boy. He could have said Commissioner Shea, so let’s not mince words and play games. And so he said the NYPD, he has to own it. It was absolutely inappropriate,” he said.
“And if he’s now saying, oh, he’s singling out Commissioner Dermot Shea? I say that’s dishonorable as well,” he added. “The commissioner has done an extraordinary job in the NYPD for decades. He’s leading the NYPD through one of its most difficult periods in its entire history, and he’s doing it, I think, in an incredibly honorable, effective manner.”
Protesters gathered in New York City and several other cities throughout the U.S. to advocate for policing reforms and an end to racial injustice following the death of George Floyd. Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after being arrested by a white Minneapolis police officer who held him down by kneeling on his neck for several minutes.
