3/26/2013
By Ivan Pereira
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said he’s very concerned about the city’s potential independent watchdog for the NYPD.
Speaking for the first time about the proposed police inspector general bill at an unrelated news conference in Central Park Tuesday, Kelly echoed Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s opposition to the plan.
“Putting in another layer of so-called supervision or monitoring can ultimately make this city less safe,” Kelly said.
The inspector general would review police procedures and make recommendations to the NYPD to improve its policies.
The proposal is one of four bills that were introduced to the council as a way to combat concerns over questionable police tactics, such as “stop and frisk.”
Last week, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, a mayoral candidate, said the council has come to an agreement about the IG bill and they would override the veto Bloomberg vowed.
Bloomberg took a subtle shot at Quinn’s support for the bill during the Central Park event.
“Recently, we heard a lot of promises from people running for office,” he said. “What we don’t know is what they will actually do to reduce crime. We don’t even know if it’s a goal.”
