However, while many are hailing Bratton as a hero in blue, many in the Black and Latino communities have been seen as the driving force behind the disproportionate police presence in poor and minority neighborhoods, as well as a commissioner who often failed to discipline officers who used unjustified force.
Advertisement
During his first stint as New York’s police commissioner from 1994 to 1996 under tough-on-crime Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Bratton put the theory into action by cracking down on petty crimes at a time when the city was a far more unsafe place.
Bratton, 68, is resigning next month after his second stint as head of the nation’s largest police department in order to become a security adviser.
The president of New York City’s largest police union says he looks forward to working with the incoming commissioner on issues important to his rank-and-file.
There was at least one person who seemed to be heartened by the departure of William Bratton.
Community policing was praised at the national night out event in Astoria Park, and officials say O’Neill will take farther when he takes over as top cop. He credits “broken windows” for sharp reductions in crime in those two cities during those periods-violent crime fell by 54 percent when he was chief in Los Angeles and was also greatly reduced during his first tenure in NY.
Mayor Bill de Blasio was on hand and as 1010 WINS’ Roger Stern reported, it was the first chance – since being named the next commissioner – for James O’Neill to speak directly to the public.
“Bratton has been an advocate of the broken windows theory, ethnically diverse police force, maintaining a strong relationship with the community, tackling police corruption, being tough on gangs and having a strict no-tolerance of disruptive behavior”.
As the police work to forge bonds here with residents big and small, there’s hope that this new era of leadership at the NYPD will lead to more trust and respect for and from police.
O’Neill is known for implementing “community” or “neighborhood policing” – a strategy that was a consistent theme throughout the press conference.
Bratton also oversaw the Boston and Los Angeles police departments and was briefly considered by then-British Prime Minister David Cameron for the London police chief job in 2011.
Chief of Department James P. O’Neill was appointed to the New York City Transit Police Department in January 1983, and began his career on patrol in Transit District 1.
On Mr Bratton’s watch, the NYPD has drastically scaled back stop-and-frisk, but stepped up enforcement of so-called “quality of life” offences. Critics said that approach still unfairly targeted minorities and came into play in the chokehold death of Eric Garner during his arrest for allegedly selling loose cigarettes. Garner, who was black, was unarmed; Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who put his arm around Garner’s neck, is white.
But Bratton called the protest “not particularly significant” to his decision.
Bratton found himself in the middle, calling the officers’ gesture inappropriate while noting that it reflected their feelings. The fun of being a cop and the enjoyment of being a police commissioner is completely gone. Blake had asked for an apology-something he got from the mayor but did not get from the commissioner.
Advertisement
Tucker relayed his conversation yesterday with O’Neill, when told about Bratton’s resignation.
