Crime & Safety

Council Votes to Increase NYPD Oversight, Crossing Bloomberg

Both bills have the necessary votes — for now — to overcome any mayoral veto.

This article was written by Matthew Hampton.

The City Council approved the Community Safety Act Wednesday night, which aims to change the way the New York Police Department does business and Mayor Michael Bloomberg is not happy about it. 

The package of bills in question, spearheaded by council members Brad Lander and Jumaane Williams, would establish an Inspector General for the NYPD and give those stopped by police more latitude to bring discrimination lawsuits.
Both bills passed by wide margins.

Williams was thrilled, taking to Twitter to post a photo of himself walking through the council's halls, fist upraised, looking like Judd Nelson at the end of "The Breakfast Club."

"This day is long overdue," he wrote. 

Bloomberg reacted swiftly, promising to veto the legislation and slamming it with the familiar refrain that it would make New Yorkers less safe. 


“Last year, there were a record-low numbers of murders — and a record-low number of shootings — in our city, and this year, we’re on pace to break both of those records," Bloomberg said in a statement. "Unfortunately, these dangerous pieces of legislation will only hurt our police officers’ ability to protect New Yorkers and sustain this tremendous record of accomplishment. We have demonstrated why these bills are bad for public safety and I will veto this harmful legislation and continue to make our case to Council members over the coming days and weeks.”

After the passage of the two bills, Williams noted that both had a veto-proof majority. It remains to be seen whether the mayor and police commissioner, through some likely very aggressive lobbying, can peel off support for either piece of legislation. 


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