Top Cop Kelly Gets Highest Ever Approval Rating

Seventy-five percent of New York City voters approve of the job Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is doing, his highest approval rating ever, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Just 18 percent of voters said they did not approve of Kelly's job performance.

Kelly's approval is 81 - 14 percent among white voters, 63 - 27 percent among black voters and 76 - 18 percent among Hispanic voters.

Voters also approve of the NYPD's performance 70 – 23, with almost no gender gap in approval for Kelly or the police, and say it would positively affect their vote for mayor if the candidate promises to ask Kelly to stay on as the police commissioner.

"Perhaps because of the Newtown massacre or because of the recent announcement that murder in the Big Apple is at an all-time low, or both, New York City voters like their top cop and all their cops even more," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

The same poll indicated that an overwhelming 80 percent of voters favor a nationwide assault weapons ban.

Despite approval of Kelly and the NYPD, the stop-and-frisk tactic was slightly unpopular by a 50 - 46 percent margin.