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| Profile: Bill Bratton steps down as NYPD commissioner as race and policing 'in crisis' | |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| The controversial New York City police commissioner, Bill Bratton, explained his resignation from the world’s largest police force on Tuesday, saying that it was only “with reluctance” that he would step down from the city that made his name. | The controversial New York City police commissioner, Bill Bratton, explained his resignation from the world’s largest police force on Tuesday, saying that it was only “with reluctance” that he would step down from the city that made his name. |
| “I wish I had more time, chronologically, to stay around for three or four years to work on the issues that are going to take that long to straighten out,” the 68-year-old said. “I don’t have that type of time.” | “I wish I had more time, chronologically, to stay around for three or four years to work on the issues that are going to take that long to straighten out,” the 68-year-old said. “I don’t have that type of time.” |
| Bratton said he would return to the private sector, where he had been making up to $1.9m as a consultant in 2013, before he accepted Mayor Bill de Blasio’s call that year to return to the force. At City Hall on Tuesday he said that policing was “the passion of [his] life”. | Bratton said he would return to the private sector, where he had been making up to $1.9m as a consultant in 2013, before he accepted Mayor Bill de Blasio’s call that year to return to the force. At City Hall on Tuesday he said that policing was “the passion of [his] life”. |
| Related: Jimmy O'Neill: reform advocates skeptical NYPD vet can bring change | |
| Bratton grew up in Dorchester, a rough working-class neighborhood in Boston, and joined the city’s police department in 1970 – his accent still thick, though he called himself “a proud adopted son” of New York. In 1993 he became Boston’s police commissioner, before being poached by New York City’s then mayor, Rudy Giuliani. He introduced a controversial strategy of “broken windows” policing, whose premise was that cracking down on low-level crimes, such as vandalism and public drinking, would reduce more serious crime. He also presided over a major expansion of the police force and a program called CompStat, a real-time database of tracking crime around the city. | Bratton grew up in Dorchester, a rough working-class neighborhood in Boston, and joined the city’s police department in 1970 – his accent still thick, though he called himself “a proud adopted son” of New York. In 1993 he became Boston’s police commissioner, before being poached by New York City’s then mayor, Rudy Giuliani. He introduced a controversial strategy of “broken windows” policing, whose premise was that cracking down on low-level crimes, such as vandalism and public drinking, would reduce more serious crime. He also presided over a major expansion of the police force and a program called CompStat, a real-time database of tracking crime around the city. |
| But Bratton and Giuliani clashed over credit for New York’s sharp decline in crime, and the police chief resigned in 1996. He later returned to public life as the Los Angeles police commissioner from 2002 to 2009. By the time he had returned to New York, years of “stop-and-frisk” tactics, “broken windows” priorities that Bratton had helped pioneer, had worn on the city’s large minority groups, who noted they were targeted in disproportionate numbers. The city’s stop-and-frisk tactics were later found unconstitutional in court. | But Bratton and Giuliani clashed over credit for New York’s sharp decline in crime, and the police chief resigned in 1996. He later returned to public life as the Los Angeles police commissioner from 2002 to 2009. By the time he had returned to New York, years of “stop-and-frisk” tactics, “broken windows” priorities that Bratton had helped pioneer, had worn on the city’s large minority groups, who noted they were targeted in disproportionate numbers. The city’s stop-and-frisk tactics were later found unconstitutional in court. |
| In his farewell speech on Tuesday, Bratton acknowledge the issues of race and policing are “a crisis in America at this moment”, but he argued that thanks to additional training and work by his department, the NYPD was handling it better than most. Still, his nearly three years as police chief have been some of the most turbulent of his career. | In his farewell speech on Tuesday, Bratton acknowledge the issues of race and policing are “a crisis in America at this moment”, but he argued that thanks to additional training and work by his department, the NYPD was handling it better than most. Still, his nearly three years as police chief have been some of the most turbulent of his career. |
| “I don’t think he had a single good day in 31 months, it was just all hellishly bad for him,” said Eugene O’Donnell, a professor of law and police studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. | “I don’t think he had a single good day in 31 months, it was just all hellishly bad for him,” said Eugene O’Donnell, a professor of law and police studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. |
| In July, 2014, Eric Garner, a black man who was selling cigarettes without a permit in Staten Island, was killed by a police officer who put him in a chokehold, a banned tactic. After the officer, Daniel Pantaleo, who is white, was not indicted over the incident, huge anti-police brutality marches began closing down parts of the city at night. Then, in December 2014, Bratton’s worst nightmare happened: two police officers were assassinated while on duty in Brooklyn. | In July, 2014, Eric Garner, a black man who was selling cigarettes without a permit in Staten Island, was killed by a police officer who put him in a chokehold, a banned tactic. After the officer, Daniel Pantaleo, who is white, was not indicted over the incident, huge anti-police brutality marches began closing down parts of the city at night. Then, in December 2014, Bratton’s worst nightmare happened: two police officers were assassinated while on duty in Brooklyn. |
| Unease grew between police, the public and politicians. Bratton tussled with the mayor when he demanded an extra 1,000 cops, and received the backing of the city council. He then fought with the city council when they attempted to decriminalize non-violent low-level crimes, such as public urination and open drinking containers, with Bratton arguing that the minor arrests helped catch criminals. | Unease grew between police, the public and politicians. Bratton tussled with the mayor when he demanded an extra 1,000 cops, and received the backing of the city council. He then fought with the city council when they attempted to decriminalize non-violent low-level crimes, such as public urination and open drinking containers, with Bratton arguing that the minor arrests helped catch criminals. |
| In recent months, a police corruption scandal, in which two officers are accused of trading favors to a businessman, has been under investigation by US attorney Preet Bharara. | In recent months, a police corruption scandal, in which two officers are accused of trading favors to a businessman, has been under investigation by US attorney Preet Bharara. |
| On Monday, a group of Black Lives Matters-aligned protesters, organized by Millions March NYC, began occupying the park next to City Hall, calling on Bratton to leave. | On Monday, a group of Black Lives Matters-aligned protesters, organized by Millions March NYC, began occupying the park next to City Hall, calling on Bratton to leave. |
| “Bratton’s resignation is a huge win for the NYC grassroots movement that, for years, has been fighting for the NYPD Commissioner to be fired and an end to Broken Windows policing,” the group said in a statement published online. | “Bratton’s resignation is a huge win for the NYC grassroots movement that, for years, has been fighting for the NYPD Commissioner to be fired and an end to Broken Windows policing,” the group said in a statement published online. |
| Related: Rap artists bristle at 'antiquated' NYPD comments about concert shooting | Related: Rap artists bristle at 'antiquated' NYPD comments about concert shooting |
| “Long time coming. [He] should have never been here,” said Josmar Trujillo, a protester with the group New Yorkers Against Bratton. | “Long time coming. [He] should have never been here,” said Josmar Trujillo, a protester with the group New Yorkers Against Bratton. |
| O’Donnell called Bratton’s resignation “a watershed moment” of American policing. | O’Donnell called Bratton’s resignation “a watershed moment” of American policing. |
| “He’s the leading figure in the police establishment. I think he no longer wants to battle it out,” said O’Donnell, who added that he believes Bratton does not want to face declines in police recruitment and the fears of anti-police violence. | “He’s the leading figure in the police establishment. I think he no longer wants to battle it out,” said O’Donnell, who added that he believes Bratton does not want to face declines in police recruitment and the fears of anti-police violence. |
| Under Bratton’s leadership of the NYPD, crime dropped significantly, with historically low rates of murders and shootings and a decline in civilian complaints. He also introduced new police training, aimed specifically at reducing the use of force, and a focus was placed on neighborhood policing, the brainchild of Jimmy O’Neill, a NYPD veteran who is taking over Bratton’s police commissioner role following his departure in September. | Under Bratton’s leadership of the NYPD, crime dropped significantly, with historically low rates of murders and shootings and a decline in civilian complaints. He also introduced new police training, aimed specifically at reducing the use of force, and a focus was placed on neighborhood policing, the brainchild of Jimmy O’Neill, a NYPD veteran who is taking over Bratton’s police commissioner role following his departure in September. |
| Bratton also oversaw a new push for tech in policing with CompStat 2.0, a pilot program of officers wearing body cameras – although Bratton was hesitant to make the footage public – and predictive policing, which maps crimes to focus police resources. | Bratton also oversaw a new push for tech in policing with CompStat 2.0, a pilot program of officers wearing body cameras – although Bratton was hesitant to make the footage public – and predictive policing, which maps crimes to focus police resources. |
| And despite the public tussles between the mayor and Bratton, the two both tried to emphasize their close bond on Thursday. In his speech, Bratton called De Blasio an “extraordinary mayor who has been truly a partner, a friend and a leader”. | And despite the public tussles between the mayor and Bratton, the two both tried to emphasize their close bond on Thursday. In his speech, Bratton called De Blasio an “extraordinary mayor who has been truly a partner, a friend and a leader”. |
| Bratton said that he will now move to work at Teneo, a company that was founded by one of Bill Clinton’s former aides, where he will be executive chairman of Teneo Risk, a division focused on predicting and preventing risk. | Bratton said that he will now move to work at Teneo, a company that was founded by one of Bill Clinton’s former aides, where he will be executive chairman of Teneo Risk, a division focused on predicting and preventing risk. |
| “Now you’re going to the private sector, you can buy me dinner once in a while and we can hang out,” joked the mayor. Bratton laughed with a retort: “Now I can afford to.” | “Now you’re going to the private sector, you can buy me dinner once in a while and we can hang out,” joked the mayor. Bratton laughed with a retort: “Now I can afford to.” |