NYC Mayor Praises Cops but Says Relations with Minorities Must Improve
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Andrew Burton/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — The epicenter for protests against alleged police violence against minorities has become New York City following last week’s decision by a grand jury not to return an indictment against an NYPD cop in the apparent choke hold death of Eric Garner.
Appearing on ABC’s This Week Sunday, Mayor Bill de Blasio praised the NYPD for its measured reaction to demonstrators who have snarled traffic and created some other minor disturbances in the nation’s largest city.
But while de Blasio says cops have acted “in a very intelligent and agile manner,” he also argued that more needs to be done to improve the relationship between police and the communities they serve.
The mayor told This Week, “The underlying issues aren’t going away. That’s why we’re retraining our police force; that’s why we’re moving towards body cameras and a lot of other reforms.”
Addressing the larger picture, de Blasio said, “We have to have an honest conversation in this country about the history of racism. We have to have an honest conversation about the problem that has caused parents to feel their children may be in danger in their dynamics with police, when in fact police are there to protect them.”
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