‘A Disgrace’: Cuomo Says de Blasio and NYPD ‘Did Not Do Their Job,’ Threatens to ‘Take Over’ for Mayor
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday that scenes of unrest in New York City were a “disgrace” and suggested New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a fellow Democrat, could be “displaced” if he failed to control the situation.
“I have National Guard available if you need them. I have state police available if you need them,” Cuomo said at a daily press briefing in Albany. “The mayor of New York City says he doesn’t need the National Guard and he doesn’t think they would be helpful, and he can do it with the NYPD.”
Cuomo said the New York Police Department, which had 8,000 officers in New York Monday evening, failed to control widespread unrest, and suggested de Blasio should have deployed its full force.
“First, the NYPD and the mayor did not do their job last night,” Cuomo said. “I believe that. Second, you have 38,000 NYPD people. It is the largest police department in the United States of America. Use 38,000 people and protect property. Use the police, protect property and people. Look at the videos. It was a disgrace. I believe that. I believe the mayor underestimates the scope of the problem. I think he underestimates the duration of the problem.”
“It’s inarguable that it was not addressed last night,” Cuomo said, holding up a glass of water to illustrate his point. “This is a glass of water. It is not a glass of milk. It’s a fact. There are still facts in life. What happened in New York City was inexcusable.”
Protesters on Monday were not deterred by a curfew imposed from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., breaking into and looting stores that included Dolce and Gabbana, Bloomingdale’s, and Macy’s flagship in Herald Square. The mayor’s daughter, Chiara de Blasio, was arrested as part of an earlier protest Saturday evening. De Blasio said Tuesday that he would extend the curfew through the end of the week and expand the hours so it would begin at 8:00 p.m. each evening.
Cuomo said that taking over would require him to “displace” de Blasio, an option he said he was not enthusiastic about pursuing. “My option is to displace the mayor of New York City and bring in the National Guard as the governor in a state of emergency, and basically take over — you would have to take over — the mayor’s job. You would have to displace the mayor … I don’t think we’re at that point.”
He also said de Blasio could still fix the situation. “I believe in the inherent capacity of the NYPD if managed and if deployed. That is what hasn’t worked.”
Watch above via the New York governor’s office.
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