Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and Mayor Bill De Blasio at City Hall on Tuesday
After serving two years under Mayor Bill De Blasio’s first term, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton called it quits Tuesday.
The announcement came as protest groups have gathered angrily outside City Hall Park in a weeklong demonstration calling on the NYPD’s top brass to step down.
Bratton, along with Mayor Bill De Blasio and Chief of Department James O’Neill, met with reporters during a noon news conference where he addressed his unexpected departure.
“It is now time for me to move on,” Bratton said. “This city, this department, will have a seamless transition.”
Bratton is being replaced by NYPD Chief of Department James O’Neill, who has more than 30 years of policing experience.
“O’Neill “is ready to take the department where it’s never been before” with community relations, the mayor said during the news conference.
The news of Bratton’s resignation came abruptly, during a time when the NYPD has seen its fair share of disgrace with recent federal corruption probes that led to the arrests of three high-ranking officers and early retirement from others. That probe continues as the NYPD continues to face more fallout.
In the meantime, activists and protestors camped out in City Hall Park called Bratton’s sudden resignation, “Good news.”
Both Bratton and Mayor De Blasio have long been criticized for their “Broken Windows” policing which, many have complained, targets Blacks and Latinos unfairly for small crimes.
The Reverend Al Sharpton said he has “mixed feelings” on Bratton’s resignation and that Bratton’s replacement, Chief O’Neill needs to meet with community and civil rights leaders to discuss improved relations between the police and the community.
Bratton officially resigns in September.
