NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — New York City's former top cop, Bill Bratton, weighed in on the future of New York City and the NYPD in a new interview with 1010 WINS this past week.
Bratton, whose new book "The Profession: A Memoir of Community, Race and the Arc of Policing in America" came out last month, sat down for a wide-ranging interview with 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa.
The NYPD is set to see some historic changes take place if Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams is elected, Bratton said. Adams, he noted, has promised to appoint the NYPD's first female commissioner of color if he takes office.
"It is going to be a tough haul for whoever that commissioner is," he said. "That person, or she, is going to have to command and be an inspirational leader. She's going to have to provide a lot of transparency, a lot of access to the media, a lot of visibility, a lot of creativity."
Adams may consider picking a chief from outside of the five boroughs, Bratton said.
"Mayors oftentimes rise and fall on the behavior and success of their police commissioner, so there's going to be a lot on the shoulders of whoever that commissioner is, particularly at this time," he said.
Bratton also discussed the recent surge in crime across New York City. As the city battles back against the rise in shootings and murders, the former commissioner issued a sober warning.
"While the department is celebrating some reduction in the raw numbers in the last month or two, my own sense is, we go into the summer, we're going to see an increase, not a reduction," he said.
Social programs must be more effective for the homeless, as well as people with mental health issues or addiction issues, he maintained. He also said he is encouraged by Adams' call for more beds and facilities.
And while Adams has promised to revive the NYPD's anti-crime units, Bratton provided a caveat
"I'd be very careful about the size of it, the training, the supervision on it, because it can blow up on you faster than any other unit in the department," he said.
Listen to Papa's full interview with Bratton above.
