Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio backed a report from the Department of Investigation Friday that criticized the New York City Police Department (NYPD) for using “excessive enforcement” during the spring and summer George Floyd protests.
“I want to state my full support for the conclusions and recommendations in this report,” de Blasio said at his regular Friday news conference.
The 115-page report claimed the NYPD violated the “rights of protesters” in its response to widespread protests that sometimes evolved into riots. (RELATED: NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio To Lockdown 20 Hotspots Following Outbreak)
“It is a clear, blunt, clear, objective report, an honest report … We needed an objective, unsparing look at what happened in May and June. We needed to understand what went right, what went wrong, what needs to be different, what needs to be better. I certainly take full responsibility for the issues that are raised in the report and the changes that we have to make,” de Blasio said.
“So, I asked for an independent review, I’ve gotten an independent review, and I support that review and its findings.”
Noting that the city has “a lot of work to do,” the mayor expressed confidence that the report’s recommendations could be implemented and that the city would “go farther than that.”
“The work of reforming the NYPD, of deepening neighborhood policing, of changing police culture – that work must intensify and it will in the year 2021,” he said.
De Blasio promised to announce details of his plans “in the coming weeks” but said “the bottom line is we can never accept a broken status quo.” (RELATED: Multiple Arrests After Midday Clash Between NYPD And Anti-Trump Rioters)
The mayor took to Twitter to comment on the report, saying, “This is a season of reflection. I’ve read the Department of Investigation’s report on the NYPD’s handling of the protests in response to the murder of George Floyd. It’s clear that we have … to do something different in New York City.”
This is a season of reflection.
I’ve read the Department of Investigation’s report on the NYPD’s handling of the protests in response to the murder of George Floyd. It’s clear that we have we to do something different in New York City.
We have to do something better. pic.twitter.com/nhY12KSNuE
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) December 18, 2020
The NYPD arrested 2,047 people, 166 for felonies, between May 28 and June 5 — the peak period for demonstrations and violent protest in New York City, the DOI report indicated. 386 officers were injured in a two-week period after Floyd’s death.