Gov. Andrew Cuomo railed against New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Police Department Tuesday, saying they “did not do their job” Monday night, as another day of peaceful protests in the five boroughs turned violent, despite a citywide curfew.
“I believe the mayor underestimates the scope of the problem,” Cuomo said. “The NYPD and the mayor did not do their job last night.”
More than 700 people were arrested in New York City overnight, de Blasio said at a press conference Tuesday morning. It’s the fifth day protesters have taken to the streets in cities across the country after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week.
It was also the first night that the city imposed a curfew, but that didn’t stop protesters from coming out. A new curfew will now be in effect until June 7, de Blasio said, and will be in place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Cuomo said he’s offered the National Guard to mayors across the state, including New York City, but that he’s not forcing that resource on de Blasio.
"New York City has said they don't want or need the National Guard,” Cuomo said.
President Donald Trump, in recent days, has called on governors to essentially take control of cities that have experienced large protests and use the resources they have available to diffuse those demonstrations.
Cuomo said Tuesday that he didn’t think it would be necessary to send in the National Guard, and that if he did so, he would have to “displace the mayor of New York City.”
“You would have to take over the mayor’s job,” Cuomo said. “That would be such a chaotic situation in the midst of an already chaotic situation and I don’t think that makes sense.”
Instead, he suggested that de Blasio and the NYPD reorganize heading into tonight’s expected protests and deploy officers in a way designed to prevent individuals from destroying property and looting storefronts.
"I'm not happy with last night. The police did not do their job last night,” Cuomo said. “But you have 38,000 NYPD. They have protected the city before."
He repeated calls Tuesday for federal lawmakers to take action on a series of reforms he proposed over the weekend, including independent investigations into police misconduct and a national definition of excessive use of force.
But the state Legislature is also set to reconvene in Albany next week to act on its own package of bills in response to the death of George Floyd, and the consequent protests.
Among the measures being considered is a repeal of section 50-a of the state Civil Rights Law, which has been used in the past by local governments to block access to police disciplinary records.
Legislative sources have said there appears to be support among Democrats, who lead both chambers of the Legislature, to repeal 50-a altogether.
Cuomo, in recent days, has said he believes that local governments have the legal authority to release those records without changing or repealing 50-a. But on Tuesday, he also said he would sign any bill the Legislature approves on the measure — either a full repeal, or a reform.
“We need confidence between the community and the police force, and I think the equities now are on the other side,” Cuomo said. “I will sign any 50-a reform bill they send me — repeal, reform, whatever they send me.”
