- 48
- 44
New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton held a news conference with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. this month. On Thursday, he said homelessness had ‘exploded’ in New York City. PHOTO: ANDREW BURTON/GETTY IMAGES
Police Commissioner William Bratton said Thursday that homelessness in New York City had “exploded” over the past two years—including in his own Upper East Side neighborhood—and was posing a challenge to police.
Speaking at an event at the conservative Manhattan Institute, Mr. Bratton, who was appointed commissioner by Mayor Bill de Blasio, faulted the administration for playing down the problem for too long.
“A mistake the administration made early on was not validating what everyone was seeing,” Mr. Bratton said of street homelessness.
He added that homelessness also had risen in cities across the U.S.
As Mr. Bratton made his remarks, Phil Walzak, a senior adviser to the mayor, sat on the stage silent and stone-faced. He huddled privately with Mr. Bratton behind a curtain after the event before Mr. Bratton took more questions from the news media.
About 58,000 people are in the city’s homeless shelters, up from the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Mr. Walzak noted that, by many measures, the city was doing well. Jobs have increased in recent years. Crime is far less than it was decades ago. Mr. Walzak said the administration took quality-of-life issues seriously.
According to a recent WSJ-NBC 4 New York-Marist poll, 55% of registered voters say the city is heading in the wrong direction.
The event was striking politically because Mr. Bratton seemed to directly contradict what the administration has said. It has pushed a narrative that it was quick to respond to growing homelessness and that the street population had possibly gone up—but not by much. Later Thursday, an administration spokeswoman produced a timeline showing city investments in homeless initiatives dating to early 2014.
Once again Thursday, Mr. Bratton surprised City Hall. His comments recalled his proposal last summer that pedestrian plazas in Times Square be torn up.
Members of the de Blasio team sometimes have been frustrated with Mr. Bratton. Privately, however, they say they need him politically because of their often-difficult relationship with the rank-and-file of the New York Police Department, along with critics of the mayor who say the city is going downhill.
“The problem is the mayor is stuck with him for the time being,” said Hank Sheinkopf, a political consultant. “There’s no way he could get rid of him, even if he wanted to.”
After the event Thursday, Mr. Bratton said he liked working with Mr. de Blasio because he given all the resources he needed, and the mayor was committed to the commissioner’s policing philosophy. “He’s not intrusive,” Mr. Bratton said.
There are 12 comments.
This cannot be true. Almost by definition, homelessness is only mentioned when we have a Republican president.
I don't understand homeless people I see. Do none of them have relatives or friends anywhere? No one who'll even let them sleep in the basement? Or are they all drunks who have burned their bridges to everyone they know?
It would be interesting to know how many of the homeless are native New Yorkers and how many have come from elsewhere. Anyone have the numbers?
@Thomas Farrelly Did a ride along and went to several police calls to different housing complexes run by non-profit housing organizations in the Bronx. Most "residents" were from other States. Pittsburg, California. And were actually bused to the housing. A lot of woman escaping from abusive boyfriends. The police call was because a resident escaping an abusive boyfriend from Pittsburg came to the Bronx housing, and then called the abusive boyfriend to tell him she was in the Bronx. He was waiting for her across the street in the park with a knife. She also mentioned that the accommodations were much better here. These non-profits need to fill the coffers otherwise they cannot demonstrate their need for land, housing and profitable third tier medical services. No one is stopping this type of taxpayer abuse.
SHOW MORE COMMENTS
