SHATTERED
Cuomo rips ‘ineffective’ mayor, NYPD after Bronx left burning, Macy’s ransacked
The very symbol of America lies in pieces outside a souvenir store looted by vandals, which the NYPD and Mayor de Blasio seemed powerless to stop.
ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo mused about “displacing” Mayor de Blasio on Tuesday as he called on the NYPD to “do a better job” curbing looting and widespread chaos erupting amid civil unrest over police brutality against African-Americans.
“The NYPD and the mayor did not do their job last night. I believe that,” the governor said during press briefing in Albany. “The police in New York City were not effective in doing their job last night. Period.
“They have to do a better job,” he added.
Cuomo ripped into the mayor as he called on New Yorkers to “take a step back” and reevaluate the situation as protests have gripped cities across the country in the wake of the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody in Minnesota last week.
The peaceful demon strations have been overshadowed by mayhem caused by roving gangs of looters who smashed windows and ransacked stores, including on Fifth Ave. in Manhattan and Fordham Road in the Bronx on Monday night.
The governor said he has offered to send in National Guard troops to assist the city, but was rebuffed by de Blasio as looters targeted businesses and set fires across the five boroughs.
“I am disappointed and outraged at what happened in New York City last night. The looting, the criminal activity must be stopped,” he said.
Businesses across the city, already shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, boarded up windows Tuesday as owners prepared for another night of havoc.
De Blasio stood firm in his opposition to bringing in the National Guard despite the chaos, saying earlier in the day that the NYPD’s more than 36,000 members are more suited to handling the situation.
“We do not need, nor do we think it’s wise for the National Guard to be in New York City, nor any armed forces,” the mayor said. “When outside armed forces go into communities, no good comes of it.”
Cuomo said in order to overrule de Blasio’s decision he would have to “displace” the mayor. He then ruminated on the legal process needed to do so before dismissing the unprecedented option for the time being.
“Legally … can you displace a mayor? Yes, a mayor can be removed,” the governor said. “It is a bizarre thing to try to do in this situation. It would make a bad situation worse. Also, I don’t think it’s necessary.
“We’re not at that point,” he added.
He said that he, too, believes the NYPD is up to the challenge, but must be used properly to stem the violence.
A curfew imposed on Monday will continue through Sunday, de Blasio said Tuesday. The curfew will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The measure did little to keep things calm as the NYPD arrested hundreds of people for looting, attacking police officers and other offenses across the city Monday, according to the department.
“I believe the mayor underestimates the scope of the problem. I think he underestimates the duration of the problem,” Cuomo said. “And I don’t think they’ve used enough police to address the situation because it is inarguable but that it was not addressed last night. Facts.”
Cuomo and the mayor have butted heads repeatedly in recent years. Evidence of their oftstrained relationship was on full display during the height of the coronavirus crisis as the pair rarely appeared together despite the city being the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S.
The governor more than once appeared to undermine de Blasio with orders overriding decisions from City Hall regarding school closures and mask wearing.
Cuomo said he had not spoken with Police Commissioner Dermot Shea since Monday.
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said the political fighting is simply putting cops in harm’s way.
“Rank-and-file New York City police officers were out on the street last night doing our job. Tonight, we’ll go out and do it again,” he said. “It’s not our fault that our city and state governments can’t plan and work together, but we are suffering the consequences.
“Police officers are being run down, knocked down and almost shot on a nightly basis. The political tug-of-war between Albany and City Hall needs to stop, because it is putting police officers in danger,” he added.
Once again offering support for the protesters, Cuomo encouraged police to focus on troublemakers and criminals and allow demonstrators to make their message heard.
The protests in the wake of Floyd’s death have “by and large” been peaceful, he said, stressing that that looters are a separate group.
“What’s happening in this environment … all these issues are getting blurred,” Cuomo added, accusing President Trump of only adding fuel to the fire of the “compounding crises.”
“The president doesn’t want to distinguish between the looters and the protesters,” he said. “He doesn’t want to talk about the killing of Mr. Floyd, and he doesn’t want to talk about reforming the justice system.
“Separate the protesters from the looting. They are two very different situations with different issues.”
The back-and-forth over a potential deployment came a day after Trump recommended governors send out National Guard troops to “dominate the streets” and end the violence.
Trump tweeted Tuesday morning that New York was “lost to the looters, thugs, Radical Left, and all others forms of Lowlife & Scum.”
In a separate message, he mocked Cuomo over the state’s high number of coronavirus deaths.
“The lowlifes and losers are ripping you apart. Act fast! Don’t make the same horrible and deadly mistake you made with the Nursing Homes!!!” he wrote.