>> Todd: GROUP OF PARENTS ARE
VETTING PEOPLE FOR THE
POSITIONS.
CRIME IS UP, BUT IN NEW YORK
NUMBERS ARE WORSE.
CRIME REPORTS ARE UP 40%
COMPARED TO SAMPSON TIME AS
LASTS YEAR N. FEBRUARY, 60% AND
BASED ON EARLY MARCH REPORTS,
MANCH IS FOLLOWING THAT TREND.
>> Ashley: LAWRENCE JONES SPENT
THE DAY WITH A POLICE OFFICER
WHO BLAMES CRIME ON ANTI-POLICE
SENTIMENT.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> AT THE 44th PRECINCT, THIS IS
WHERE IT ALL STARTED.
>> THIS IS WHERE IT STARTED IN
1991.
THIS WAS PRETTY VIOLENT BACK
THEN.
FIRST YEAR PRECINCT COVERED 1.6
SQUARE MILES AND 85 HOMICIDES,
ROBBERIES WAS COMMON PLACE AND
WE WOULD ROUTINELY HEAR GUNSHOTS
ALL NIGHT LONG.
>> HOW DID YOU CLEAN IT UP?
WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THAT MOMENT
FROM LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE AND
POLICING PERSPECTIVE THAT
CHANGED THE COMMUNITY?
>> THE PUBLIC GOT SICK OF THE
CRIME.
THE MEDIA WAS OUTRAGED, THE
PUBLIC WAS OUTRAGED.
THE MAYOR PUSHED THROUGH THE
SAFE STREETS, SAFE CITY PROGRAM,
WHICH BROUGHT MONEY TO HIRE 6000
COPS IN LIKE FOUR YEARS.
>> HOW MANY COPS WERE IN YOUR
PRECINCT BACK THEN COMPARED TO
NOW?
>> STAFF SUGGEST DEFINITELY NOT
CLOSE TO WHAT IT USED TO BE.
>> OVERALL CRIME, JUST IN THIS
PRECINCT ALONE, IS UP 92%?
>> YES.
>> WHAT HAPPENED?
>> JUST A LACK OF WILL ON THE
PART OF LEADERSHIP OF THE CITY.
THEY DON’T WANT POLICE TO DO
THEIR JOB ANYMORE.
>> TALK ABOUT ANTI-POLICE
SENTIMENT GOING ON.
NOW YOU HAVE COPS ACTUALLY BEING
SHOT AT, TARGETED.
YOU EXPERIENCED THIS WHEN YOU
WERE ON THE FORCE, AS WELL.
>> YES, UNFORTUNATELY, I DID.
TRAGICALLY, DURING A THREE-YEAR
PERIOD, 1994 TO 1997, WORK
THANKSGIVING AREA, I HAD
MISFORTUNE TO RESPOND TO THREE
POLICE OFFICERS BEING SHOT AND
KILLED IN LINE OF DUTY.
GILLES, CARRINGTON AND SHAWN
MCDONALD WAS A FRIEND OF MINE.
>> IS THERE SIMILARITY FROM HOW
COPS WERE STARTING TO BEING
TREATED DURING THE HIGH-CRIME
AREA IN TIME TO HOW IT IS RIGHT
NOW?
>> I HAVE TO BE HONEST, AS FAR
AS THE WAY THE PUBLIC TREATS
POLICE OFFICERS, IT’S WORSE NOW.
IF YOU THINK SOCIAL MEDIA AND
MEDIA ITSELF, ANTI-POLICE
RHETORIC, OVER AND OVER AGAIN,
CALLING US MURDERERS AND RACISTS
AND EVERYTHING ELSE, IF YOU
DON’T THINK THAT DOESN’T LEAD TO
VIOLENCE, YOU’RE IN DENIAL.
LOOK AT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
RENT PROBABLY PAYING $7000.
>> YOU HAVE GUY, PULLS GUN ON
HIS GIRLFRIEND, POLICE DO THEIR
JOB, TRY TO GET A SEARCH
WARRANT.
THE DA DENIES IT.
SAME GUY, SAME GUN AND KILLS
SOMEONE.
>> YES.
IT SEEMS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS
WANT TO DO NEVERING THEIR POWER
TO NOT ENFORCE THE LAW.
>> I KNOW YOU ARE TIRED OF THESE
LAWS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES FROM
THE NEW DA.
WE ARE NOT SAFE ANYMORE.
>> I CAN’T DO THIS INTERVIEW IN
HARLEM AND NOT TALK ABOUT THE
TWO OFFICERS WHO WERE KILLED FOR
WHAT SOME SAY WAS ROUTINE
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THERE IS NO
ROUTINE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
>> NO, PROBABLY THE MOST
DANGEROUS CALLS WE GO ON, THEY
ARE UNPREDICTABLE.
I RAN A STREET NARCOTICS ENFORCE
ENFORCEMENT UNIT.
>> NOW ENFORCEMENT UNIT IS BACK.
WHAT CHANGED?
>> WHAT CHANGED IS VIOLENCE IN
THE CITY.
IT IS GOING BACK TO WHERE PEOPLE
ARE AFRAID TO WALK DOWN THE
STREET.
GUNFIRE IS COMMON AGAIN.
>> THE SEVENTH POLICE OFFICER
SHOT THIS YEAR.
>> SNOT OUR CITY.
>> MAN STEPS FORWARD AND STARTS
FIRING.
>> HOW BAD TELL GET?
>> UNLESS WE HAVE SHIFT OF
ATTITUDE BY THE DISTRICT
ATTORNEY’S OFFICE AND BY THE
PEOPLE OF NEW YORK, IT IS NOT
GOING TO CHANGE, IT WILL TAKE
THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE OF NEW
YORK.
IT WILL TAKE THE CITY COUNCIL TO
BACK THE POLICE COMMISSIONER’S
IDEAS.
IT WILL TAKE THE PEOPLE OF THE
CITY TO BACK THE COPS. >> Ashley: WE REACHED OUT TO
>> Ashley: WE REACHED OUT TO
MANHATTAN DA FORT BRAGGBRAGDAG B
NUMBER ONE PRIORITIES, WE’LL
WORK CLOSELY WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS AND USE
EVERY TOOL AT OUR DISPOSAL TO