COMMISSIONER AND THE CEO OF THE
GUARDIAN GROUP, RAY KELLY.
IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS
MORNING.
FIRST UP, YOUR REACTION TO WHAT
WE SAW IN OUR STREETS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY LAST NIGHT.
IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS PEACEFUL.
DO YOU THINK IT WAS?
>> I THINK IT WAS MOSTLY
PEACEFUL LAST NIGHT BUT THIS IS
JUST THE WARM-UP.
TODAY HAS BEEN DECLARED A
NATIONAL DAY OF PROTEST.
YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE HUNDREDS OF
PROTESTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
ONE OF THEM IS CALLED SHUT DOWN
WASH A TONWASHINGTON, D.C.
I THINK WE’VE JUST SEEN THE
BEGINNING.
THE FACT THAT WE HAD THIS
UNCERTAIN SITUATION I THINK WILL
ONLY INCREASE THE PERIOD OF TIME
THAT WE’LL SEE DEMONSTRATIONS.
I THINK THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT
POLICE DEPARTMENTS AROUND
AMERICA HAVE BEEN PRACTICING AND
THEY WERE CAUGHT SHORT A LITTLE
BIT BY THE DEMONSTRATIONS AFTER
THE JUROR FLOYD DEATH.
-- GEORGE FLOYD DEATH.
AND THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF TABLE
TOP EXERCISES.
I THINK WE’RE IN BETTER SHAPE TO
HANDLE DEMONSTRATIONS
NATIONALLY.
MARIA: RAY, DO WE KNOW WHAT
THEY WANT?
WHY IS IT NATIONAL PROTEST DAY?
WHAT SPECIFICALLY ARE THEY
ASKING FOR?
I MEAN, IT’S JUST EXTRAORDINARY
TO ME -- AND WHEN A WINNER IS
ANNOUNCED ARE YOU EXPECTING THIS
TO REALLY BUBBLE UP?
IS IT A DIFFERENT SCENARIO FROM
JOE BIDEN WINS VERSUS IF
PRESIDENT TRUMP WINS?
>> A LOT OF THE GROUPS SAY IT’S
NOT RESULTS FOCUSED.
IRRESPECTIVE OF WHO ULTIMATELY
WINS, THEY’RE STILL GOING TO
HAVE THESE DEMONSTRATIONS.
THEY WERE SCHEDULED FOR A LONG
TIME.
SOTODAY, AGAIN, THEY WEREN’T
LOOKING AT WHO WAS GOING TO
NECESSARILY WIN THE ELECTION.
SO A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH
POLICE REFORM.
THEY JUST WANT TO CONTINUE TO
PUT PRESSURE ON.
I THINK THERE’S NO QUESTION
ABOUT IT, THAT ADVOCATES WILL
TRY TO INFILTRATE SOME OF THE
DEMONSTRATIONS TODAY.
THAT INTIMATION HAS BEEN OUT
THERE FOR A WHILE.
I THINK SOME OF THEM, THE
DEMONSTRATIONS YOU’LL SEE IN THE
COMING DAYS WILL HAVE CERTAINLY
PROPERTY DAMAGE AND THERE’S
ALWAYS THE POTENTIAL FOR
LOOTING.
THE LOOTERS KIND OF STAY IN THE
BACKGROUND, SEE IF THEY CAN GET
COVER TOO FROM SO-CALLED
PEACEFUL PROTESTS AND THEY’LL
ENGAGE IN LOOTING IF THEY CAN.
MARIA: YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THIS
GOES BACK TO THE ECONOMY.
I MEAN, ECONOMIC SAFETY EQUALS
NATIONAL SECURITY SAFETY, ISN’T
THAT RIGHT, RAY?
WHEN YOU LOOK AT FOR EXAMPLE NEW
YORK, $9 BILLION BUDGET HOLE, DE
BLASIO SAYS HE WANTS 9 BILLION
FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
YOU’VE GOT BOARDED UP CITIES,
BOARDED UP CITY IN NEW YORK.
WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON WHAT TURNS
THIS AROUND?
>> IN NEW YORK IT’S GOING TO
TAKE A LONG TIME TO TURN IT
AROUND.
YESTERDAY I DID A TOUR OF THE
CITY AND MANY, MANY BIG NAME
STORES AND LOCATIONS HAVE BEEN
BOARDED UP, SORT OF A SIGN OF
THE TIMES.
DE BLASIO DEFUNDED THE NEW YORK
CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OVER
2,000 POLICE OFFICERS HAVE
RETIRED IN JUST THE LAST FEW
MONTHS.
THAT’S A BIG GAP.
IT’S A BIG DEPARTMENT BUT IT
ALSO IS -- THAT’S A MAJOR LOSS
OF EXPERIENCED PEOPLE.
SO WE’RE TROUBLED HERE, NO
QUESTION ABOUT IT.
AND IT’S NOT GOING TO CHANGE
UNTIL THE VERY LEAST THE MAYOR
LEAVES OFFICE.
MARIA: DOES HE UNDERSTAND THE
IMPLICATIONS OF HIS DECISION TO
DEFUND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BY
A BILLION DOLLARS, RAY?
>> OH, I THINK HE DOES, VERY
WELL.
I DON’T THINK HE’S UNHAPPY WITH
ANYTHING THAT’S GOING ON.
HE HAS THE MARXIST MENTALITY AND
THIS IS FITTING RIGHT INTO THIS
AGENDA.
SO DOESN’T SEEM TO BOTHER HIM AT
ALL.
HE WAS ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
OVER 100% INCREASE IN SHOOTINGS,
HE HAD NO ANSWER FOR THAT AS TO
WHAT HIS PLAN IS.
HE TALKS ABOUT A PERFECT STORM,
COVID COMING TOGETHER, THAT SORT
OF THING BUT HE HAS NO PLAN, HE
HAS NO ANSWER.
SO I THINK AT LEAST IN NEW YORK
CITY WE’RE GOING TO BE TROUBLED
FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR.
MARIA: AND DON’T FORGET THE
ELIMINATION OF CASH BAIL IS
SOMETHING THAT KAMALA HARRIS
WANTS TO DO FOR THE WHOLE
COUNTRY, THAT WAS ONE OF THE
ISSUES IN NEW YORK, WASN’T IT?
>> YES.
CASH BAIL WAS LARGELY
ELIMINATED.
THE DIFFERENCE HERE IN NEW YORK
IS JUDGES CANNOT MAKE A
DETERMINATION AS FAR AS THE
DANGEROUSNESS AS THEY SAY OF THE
INDIVIDUAL.
SO THAT’S WHERE YOU’RE SEEING
PEOPLE WHO ARE ARRESTED SEVERAL
TIMES A WEEK WHERE THEY JUST
WALK RIGHT 0:THE -- OUT THE DOOR
BECAUSE THE JUDGE CANNOT LOOK AT
THE RECORD OF AN INDIVIDUAL.
GENERALLY SPEAKING.
THERE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS TO
THAT IN THE REFORM THAT THEY PUT
IN PLACE.
THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE HERE IN
NEW YORK AND OTHER LOCATIONS
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
MARIA: ALL RIGHT.
WE WILL LEAVE IT THERE.
RAY, GREAT TO CATCH UP WITH.