De Blasio: “Premature” To Discuss Next Police Commissioner

In response to a report that City Council Speaker Christine Quinn cut a deal with Ray Kelly to keep him on as police commissioner should she be elected as mayor, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio said today that it was “premature” to talk about who the next commissioner would be.

De Blasio, who is likely to face Quinn in the Democratic mayoral primary later this year, blamed the Bloomberg administration, rather than Quinn, for trying to exert influence on the next mayor through a backroom deal.

“I don’t know the details, but I think it fits a pattern we’ve seen before of the mayor trying to extend his influence and I think the people don’t want it,” de Blasio said. “The people believe in a new administration coming in that will represent the interest of the city today and they want a vigorous debate on public safety and not behind closed doors.”

When asked if he would keep Kelly on as commissioner if he were elected mayor, de Blasio–a vocal opponent of the NYPD’s controversial stop-and-frisk policy– said, “I have a lot of respect for Ray Kelly, but it’s not time for hypotheticals yet.”