THE BRONX — Mayor Michael Bloomberg continued Monday to blast the two City Council bills passed last week that would restrict the NYPD's controversial stop-and-frisk tactic, saying he would back candidates running against the councilmembers who supported the legislation.
“I’m telling you I’m going to support those candidates,” the mayor said at an unrelated press conference in The Bronx. “Some of these things are life-and-death issues, like these two horrendous bills in the City Council. They’re going to put our police officers at risk, and they’re going to put the public at risk. And I’ve got an obligation to tell people that.”
Bloomberg did not explicitly say that he would use his political action committee's funds to target the councilmembers, but he has previously poured millions of dollars into political races across the country on issues including gun control and education.
The City Council's anti-racial profiling bill, which passed 34 to 17 early last Thursday, would allow people who think they were stopped and frisked because of their skin color to sue the city.
The inspector general bill, which passed 40 to 11, would task the Department of Investigation with overseeing police practices.
Both pieces of legislation received more than 33 votes, making them veto-proof, but Bloomberg said he would try to persuade councilmembers to change their minds by saying he would support their future opponents.
“Every councilmember votes on the things that matter to you and me. And you should support them,” Bloomberg said. “In fact, newspapers and radio stations do this. They go out and advertise and spend their space to endorse candidates. We’re doing exactly the same thing.”
