Republican ma♛yoral nominee Joe Lhota called Bill de Blasio “soulless” on Friday — following the front-running Democrat’s flip-flop on the issue of a court-ordered NYPD monitor.
While campaigning for primary votes, de B🍎lasio was a staunch supporter of a judge’s decision to establish st꧅ringent oversight of the department and reform the stop-and-frisk practice.
But now that he’ওs courting moderate voters, de Blasio has changed his tune and called the monitor just “a temporary reality.”
“You can’t have it bo𒆙th ways,” Lhota said of his November opponent’s backpedaling. “You’re either for a monitor or you’re against a monitor.
“He’s for a mo🍸nitor when he’s a candidate, he’s against a monitor when he’s mayor?” Lhota said while acceptinಌg the endorsement of Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro.
“You’re either for it or you’re against it,” he repeated. “You’re going to flip-flop l♋ike that all in one conversat𝓡ion?
“It talks about somebody who has no soul.”
Manhattan federal Judge Shira Scheindlin in August named a lawyer to monitor the NYPD and a facilitator to help administer the reforms. The city is appealing heꦍr decision.
De Blasio said the monitor shouldn’t be permanent but offeཧre🦩d no timetable for the job.
“I don’t project a timeline. That’s something we’d have to work out in practice,” he said. “I’ll say this much: My goal will be to move along the process as quickly a🌠s possible . . . Get the work done and continue with the work o🐓f the NYPD.”
De Blasio for a second straight day offered murky answers when asked about a rise in shootings since the judge’s 🅘decision.
“When we see substantial changes [in tactics] made over substantial periods of time, then we can talk about what’s working and what’s 🎀not worki𒅌ng,” he said. “But it hasn’t even happened yet.”
Lhota blasted de Blasio for not offering any real solutions to the bloodshed, which the Republican attributed to Scheindlin’s 💝ruling and City Council bills that call for an NYPD inspector general and an end to racial profiling.
“Those actions alone have had a significant impac📖t,” Lhota said.
“And the fact of the matter is, when asked about it, Bill de Blasio’s response was, ‘We need to have b🌸etter relations between the community and the Police Department.”
“What about the increased murders that are ha𒆙ppening here, and why is the New York Police Department being handcuffed?” Lhota asked.
“How do you explain to the mother of a young child who was murdered how co🦹mmunity relations is going to deal with the fact that crime is going up?” Lhota asked, referring to 16-month-old Antiq Hennis, who was shot dead in his stroller last month during gang gunplay in Brooklyn.
In further de Blasio flip-flopping Friday, the formerly fier𒊎ce NYPD critic gave a shout-out to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, whom he has vowed to replace.
“It’s well known I have some differences with the commissioner in some areas, b🦋ut I agree with him on core notions ofཧ fighting terrorism,” de Blasio said while accepting the endorsement of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.
“I agree 🎃with him that Ne𓃲w York City has to protect its own interests.”