Transcript: Mayor de Blasio, Police Commissioner Bratton, Homeland Secruity Secretary Jeh Johnson Hold Media Availability

July 8, 2016

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good afternoon, everyone. First of all, I want to welcome Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, and thank him so much for joining us today as New York City is dealing with the aftermath of the horrendous and tragic shootings in something we’ve never seen before in the city of Dallas. And we very much appreciate the support of the Secretary as we are working to not only keep New York City safe, but address the proper way of handling public protest, and, as we work with the Secretary on a regular basis, the proper way of addressing any other threats to this city and to this nation, including the threat of terror. 

Before I turn to Commissioner Bratton and Secretary Johnson, I just want to say that, again, my message to all New Yorkers is, please, today, take time to thank the police officers you meet in the course of the day. Take time to express your condolences to them. There are police officers not only all over this city, but all over this country who are in pain right now. They feel deeply connected to those who were lost in Dallas. Families of police officers are in pain. We owe it to them to show support at this moment. Again, an unprecedented event has befallen the entire law enforcement community. 

And the other point I want to make is that we have to find a way to move forward. Commissioner Bratton spoke powerfully earlier about the fact that even in tragedy – even after an act of unspeakable violence – people find a way to support each other. Police and community mourn together and look for common ground. This is the work we have to do. We have to find a way as a nation to move forward together. There is a lot of history hanging over these situations, there is a lot of pain that has to be overcome. But one thing that is powerful is when people reach out to each other. And we see in the aftermath of tragedy that impulse to actually find common ground. We saw it in a very different and powerful way as this horrendous set of assassinations were unfolding. The fact that the officers in Dallas went to the defense of the protesters who had just finished their protest. The fact that minutes earlier the protesters and police were chatting together, taking photos together, because they had had a positive interaction and the police had protected the protestors throughout. In that there is some indication of a way forward, and we have to grab that and work with that to make this a safe and better country.

With that, I want to turn to Commissioner Bratton, thanking him for all he does for this city, and he will then in turn bring forward Secretary Johnson. 

Police Commissioner William Bratton: Good evening. And, Secretary, thank you for joining us this afternoon. Secretary, the Mayor and I – Chief O’Neill – just had a meeting up at my office to discuss the events in Dallas as they continue to unfold, as well as to discuss what we’re doing here in New York, the Secretary’s home town. 

As I relayed to you earlier today – many of you were at a press conference earlier today in this building – that we feel a particular empathy for the circumstances in Dallas in that we had a very similar situation two years ago in this city. I’ve just sent an email off to the chief [inaudible] as well as to the chief of the Dallas police, who I know, expressing on behalf of this Department and on behalf of myself, our sympathies, and condolences, and that empathy, having just gone through similar circumstances. 

I anticipate that myself and many of the major city chiefs from around the country will attend services in Dallas as they are scheduled next week. It’s an awful time in American policing at this moment, and one that we’re all going to have to, basically, kind of band together to move through. But we will – we got through it in New York in 2014, Dallas will get through this in 2016. 

I want to thank the Secretary’s support in all that we do. He’s been a staunch, staunch supporter of law enforcement during his time, and, certainly here in the NYPD, we’ve been the beneficiaries of that support. And it’s always a pleasure to have him here in New York. I just regret the circumstances of the visit today. 

Mr. Secretary? 

Secretary Jeh Johnson, Department of Homeland Security: Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Bratton, Mr. Mayor, Chief.

Last night, in Dallas, a group peaceably assembled to demonstrate and express their grievances. This is something they had a right to do in accord with our American tradition of peaceful demonstration in pursuit of change. The evening was shattered by a despicable act of murder directed at those present to keep the peace. At this time, there appears to have been one gunman with no known links to, or inspiration from, any international terrorist organization. One Dallas Area Rapid Transit Officer has been killed, four Dallas police officers have been killed, and other law enforcement officers have been wounded. Several civilians were also wounded.  We mourn the loss of those killed and pray for the wounded. 

Many people from multiple communities now are angry and on edge. Today, I come to One Police Plaza to stand with law enforcement to say this – last night’s killer acted with a deprived misbelief that the murder of police officers solves a problem, just like last night’s killer does not represent all those who seek to bring about change. Any police officer who engages in excessive force does not represent all those in law enforcement – far from it. The role of the police officer is to protect and to serve, to keep the peace, and serve the community. This is the reason the overwhelming – overwhelming majority of our nation’s law enforcement officers put on a badge, and it is what they do every day in your community and mine. Indeed, in the face of last night’s attack targeting the police, their first reaction was to protect the public. 

Violence is never the answer. Violence directed at our police officers is never the answer. Violence directed at police officers endangers them and it endangers the very public they are sworn to protect. Now, more that ever, the police and the communities they serve must come together, heal the wounds, and bridge any differences. Dallas in particular has been a model in that regard. Today, the families of those killed should know we stand with them, grieve with them, and we’ll do our best to support them in the days ahead.

Thank you. We’ll take any questions. 

Yes, sir?

Question: The shooter liked several anti-government, black empowerment groups on Facebook, including some that explicitly called for attacks against law enforcement. Were these groups monitored? Or will they be monitored, going forward, for potential shooters like this one?

Secretary Johnson: Well, I think the facts are still out on whether the shooter last night had an explicit membership in any of these organizations. The investigation of that is still early. Any time law enforcement assess that there is an individual, or a group, or a group of individuals conspiring to commit criminal activity, to commit acts of mass violence, or plotting to commit violence – they are, and they should be, under surveillance pursuant to normal law enforcement procedures like many of the gentlemen up here do every day. And so, irrespective of the particular identity of a group, if that group is engaged in plotting to commit criminal activity, they can, and they should, and they will be under the appropriate level of law enforcement scrutiny. 

Next question – yes?

Question: Can Commissioner Bratton give us an example – or perhaps Chief O’Neill can – of what one of the 17 threats that was made against the Police Department?

Commissioner Bratton: I’m going to ask Chief of Intelligence Tom Galati to respond to that for you.

Chief of Intelligence Thomas Galati, NYPD: Just to give you an example, we had an individual who – contacted by a family member who said that he had indicated that he was coming down to New York, and that if he ran into the police that he would in fact try and kill them. We actually located that individual, had a conversation with him. It seems that there’s a bit of a domestic issue going on here, and we really do not believe that it was credible. It was more of a poison pen issue. 

Question: Meaning, he didn’t say that?

Chief Galati: It seems to be a little bit of a domestic issue between two people. So, there’s some differences on what actually was said. 

Question: [Inaudible]

Chief Galati: I’d rather not get into that information at this point. 

Mayor: But just to broaden the point, every one of the threats – as the Chief said earlier, every one of the threats is assessed. Every one of them is taken seriously. And I think this is a good example – we will not go into any further detail on it – but NYPD officers explicitly paid a visit to this individual to assess the situation. So, it’s a very proactive approach to keeping our officers safe. 

Secretary Johnson: Next question? Yes, sir.

Question: You talked about coming together – communities and police – and, Commissioner Bratton, you talked about that also. Are there specific structural reforms that either of you think will take hold here or in other police forces around the country that will improve police-community relations?

Secretary Johnson: Well, let me begin with the federal level – just since I’ve been Secretary – we have stepped up our efforts to build bridges to numerous different communities. When I talk about this publicly, I talk mostly about American-Muslim communities, but our mission is not exclusively that. And so, at the federal level, in Homeland Security, and in law enforcement, I think we can, we should, and we will continue to build bridges with communities. Community policing is a model – that’s something, you know, has existed in this department for some time now. And where law enforcement has a good relationship with the communities, it can make a difference. I’m sure the Police Commissioner can speak to this much better than me, but, at the federal level, this is something that we will continue to do. I’m pleased that our Congress has begun to provide us grant money to support local efforts at countering violent extremism, and I want to see our Congress do more of that, and I want to see my department do more of that, deploy more people on the ground in communities to build bridges – that’s what we need to do. And the Commissioner, I’m quite sure, can talk to this too. 

Commissioner Bratton: The foundation of the bridges that the Secretary is referring to, the foundation is quite clearly trust, and I think those of you particularly from the New York press fully appreciate the time and energy that Mayor de Blasio and I, as Police Commissioner, have committed to that foundation. All of our efforts over these last now 30 months have been focused on gaining trust where we’ve not had it, restoring it where we’ve lost it, and improving it in the many areas of the city where we have had it. And I’m very comfortable that that trust that has been built, those relationships that have been established over the hundreds of meetings we’ve had over these last 30 months will help us go forward as not only officers in the Department, but the community really deal with these tragedies – tragedies that we’ve had in New York, and now tragedies that are being experienced elsewhere in the country. It all starts and ends with trust, and that’s that what community policing is all about – trust. 

Mayor: And just one other point – the outcome of that trust can be when a community member or a family member picks up the phone and calls the police to report something that might be a danger to law enforcement, or to the larger community. So, whether it’s our neighborhood policing program, or whether it’s the efforts we’ve made to deepen relationships with the Muslim-American community, there are so many examples of where it’s the right thing to do unto itself that leads to better policing, better public safety. But another piece of the equation is the example Chief Galati gave – a family member felt there might be a threat. Now, let’s not worry about the difference that might have existed in that case – let’s use it just as an example. If a family member thinks that a loved one might be about to do something negative towards law enforcement, they’re obligated to pick up the phone and call that in. We want that kind of trust that people, neighbors, co-workers feel – that they can trust the police, they can trust their government, and they need to give us that information so we can protect people. 

Question: Mr. Mayor, you [inaudible] about trust between law enforcement and [inaudible]. Sometimes when people [inaudible] they specifically identify that criminal justice – that they feel some law enforcement [inaudible]. Can you speak to what in fact those legal pieces have on the trust that you are trying to establish [inaudible]?

Secretary Johnson: Well, obviously high-profile cases such as the ones you referred to have a huge impact on public perceptions of law enforcement. They represent setbacks very clearly. The point that I like to stress, and that I think the other leaders up here stress, is that day-to-day – in the day-to-day lives of most Americans, most New Yorkers, most of those in Dallas, Texas, and other places, law enforcement – public safety works. The policeman is there to protect and to serve. To serve the community means to protect the community, to work for the community, to keep the community safe. Day-to-day, that’s what happens, and, day-to-day, I believe most Americans, by far, appreciate, and respect, and depend upon the police officer to keep them safe. And so, do we have problems? Do we have setbacks? Do we have criminal prosecutions – members of law enforcement who engage in excessive force? Yes. But it’s also important for the public to remember, including those who are upset, that police officers in your community put on a badge to protect you, and are willing to risk their lives for you. That’s the reason they became police officers and we need to keep emphasizing across this country the importance of the work of members of law enforcement, day-to-day, what they do to keep our communities safe, just like they’re doing right now in New York, in Dallas, in other cities around this country. And so, I’m going to keep emphasizing that, and I’m sure the Commissioner will, the Mayor will, and others. I think I have time for one more question. 

Question: [Inaudible] 

Commissioner Bratton: By way of example, the one in front of our building at noontime today was very small, uneventful. We’ll know at 7 o’clock tonight – the one that’s scheduled for Union Square – as to what type of attendance that attracts this evening, versus the approximately 1,200 that were involved last night. I think it’s an appropriate time for everybody to kind of take a step back and think about what’s happening in this country, and think of positive ways to try and correct the issues that so many people have so much frustration about. Echoing the Secretary and the Mayor’s comments that this is a shared responsibility. It’s not a government responsibility, it’s not a police responsibility, it’s not a criminal justice responsibility, [inaudible] not a community responsibility – it’s a collective, shared responsibility, and the only way we’re going to deal with it is by all of us recognizing that we have our deficiencies, our limitations. We are all well-intended, and we make mistakes, we’re human, but we learn from those mistakes and we move on. And so, we need to learn from these tragedies, as we’ve attempted to do here, certainly from the ones we’ve had in New York, and come out of them stronger and move forward together. 

Secretary Johnson: Let me make one more point, please. Actually, two more points – I want to stress what I said earlier, which is – just like there are a lot of people angry and anxious right now across our country, just like the shooter last night does not represent the broader spectrum of those who want change, who are out there on the streets peaceably demonstrating, any police officer who engages in excessive force does not represent the law enforcement community at large who are there to protect us, keep us safe, and have sworn to protect the public. The other point I’ll make is this – to the New York City community in general, I’ve spent a lot of time with the NYPD as Secretary of Homeland Security. We have – I have a terrific working relationship with Bill de Blasio and Bill Bratton. The NYPD’s public safety and counterterrorism capabilities are truly, truly impressive. I was here just yesterday to get a briefing in that regard. I’m continually impressed by the good work of the men and women in this police department. Their capabilities to protect New Yorkers, to protect the public is truly awesome. And their reach extends beyond the borders of these five boroughs – they’re so good at what they do. So, I want to congratulate both the Mayor and the Commissioner for what I see is a truly exemplary police department, truly exemplary work at public safety. 

Thanks.

Mayor: Thank you.