NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said Monday that a curfew won’t work in New York City amid escalating protests over George Floyd’s police-involved death in Minneapolis — and the National Guard won’t be necessary either.
In an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show, the top cop panned the idea of a curfew, which dozens of other cities have instituted.
“I’ll be honest….we could impose a curfew today,” Shea said. “The problem is, people need to listen to a curfew and that’s not going to happen, first and foremost. If people think it will, they don’t understand what’s going on.”
“The second point is, anyone who is on the street during this curfew…would probably already be arrested for five different offenses,” he added.
Chief of Department Terence Monahan also rejected the possibility of a curfew during a Monday morning appearance on Good Day New York.
“I don’t think we need it in New York,” Monahan said. “Our men and women in the NYPD are going to be out there, we’ve been out there each and every night. We’re going to be out there again. We’re going to continue to arrest those that are looking to cause mayhem in our streets.”
During a Sunday press briefing, Mayor Bill de Blasio also said there is “no plan” to impose a curfew on the city.
At least 40 cities across the US have imposed curfews but most were broken, CNN reported.
During the “Today” show interview, Shea also said that “we don’t need the National Guard.”
National Guard members have been activated to contain ongoing demonstrations in at least 26 states and Washington, DC, according to CNN.
The Big Apple faced a fourth-straight night of violence and looting late Sunday into early Monday.
More than 200 people were arrested, a dozen department vehicles were vandalized and at least seven officers were injured, according to the NYPD.