November 19, 2025 • 8 mins
Bill Bratton talks with Mendte in the Morning about Zohran Mamdani becoming mayor, his previous comments on the NYPD, and what could change.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh, we are very proud to have with us now
Bill Bratton, one of the best NYPD police commissioners in
New York City history, and I'm sure he's watching everything
that's going on with Zor and Mom Donnie with a
whole lot of interest. Commissioner, thanks so much for joining
us today.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Good to be with you on this rainy morning here
in New York.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Yeah, I know, stay inside, get an umbrella, especially if
you're driving in right now. You got the word there
right from the commissioner, the weather report commissioner. Let's talk
about the NYPD because there are several reports out there
that there are more retirements and resignations now than there
have been in the past at this time, and they're
(00:41):
more expected next year. Are you hearing that?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Hearing it? But we'll have to wait and see that.
There's been a lot of reporting on it. The department
has a lodge turnover in any event, and it's thought
that possibly with the new male elect in some of
his policies, that offices will want to lead early. I
think we're just going to have to in so many
(01:07):
the issues right now, wait and see. But if they
do have that exodus, it'll be difficult to replace them.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
This is Scott Munroe from the Detectives and Dowment Association
for the President. He says morale is down because everyone
is concerned about the policies Mom Donnie wants to put
in place. So if morale is down, you would think
that possibly what would follow are those resignations. Have you
(01:35):
heard morales down now?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Oh morell is definitely down and has been for a
while for a variety of reasons. Morale is not one
one thing. It's multiple things, if you will. A lot
of officers have assignments they like, they work with people
they like, they have a good canute to get to work.
So what's going on organizationally at the mayor's level commissions
level really doesn't impact them. Many other offices, however, and
(02:01):
this is probably the majority of the moment because of
the extra hours they're being asked to work because of
the apartments so understaff. The department is understaffed by my
estermate by at least three thousand officers, So that causes
two problems. Overworked officers who can't get their vacation days
their holidays and officers who are making a lot of
extra money. That becomes a further incentive going back to
(02:24):
your earlier point for officers to leave the department. Why
Under New York retirement laws, offices basically their pension is
based on their last several years or salary. So if
you're making twenty thirty forty thousand dollars over time, your
pension is going to be based on that extra income.
So are you going to take the chance staying around
(02:45):
with the new mayor elect who is facing an eight
billion dollar budget deficit, if I understand it correctly, who
doesn't want to hire more offices, So that continues the
workload pressure, but it also potentially impacts if that over
time with a dry up going forward, your pension could
be affected for the next thirty or forty years in retirement.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
And there's things he said in the past though about
the police, about them being racist, about them being anti queer,
and saying he wants to defund the police. That doesn't
have an effect, that doesn't seep through into the realm.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
That definitely has an effect. It certainly affected a relationship
with the police department. With the mayor. I worked for
Bill de Blasio, I personally had a very good working
relationship with him, got a lot done ironically his first
four years as mayor with the states four years in
the history of the city, but a lot of his
statements during the campaign and some subsequent statements in his
(03:40):
first year so really alienated the police for the whole
time he was mayor, and so the mayor elect coming
in has alienated feelings of a lot of the officers
in the department for those statements. And there's been a
lot of discussion, as you know, about whether Commissioner Tissue
is going to stay, whether he wants her to stay.
The differences between the two of them are phenomenal. I've
(04:03):
never seen so many differences between what a commissioner is
attempting to do to reduce the crime rate in disorder
in the city, and she's been doing it successfully in
a mayor who stated policy changes that he'd like to
put into place are in conflict with almost everything she's
doing to reduce crime and disorder. So I'd love to
be the fly on the wall and the two of
them get together see if they can find if they
(04:26):
can find common ground, because there has never been a
time yeah when a potential commissioner in her character case,
she's already is, but to be who might be retained.
The differences are just phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
No, they are. We've outlined a lot of them on
this show. If she and she has not committed to
staying even though they had a meeting, and I thought
that he was a little sketchy talking about the meeting
and not wanting to admit that it may not have
gone as well as he wanted to. If Jessica Tish
moves on, the ow gets worse. Am I right?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Potentially that she is popular, certainly with I believe macafile,
the union. Certainly I enjoyed working with her. Funderstand correctly,
you and the media have very high opinions and the
public does also. But the only people that don't appear
to have a high opinion of it many of the
most fervent supporters of the mayor elect who have openly
(05:23):
advocated for her to be old. They think they think
she should the right of attil of the hunt that
so he's got a lot of pressure coming on him
from that. Fun and Jesse again being a fly on
the wall in whatever meetings they have. She's pretty direct, Uh,
she doesn't beat around the bush, and it would be
an interesting conversation, certainly, waiting out if they can find
(05:48):
common ground. But boy, there's a lot of differences if.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
She doesn't take the job. I just asked about morale.
I guess the bigger question is will they lose police officers?
In your gut, would Momdani even replace them if they left?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Well, that's the issue. He has syndicated one of his
top priorities for public safety is his creation of this
new entity where he would look to hire thousands of
clinicians or social workers. Where he's going to find them,
God only knows. Because you're looking for highly trained people.
These aren't people that you can bring in and train
in three weeks or four weeks. You're looking for skilled personnel.
(06:30):
The money you'd have to pay them for them to
afford to live in New York City would probably be
more than they're currently getting in any event. But the
morality about officers leaving the potential for Jesse if you
were to step away, I would hope that the mayor,
in terms of replacing her, would replace her with somebody
who understands the NYPD. You don't want to hire somebody
(06:54):
from Albuquerque, New Mexico who's had any experience with the department.
It's a complex agen your complex city and complex time
yeh Ai, immigration issues, crime. This is not a job
for the first time. So good news is that there's
apparently several potential candidates who have been talked with by
(07:15):
him and his campaign. I know the two names have
been most frequently referenced. Both very good people, both former
and YPD and both who would basically have the best
interests of the department, members of the city foremost in
their minds if they would be off of the position.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Well, that makes me feel a lot better that you
know who may get the job, and at least who
they might be looking at, and that they are all qualified.
Your word means a lot. Bill Bratton, former NYPD Commissioner,
Thanks so much for joining us this morning.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Commissioner, great talking with you. All the best to you
and your listeners.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Thank you for that. We hope to have you back
really soon. Yeah. I can't imagine that the NYPD is
happy with a guy. Next time I talk to the Commissioner,
I want to talk to him about sending social workers
into domestic abuse. That just seems nuts. I know from
police officers I talk to that is one of the
(08:12):
most dangerous situations that's exactly when you need a police officer.
And it shows you how little this guy knows. And
I'm talking about mom, Donnie, about police work.
Oh, we are very proud to have with us now
Bill Bratton, one of the best NYPD police commissioners in
New York City history, and I'm sure he's watching everything
that's going on with Zor and Mom Donnie with a
whole lot of interest. Commissioner, thanks so much for joining
us today.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Good to be with you on this rainy morning here
in New York.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Yeah, I know, stay inside, get an umbrella, especially if
you're driving in right now. You got the word there
right from the commissioner, the weather report commissioner. Let's talk
about the NYPD because there are several reports out there
that there are more retirements and resignations now than there
have been in the past at this time, and they're
(00:41):
more expected next year. Are you hearing that?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Hearing it? But we'll have to wait and see that.
There's been a lot of reporting on it. The department
has a lodge turnover in any event, and it's thought
that possibly with the new male elect in some of
his policies, that offices will want to lead early. I
think we're just going to have to in so many
(01:07):
the issues right now, wait and see. But if they
do have that exodus, it'll be difficult to replace them.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
This is Scott Munroe from the Detectives and Dowment Association
for the President. He says morale is down because everyone
is concerned about the policies Mom Donnie wants to put
in place. So if morale is down, you would think
that possibly what would follow are those resignations. Have you
(01:35):
heard morales down now?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Oh morell is definitely down and has been for a
while for a variety of reasons. Morale is not one
one thing. It's multiple things, if you will. A lot
of officers have assignments they like, they work with people
they like, they have a good canute to get to work.
So what's going on organizationally at the mayor's level commissions
level really doesn't impact them. Many other offices, however, and
(02:01):
this is probably the majority of the moment because of
the extra hours they're being asked to work because of
the apartments so understaff. The department is understaffed by my
estermate by at least three thousand officers, So that causes
two problems. Overworked officers who can't get their vacation days
their holidays and officers who are making a lot of
extra money. That becomes a further incentive going back to
(02:24):
your earlier point for officers to leave the department. Why
Under New York retirement laws, offices basically their pension is
based on their last several years or salary. So if
you're making twenty thirty forty thousand dollars over time, your
pension is going to be based on that extra income.
So are you going to take the chance staying around
(02:45):
with the new mayor elect who is facing an eight
billion dollar budget deficit, if I understand it correctly, who
doesn't want to hire more offices, So that continues the
workload pressure, but it also potentially impacts if that over
time with a dry up going forward, your pension could
be affected for the next thirty or forty years in retirement.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
And there's things he said in the past though about
the police, about them being racist, about them being anti queer,
and saying he wants to defund the police. That doesn't
have an effect, that doesn't seep through into the realm.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
That definitely has an effect. It certainly affected a relationship
with the police department. With the mayor. I worked for
Bill de Blasio, I personally had a very good working
relationship with him, got a lot done ironically his first
four years as mayor with the states four years in
the history of the city, but a lot of his
statements during the campaign and some subsequent statements in his
(03:40):
first year so really alienated the police for the whole
time he was mayor, and so the mayor elect coming
in has alienated feelings of a lot of the officers
in the department for those statements. And there's been a
lot of discussion, as you know, about whether Commissioner Tissue
is going to stay, whether he wants her to stay.
The differences between the two of them are phenomenal. I've
(04:03):
never seen so many differences between what a commissioner is
attempting to do to reduce the crime rate in disorder
in the city, and she's been doing it successfully in
a mayor who stated policy changes that he'd like to
put into place are in conflict with almost everything she's
doing to reduce crime and disorder. So I'd love to
be the fly on the wall and the two of
them get together see if they can find if they
(04:26):
can find common ground, because there has never been a
time yeah when a potential commissioner in her character case,
she's already is, but to be who might be retained.
The differences are just phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
No, they are. We've outlined a lot of them on
this show. If she and she has not committed to
staying even though they had a meeting, and I thought
that he was a little sketchy talking about the meeting
and not wanting to admit that it may not have
gone as well as he wanted to. If Jessica Tish
moves on, the ow gets worse. Am I right?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Potentially that she is popular, certainly with I believe macafile,
the union. Certainly I enjoyed working with her. Funderstand correctly,
you and the media have very high opinions and the
public does also. But the only people that don't appear
to have a high opinion of it many of the
most fervent supporters of the mayor elect who have openly
(05:23):
advocated for her to be old. They think they think
she should the right of attil of the hunt that
so he's got a lot of pressure coming on him
from that. Fun and Jesse again being a fly on
the wall in whatever meetings they have. She's pretty direct, Uh,
she doesn't beat around the bush, and it would be
an interesting conversation, certainly, waiting out if they can find
(05:48):
common ground. But boy, there's a lot of differences if.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
She doesn't take the job. I just asked about morale.
I guess the bigger question is will they lose police officers?
In your gut, would Momdani even replace them if they left?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Well, that's the issue. He has syndicated one of his
top priorities for public safety is his creation of this
new entity where he would look to hire thousands of
clinicians or social workers. Where he's going to find them,
God only knows. Because you're looking for highly trained people.
These aren't people that you can bring in and train
in three weeks or four weeks. You're looking for skilled personnel.
(06:30):
The money you'd have to pay them for them to
afford to live in New York City would probably be
more than they're currently getting in any event. But the
morality about officers leaving the potential for Jesse if you
were to step away, I would hope that the mayor,
in terms of replacing her, would replace her with somebody
who understands the NYPD. You don't want to hire somebody
(06:54):
from Albuquerque, New Mexico who's had any experience with the department.
It's a complex agen your complex city and complex time
yeh Ai, immigration issues, crime. This is not a job
for the first time. So good news is that there's
apparently several potential candidates who have been talked with by
(07:15):
him and his campaign. I know the two names have
been most frequently referenced. Both very good people, both former
and YPD and both who would basically have the best
interests of the department, members of the city foremost in
their minds if they would be off of the position.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Well, that makes me feel a lot better that you
know who may get the job, and at least who
they might be looking at, and that they are all qualified.
Your word means a lot. Bill Bratton, former NYPD Commissioner,
Thanks so much for joining us this morning.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Commissioner, great talking with you. All the best to you
and your listeners.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Thank you for that. We hope to have you back
really soon. Yeah. I can't imagine that the NYPD is
happy with a guy. Next time I talk to the Commissioner,
I want to talk to him about sending social workers
into domestic abuse. That just seems nuts. I know from
police officers I talk to that is one of the
(08:12):
most dangerous situations that's exactly when you need a police officer.
And it shows you how little this guy knows. And
I'm talking about mom, Donnie, about police work.
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