Former NYPD boss Ray Kelly says NYC is a ‘work in progress’

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Former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly isn’t buying the “happy talk” about New York City’s post-pandemic future.

Speaking on WABC Radio’s “The Cats Roundtable” on Sunday, the two-time former NYPD boss said the town’s takeover was still underway.

“You see all these little shops and businesses that always stay closed. Many of them, you know, will never reopen. I hope New York will come back and come back soon, ”Kelly told host John Catsimatidis. “I don’t see any indicators of this. There’s a lot of happy chat saying it’s going to come back, but I think we’ve got a long way to go. “

Kelly pointed out that subway security was a key deterrent to getting the city back on track. Subways recorded 2.19 crimes per million riders in August, according to NYPD and MTA data, far more than the crime rate of 1.47 per million riders for all of 2019.

Former NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly said he was skeptical of New York's return following the COVID-19 pandemic. — Kelly said he was skeptical of returning to New York after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“People are always very worried about taking the metro. Bad things can happen to you on the subway, ”Kelly said. “So what is [people] Make? They stay above the ground. They take cars if they can. And they work from home.

He also called on the next mayor to “create a body of professionals” to help the homeless in the city.

“Most of them have mental problems. These need to be dealt with head on, ”Kelly said of the vagrants. “I think you do it with more professional staff who can talk to them, interview them and refer them [to treatment] if needed.”

According to Kelly, several New York stores will not make a comeback, hurting the city's economy. — According to Kelly, several New York stores will not make a comeback, hurting the city’s economy.

Kelly also said that making sure the metro is safe is a major stepping stone in bringing the city back to its former glory.

Kelly, who served as NYPD commissioner under Mayor David Dinkins from 1992 to 1994 and Mayor Michael Bloomberg from 2002 to 2013, also recalled seeing the Twin Towers descend from his office at Bear Sterns in Midtown on September 11.

He lamented President Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, which he said made Americans less secure.

“We could have had a little cadre there and provided some stability to this country. Now we don’t know. We’re rolling the dice, ”Kelly said. “We have become more of a target because of terrorists and radical Islamists taking control of Afghanistan.

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