Christine Quinn Cites Wide City Council Support for Creating an NYPD Watchdog: Report

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, D-Manhattan, said Tuesday that there is a “broad agreement” on a bill to create an inspector general position for the city’s Police Department, NY 1 reported.

In June, City Council members proposed legislation to institute the position, which would be a non-police officer appointed by the mayor who would independently oversee the NYPD and have subpoena power.

At that time, Mayor Michael Bloomberg blasted the proposal, arguing that politicizing the NYPD would lead to an increase in crime.

Quinn said the watchdog position would increase public confidence in the NYPD and result in stronger police and community relations, NY 1 reported.

In a statement, NYPD officials said that “no police department in America has more oversight than the NYPD” and that the department has close to the same number of personnel in its Internal Affairs Bureau and counter-terrorism efforts.

And Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, called the proposed creation of the position an “unconscionable” waste of resources, NY 1 reports.