Gov. Chris Christie is lashing out at the New York Police Department, accusing it of arrogance and paranoia for keeping watch on New Jersey Muslims without notifying state law enforcement officials.
According to the
Newark Star-Ledger, Christie made his comments on a radio program Wednesday night, saying he was not sure whether the NYPD actions were “born out of arrogance, or out of paranoia, or out of both.”
Christie criticized the NYPD for ignoring what he called a major lesson of the September 11 terrorist attack by conducting the surveillance of Muslim businesses and houses of worship without notifying state and local law enforcement agencies, the Star-Ledger said.
“I hope that almost 11 years past 9/11, we are not going to go back to those days because no one is omniscient,” Christie said on an “Ask the Governor” program aired by New Jersey 101.5 FM. “No one knows everything in this world in law enforcement.”
“My concern, and I don’t know all the details yet, but my concern is, why can’t you be communicating with law enforcement here in New Jersey?” he asked. “Are we somehow not trustworthy?”
According to the Star-Ledger, Christie expects — but has not received — an apology from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg or NYPD Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly for not informing state authorities about the surveillance program, which reportedly began in 2007. He expressed particular anger at Kelly.
“He’s Ray Kelly, what are you going to do?” Christie said on the program. “He’s all knowing, all seeing.”
Christie, who was the U.S. attorney for New Jersey at the time of the reported surveillance, said he was not even aware of it and did not recall ever being briefed or informed.
“This is the New York Police Department,” he added. “I know they think their jurisdiction is the world. Their jurisdiction is New York City. My concern is this kind of obsession that the NYPD seems to have that they’re the masters of the universe.”
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