Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik told Newsmax TV's Newsmax Now on Thursday that he has no problem with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s decision to release 300 inmates at Rikers Island due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Kerik said, “I don’t see a problem” if the mayor releases prisoners who are nonviolent, over 70-years-old, have pre-existing medical conditions and less than a year left to serve.
“I would probably encourage it,” he added. “The only other thing I would add to that is there has to be a monitoring element. Once the prisoners get out they have to be self-quarantined at their residence, and that could be a monitoring factor, but if that is the criteria… I don’t have a problem with it because it’s going to keep the other inmates safe, and it’s going to keep the corrections officers safe that work in those facilities.”
The former police commissioner also addressed the rates of infection among the city’s police officers and emergency workers, saying it's an inevitable consequence of working during “a rough time” for the country.
“The problem is, New York City has a very dense population,” so police officers are “going to have a lot of interaction with the New York City public,” which will increase the likelihood of infection.
He added that “this is a rough time, but unfortunately the men and women of the PD, nurses, doctors, firemen, EMS workers, they’re gonna be out there, they’re gonna have contact,” and people should “give them a lot of credit” for working in these conditions.
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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