New York City's police commissioner conceded for the first time on Friday that there has been a widespread work slowdown by police officers after the number of arrests plummeted in recent weeks, although he suggested it was coming to an end.
"We're coming out of what was a pretty widespread stoppage of certain types of activity, the discretionary type of activity, by and large," Commissioner William Bratton said in an interview with WNYC, an excerpt of which was published online.
Bratton and Mayor Bill de Blasio had repeatedly said this week it was too soon to tell if a slowdown was underway, saying other factors may explain the drop in arrests and court summonses.
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