Bill Thompson Backs NYPD Inspector General

The horse may be a little bit out of the barn on this one, but that isn't stopping Bill Thompson from taking a position on the proposal to create an NYPD inspector general. On Wednesday he issued this statement:

I support installing an Inspector General at the NYPD. The need for an IG reflects the City's failure to reform Stop and Frisk and see our communities as partners, instead of adversaries in fighting crime. When I'm Mayor, I will make sure our city remains safe without stigmatizing Black and Latino New Yorkers. We need an IG committed to increasing transparency in the NYPD, with an opportunity to independently review policies and procedures.

When I asked Thompson about whether he'd like to see an IG back in February, he declined to answer.

Thompson's statement comes one day after City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced a "broad agreement" on the plan. It's not so broad to include Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who on Wednesday vowed to veto the IG bill.