NYPD spokesman Paul Browne has made headlines for backtracking on earlier remarks he made about the police commissioner's involvement in an inflammatory film about Muslim terrorists. Critics have called for his resignation for what they claim are misleading remarks, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg and top cop Ray Kelly, have stood by the top aide.
"Anyone who knows Paul Browne knows he gives you the facts always as he knows them at the time, and later on, if he finds the facts he gave you are wrong, he's not shy about standing up and correcting himself," Bloomberg said on Monday. "He is as good as you could have representing the city and representing the police department. We're lucky to have him."
Browne is widely regarded as one of the police commissioner's closest and most fiercely loyal advisers.
Since the early 1990s, Browne has been a right-hand man to Kelly. He worked with the Kelly during his brief stint as police commissioner under Mayor David Dinkins, and then followed his boss to the U.S. Treasury Department and later to the U.S. Customs Service.
Former police officers say the organization under Kelly is setting a totally different tone from previous departments.
Louis Anemone, the Chief of the Department during the late 1990s under former Police Commissioner William Bratton, said Kelly's approach to the media is very different than Bratton's.
"He encouraged precinct commanders all the way through the borough commanders, and those of us in headquarters, to open the department to not only reporters, but to citizens as well," said Anemone. "We had nothing to hide, and if you don't engage with the public and with the press, you're giving the impression that you do have something to hide."
The NYPD and Browne declined to comment on calls for Browne's resignation.
Ailsa Chang is an award-winning journalist who covers criminal justice, terrorism and the courts for WNYC. She found her way into public radio after practicing law for five years, and can definitely say that walking the streets of New York City with a microphone is a lot more fun than being holed up in the office writing letters to opposing counsel.
Comments [1]
Uh, "claim are misleading remarks"? What is this punch-pulling nonsense? He lied. Give me a break WNYC. What are you afraid of?
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.