A new video from Bill de Blasio's campaign targets City Council Speaker Christine Quinn over her support of NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly.
Kelly and Mayor Michael Bloomberg took turns this week defending the police policy of stop, question, and frisk, which critics, such as de Blasio, charge with unfairly targeting minorities.
Wednesday, during a televised interview, Kelly went so far as to say that African-Americans in New York City are actually being "understopped."
On Thursday, when asked about Kelly's comment, Quinn replied that she hadn't actually heard it, but that she has concerns about the legality of police stops and frisks. "Stops at a level of 700,000 that yielded an insignifcant number of guns and contraband is too high," Quinn said, according to Capital New York. "That is a number that has torn police and communities apart."
She also added, "I just don't believe stops at 700,000 are happening in a constitutionally sound way."
Quinn has also expressed support for the creation of a NYPD Inspector General, an idea Kelly and Bloomberg strongly oppose.
And yet, as mayor, Quinn says she'd keep Kelly as top cop.
As Capital New York's Azi Paybarah notes, "Both of Quinn's positions, perhaps not coincidentally, are right in line with what voters tell pollsters they want."
But according to de Blasio's new ad, Quinn can't have it both ways.
"We can't afford another 4 years like the last 12,' reads a message near the end of the ad. "To truly reform stop and frisk, we need a fresh start."
In the latest poll, Quinn was the frontrunner in the mayor's race, with 32 percent of the Democratic vote. De Blasio was in second, with 14 percent.
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