NJ Gov. Christie Blasts Mayor Bill De Blasio Over 'Liberal' Policing Policy

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday slammed Mayor Bill de Blasio, saying the mayor's "liberal'' law-and-order policies have increased crime in the nation's largest city.

Christie and de Blasio appeared separately on MSNBC's "Morning Joe'' on Tuesday.

The Democratic mayor, who appeared on the program with his wife, Chirlane McCray, touted statistics showing the city is enjoying its safest summer and argued that the streets are safer in New York under his watch.

However, he acknowledged there have been more homicides there so far this year than there were at this point in 2014.

"We have had the safest summer in over 20 years, we had last year the lowest number of murders in 50 years, we have had precisely 10 more murders this year than last year, that's 10 more than I accept, but it's only 10 now," de Blasio said. "I think the facts count for a lot and I think if you talk to everyday New Yorkers about their quality of life, what they're experiencing, people know it was the safest summer in 20 years because they're experiencing it."

But as CBS2 Political Reporter Marcia Kramer reported, moments later, Christie appeared on the network and said the only people who think New York City had a safe summer are de Blasio and his wife.

"It's less safe in this city," Christie said, adding that de Blasio's "liberal policies" are diminishing the quality of life in the city. "For those families that lost their loved one, I don't think they thought it was a safer summer."

Christie made reference specifically to a shooting at the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn this past weekend, which left Carey Gabay, an aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, critically wounded. Gabay was hit in the head by a stray bullet when suspected gang members started shooting.

Christie slammed de Blasio on both crime and homelessness.

"Under both Mayor (Rudolph) Giuliani and Mayor (Michael) Bloomberg, we didn't see the outward manifestation of this problem in the way you see it, now and we didn't see the diminishing quality of life like you see it now," Christie said.

The governor said people are getting "more and more fed up'' with crime and that if he was mayor of New York City he'd resurrect a stop-and-frisk police policy.

"Stop and frisk would be back in about five minutes and we would empower the police and not undercut them," Christie said.

Mayoral spokesman Peter Kadushin said Christie is as confused about New York's crime figures as he is about his own polling numbers.

Says Kadushin: "They are both down.''

The 2016 Republican presidential hopeful said President Barack Obama's policies have also contributed to lawlessness.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

In:
• Bill de Blasio