New York City is going to be safe and secure for the July 4th celebrations, NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill promised Sunday.
"Last year, we estimated it to be almost two million people on either side of the [East] River [for the fireworks]," O'Neill told "The Cats Roundtable" on 970 AM-N.Y. "It's quite a show, and the people from Manhattan South and Manhattan North and the other boroughs do a terrific job. We've never encountered terrorism . . .
"So, we're all set. There will be thousands of police officers out there. We don't have any direct threats on New York City. I think everybody should come down and enjoy the show. It's spectacular."
O'Neill is far less confident with regard to NYC safety amid gang violence in the Bronx, however, he told host John Catsimatidis. He called for the community to watch the video of Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz's, 15, slaying by machete at the hands of a violent gang on the streets of the Bronx.
"Everybody in New York needs to look at that video," O'Neill told Catsimatidis. "When I talk about . . . gang violence, this is what I’m talking about. Absolutely total disregard for humanity. What they did to this kid was just unspeakable."
Gangs need to be struck down in New York City, O'Neill added, with the help of the community.
"These are the people driving the violence," O'Neill said of the violent gangs. "We have to make sure whatever enforcement that we do is directed at the people who are committing the violence, the homicides and the shootings . . . If anything good comes of this, it will make people understand that we need the community.
"We can't just do this by ourselves. We need the community to [get] rid [of] . . . these gangs and crew members and to stop this violence."
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