NYPD leaders pledge not to allow Seattle-style CHAZ zones

Top officials in the New York Police Department said Wednesday that police are in "standby mode" as they work to ensure that Columbia students are kept safe during the ongoing anti-Israel protest on campus. 

NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell and Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry were interviewed on "The Story" and said that the role of police is to remain neutral and protect people while respecting the First Amendment rights of demonstrators. However, they emphasized that protesters will not be permitted to take over the streets of New York City, like what happened in Seattle's "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone" (CHAZ) in 2020. 

"We will not have any Seattle-type encampments on the streets of New York City," Chell said. "I can guarantee you that would end rather quickly." 

The officials also commented on the language directed at police officers from protesters, comparing public safety officials to the KKK. 

Chell said those comments were "reprehensible" and "disgusting." 

Daughtry said that if his officers spoke how the professors and faculty spoke to them, they would face disciplinary action.