NEW YORK—Twitter was abuzz late Tuesday night with rumors from PIX11 claiming that Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio selected Bill Bratton as his police chief.
De Blasio denied the rumors, at an unrelated press conference on Wednesday.
“I have not picked anyone. I have not had any final conversations with any candidates,” de Blasio said. “We are continuing the process and I think you can start to expect the announcements late next week.”
Bratton served as police commissioner of New York City under Mayor Rudolf Giuliani for two years. He also served as police commissioner in Los Angeles. He currently works in the private sector and gives lucrative public speeches.
Following a Nov. 19 speech on traffic safety, Bratton said the job would mean a significant pay cut, but did not rule it out.
“It is really a personal decision for someone like myself and my wife to make as to whether we are at a stage in my life where we are willing to give that up to go back into public service,” Bratton said on Nov. 19.
Philip Banks III, the current NYPD Chief of Department, has also been a name floated by de Blasio as a potential candidate for police commissioner.
