Mayor Bloomberg defended the NYPD’s tactics for monitoring Muslims as the latest in a string of reports alleges police kept files on Muslim business owners.
The AP reports today
The controversial counterterrorism tactics have sparked outcry as it’s been revealed that the NYPD monitors Muslims across the country, including New Jersey, where the practice was initially criticized by Governor Chris Christie.
This morning, Mayor Michael Bloomberg told WOR’s John Gambling that the controversy can be blamed on media hype.
“You know, it’s a made-for-television thing. It gets you publicity,” Bloomberg said, according to DNAinfo. “If you want to talk, there’s somebody willing to stick a microphone or a camera in front of you and put it on the air.”
He also implied that different law-enforcement agencies could be competing over territory, but stop short of suggesting that was the case in New Jersey, saying the NYPD and the FBI “work seamlessly together.”
“Every agency at every level of government would like to be involved. And so, you know, if you have a big case, everybody rushes to get on board,” he said. 
