Bloomberg, Kelly pay emotional visit to 75th Precinct

NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly made an emotional overnight visit to a police station in Brooklyn to spend a somber Christmas roll call at the precinct where an officer was killed earlier this month.

The pair met with colleagues of Officer Peter Figoski, a 22-year veteran who was murdered during a botched robbery in Cypress Hills, allegedly by a career criminal.

"I guess you say merry Christmas, but it's tempered by what happened in the [75th Precinct]," Bloomberg said.

The mayor talked about police officers as a team whose work has a legacy.

"Pete Figoski was one of those guys that kept my kids safe, keeps me safe, keeps your kids safe," he said. "And you've got a tradition to carry on."

Kelly told the officers he knows it's tough out there.

"This is a challenging place to work, no question about it," he said. "The amount of violence...but it's amazing what's happened here."

Crime statistics for the 75th Precinct reveal two opposing trends in the last year. The number of murders and rapes are down, but the figures for robbery and assault show a distinct increase.

"Thanks to your efforts, Pete Figowski's efforts, you're not in vain," Kelly said. "Great work happens here."

And with those words, New York's finest hit the beat.

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new york city, peter figoski, police officer killed, nypd, new york news, darla miles

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