Is Police Commissioner Ray Kelly thinking of running for Mayor in 2013? The evidence is mounting in that direction: he has the approval ratings to back him, a close relationship with the current Mayor and administration, and the occasional incandescent PR moment or two. And a major profile in this week's NY Magazine lends even more credence to the idea, as it contributes a sweeping portrait of the Dunkin' Donuts- and iPad-loving, former Marine Corps. veteran who "radiates power." more ›

Speaking at a 2:15 a.m. press conference about the crude bomb found in an SUV in Times Square last night, Mayor Bloomberg said, "We are very lucky... Thanks to alert New Yorkers and professional police officers we avoided what could have been a very deadly event." Inside a Nissan Pathfinder parked on West 45th Street near 7th Avenue, police found "two gasoline cans, three propane tanks, electrical wires, black powder, consumer grade fireworks and two clocks." While the bob was called "amateurish," Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said, "I think the intent was to cause a significant ball of fire." more ›

The Bronx resident who wounded a police officer after a home health aide rejected his romantic advances was killed by NYPD bullets—not a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The medical examiner's officer has determined that 57-year-old Santiago Urena was struck by three rounds fired by cops after he opened fire on Officer Robert Salerno, the Times reports. more ›

Obama's gutterballs (and Special Olympics analogy) were a source of embarrassment on the campaign trail in '08, so last night when Mayor Bloomberg hit Brooklyn's trendiest bowl spot he kept his scores secret. Brooklyn Bowl closed down to host the mayor, along with Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and several city agency heads, reports the Advance. "It was really a good team-building event," said FDNY Commissioner Sal Cassano, who scored 126 in one game. "We all weren't that good," he joked. When the mayor took off around 10:30, Kelly stuck around, scoring 86 in one game and 106 in another. A spokewoman wouldn't say how the mayor fared, but she did disclose that city sheriff Lindsay Eason was among the evening's big winners. more ›

The alleged thief who impersonated another man at his arraignment, then walked out of the courtroom a free man, was found last night in midtown Manhattan. What’s more, officials say 35-year-old Freddie Thomson—who should have faced charges for armed robbery, but instead pleaded guilty to marijuana possession—was not solely at fault. According to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly an officer failed to "adequately check the identification of the prisoner." He added that "There was a mistake made here. There's no question about it." more ›

Mayor Bloomberg announced today that starting April 1st, all parades must shorten their traditional routes by 25% and keep the festivities under five hours. The Daily News reports that this is a cost cutting measure, which would save the police about $3.1 million and keep them from cutting counterterrorism measures. Plus we're sure anyone living on 5th Avenue will be glad for some peace and f&#*ing quiet. more ›

With his department under scrutiny for allegedly falsifying crime statistics, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is still landing high approval ratings, besting Mayor Bloomberg and matching the top cop's highest figures of all time. A new study found that 70 percent of New York voters approve of Kelly's performance, while earlier this week researchers revealed that only 60 percent approve of Bloomberg. Does that mean Kelly's could be a contender for Mayor in the next election? more ›

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is blaming the uptick in robberies this year--265 through September 2, versus last year's 177 during the same period--on banks. A police source tells the Daily News, "The new thing with banks is to be 'friendly' to customers. Branches look like lounges - no glass partitions, no security guards. They are 'friendly,' all right - 'friendly' to thugs who 'withdraw' other people's money." Kelly wants banks to improve their security, a reprise of his request back in 2003 during another bank robbery boom time. The News also runs down the top three targeted banks: Wachovia, Commerce and Sovereign. more ›

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly explained why there are more younger muggers these days: It's the iPhone! more ›

Around 3:45 a.m., a device exploded outside the military recruiting center in Times Square. No one was injured, but a glass entryway was shattered. more ›

After the city was moved by the story of a baby abandoned in the backseat of a livery cab and how the driver dropped off the baby at a fire house, prompting the police and media to look for the baby's relatives, it turns out the livery cab driver was involved in the abandonment scheme. Driver Klever Sailema was arrested today, as were another man and woman. Oh, no. more ›

Nothing says press conference like raiding a 32 stores in what the city dubs "Counterfeit Triangle" and hauling away over a $1 million worth of brand-name products. The raid, taking down stores in the area bounded by Canal Street, Walker Street and Centre Street, occurred in the early morning, with cops using bolt-cutters to gain entry and tractor-trailers to take the haul away Coach, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbanna, Dior, Prada, Rolex, Fendi, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Dora the Explorer and Oakley merchandise. more ›

Leonard Levitt, a veteran journalist who spent 10 years covering the NYPD for Newsday and now writes at his own website, NYPD Confidential, is suing the NYPD over its refusal to grant him a press pass. In this video, Levitt explains how the NYPD's action are "strictly retaliatory," because of his past writing exposing NYPD issues. more ›

Update: Police have arrested David Tarloff, a Queens resident and former patient of Shinbach's, for Faughey's murder. The Post reports Tarloff, described as overweight with a bald spot by neighbors, has a history of violent crime. Apparently fingerprints found on suitcases left at the crime scene led the police to Tarloff. more ›

The Queens DA's office and NYPD revealed new details about the killing of a Queens dentist. and why his estranged wife was arrested for murder and conspiracy. Daniel Malakov, who had been fighting with wife Dr. Mazultov Borukhova over custody of their young daughter, was gunned down at a playground last October when taking the 4-year-old to his wife for visitation. more ›

Sixty-two men associated with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonanno crime families were arrested yesterday in a federal, state and local coordinated sweep in the New York region. A number of Gambino-related arrests were also made in Italy, and authorities have described this as the biggest mob bust in decades. Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Benton Campbell said, "Our goal is and always has been simple: to dismantle the Gambino organized-crime family in a coordinated and consistent fashion." more ›

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced New York City will receive $153 million - up from last year's $61 million - in transit security grants. Wow - all we can do is remember Chertoff's 2005 remark, when trying discussing how security funding would be allocated, "The truth of the matter is, a fully loaded airplane with jet fuel, a commercial airliner, has the capacity to kill 3,000 people. A bomb in a subway car may kill 30 people. When you start to think about your priorities, you're going to think about making sure you don't have a catastrophic thing first." more ›

The hits keep coming for the NYPD. Yesterday, federal prosecutors accused a Brooklyn detective of drug trafficking. The indictment (you can read it here) claims Batista would leak law enforcement information to a cocaine ring that also engaged in violence. more ›

When you're found to be making pipe bombs amidst an apartment arsenal of weapons and then confess to painting swastikas in your Brooklyn Heights neighborhood, expect the book to be thrown at you repeatedly. Ivaylo Ivanov was charged with over 100 criminal counts for his activities. more ›

After intense speculation about why the masseuse who discovered Heath Ledger's body last Tuesday called actress Mary-Kate Olsen multiple times, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly spoke to reporters yesterday to clear the air. Kelly said, "We believe that of the three phone calls by the masseuse to Mary-Kate Olsen, only one got through. That call was 99 seconds long." more ›

Early this morning, a 30-year-old man was shot dead outside a bar-restaurant in Long Island City. Joseph Prince, who was found with two gun shots in his head, had been attending a friend's prison release party. more ›

No arrests have been made, but a violent incident in Times Square originating at karaoke nightclub early Monday Spotlight LiveSpotlight Live resulted in the death of one man and the injury or hospitalization six others last night. A coat-check dispute, led to the ejection of a number of patrons and resulted in a deadly brawl. more ›

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has ordered a revision to the NYPD's appearance guidelines and facial hair on cops is for the most part forbidden. No full beards, no goatees, no chinstrap beards, and no highly sculpted facial hair patterns. Mustaches, of course, are still acceptable. Undercover cops are allowed to retain whatever facial hair they choose. Uniformed officers found to be insufficiently clean shaven could face a formal infraction report or the loss of a vacation day. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a possible abduction on Warwick St. and Livonia Ave. in Brooklyn, a police involved shooting on West Kingsbridge Rd. in the Bronx, and an abduction on 33rd St. and 5th Ave. in Manhattan.
• A contestant on Deal or No Deal from Bayonne, NJ tells host Howie Mandel that the godawful smell around there is from the dump on Staten Island. Residents of Richmond County are not amused.
• Two pitbulls, one dead and the other severely injured, were found in a dumpster at a Yonkers gas station Sunday morning. Police say that it appears that the two animals were used as bait in a dog fighting session.

Staten Island's Ninja Burglar struck again late last week, slipping furtively and unseen into a doctor's home on Melbourn Rd. in the Castleton Corners section of the borough. No one was home at the time and he scored big in his 19th break-in since May of last year, making off with $20,000 in jewelry. The theft comes just a little over a month after the man in black struck twice in quick succession in late November. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: shots fired on 166th St. and the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, a pedestrian struck at Berry St. and Division Ave. in Brooklyn, and a found body on Richmond Valley and Arthur Kill on Staten Island.
• Still searching for the Staten Island ninja burglar, police questioned New York Post photographer Ron Romano because of his ninja-like ability to tightrope walk.
• A huge hole in the middle of Brooklyn's Pacific Street provides rude awakenings for drivers who don't see it.
• Mark it. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says he has no intention of running for Mayor.
• The City of New York was found liable for the 2004 mauling of a toddler in the Bronx, because a police officer gave a pit bull to a mother who had never handled the dog before.
• The loudest neighborhoods in NYC, based on the number of noise complaints. The Bronx is blasting.
• With two weeks to go before Christmas, customers are lining up day and night to get a hand on a Nintendo Wii game system.
• Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes describes the sub-premium mortgage meltdown as equivalent to the crack epidemic of the 1980s.
• And w00t is Merriam-Webster's word of the year.

So if you remember correctly, Grand Theft Auto IV, the New York City crime simulator, was supposed to be in stores by now. But between production delays and the million other great games this season to compete with, they decided to just push it back till next Spring and get it right. But just in case you've you've still got an itch for some Eastern European organized crime this holiday season, here's a brand... more ›

We've admired the Wee Ninja from Shawnimals ever since we were looking for a visual to go with posts about the Staten Island Ninja Burglar. Wee Ninja is actually not a criminal in Shawn Smith's Ninjatown - Wee Ninjas only train, harvest Stealth Wheart, and fight the Wee Devils (or something along those lines). And now it turns out that there's an event at My Plastic Heart on Forsyth Street this Friday, Keep it... more ›

The spicy story of the cop fired after testing positive on a drug test - after unkowingly eating a meatball spiked with pot - returns with a lawsuit! Anthony Chiofalo, a 22-year veteran of the NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force, is suing to be reinstated, claiming his termination was "arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable and unconstitutional." Back in 2005, Chiofalo was shocked when he tested positive for marijuana during a drug test. Then it turned out his... more ›