Ben Carson on the divide between communities and law enforcement
Democratic mayors face backlash over community relationship with police; reaction from Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson displayed some cinematic flair when asked to explain what American cities would look like without police officers.
"Can you imagine what your life would be like if just for 48 hours there were no police at all. People would walk in your house and they would say 'I like your TV, I'm taking it," Ben Carson said on "The Story with Martha MacCallum" Thursday.
MacCallum then asked Carson what he would say to the young men caught in a viral video dumping buckets of water on uniformed police officers in New York City.
"I would say, have you ever seen... 'The Purge' movies," Carson responded.
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The NYPD announced Wednesday that they arrested a gang member seen in a viral video dumping water on officers.
Carson was asked to react to criticism levied at liberal leaders like New York Mayor Bill de Blasio for creating an environment where authority figures and police officers are disrespected. Carson advised city leaders to not "tolerate anarchy."
"Well there's no question that people do what they think they're going to get away with. And I think it's incumbent upon all the leadership of every city to make it clear that they're not going to tolerate anarchy," Carson said.
The HUD secretary added that "you can't condemn a whole group of people on the basis of what one does" and said the key to the issue is communication.
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Carson also said that the "rule of law" was essential to America.
"We need to make sure that we're... a country that has the rule of law in everything. You know in immigration, as far as how we treat people, how we treat our neighbors," Carson said. "You know we cannot go around disrespecting people. This is not who America is."
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