Metro

Kelly rips mayor candidates’ terror plans

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly delivered a blistering broadside to the entire field of mayoral candidates Monday, accusing them of refusing to say how they would prevent another 9/11 attack and of not even trying to find out how the authorities plan to fight terror.

“The threat of terrorism is as great, if not greater, today than it was before the World Trade Center was destroyed,” he said, citing ominous developments in the Middle East, including the Syrian crisis.

“Yet I can tell you that none of the candidates has requested a briefing from the Police Department on this topic,” he said in a speech to the Association for a Better New York and the Council on Foreign Relations in Manhattan.

Kelly said that even with the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaching, the candidates seem to have forgotten all about terrorism.

“The public should demand detailed answers” from the candidates on how they would fight terror — and on whether they would retain NYPD “programs and strategies that have kept the city safe,” he said.

“Where do the candidates stand on these issues?” he asked. “Surprisingly, we haven’t heard much.”

“We simply don’t know.”

Kelly’s attack — his first major comment on the mayoral election — left the City Hall hopefuls scrambling for answers just a day before Tuesday’s primary vote.

Democratic front-runner Bill de Blasio said he had inquired with City Hall about terror.

“We did ask for a briefing on Aug. 29. We made a formal request to City Hall,” he said.

The candidates did not offer the detailed answers Kelly was asking for but instead spoke in general terms.

“I’ve worked with the NYPD in various capacities now for over 20 years,” said de Blasio, the public advocate. “And I’ve said repeatedly I believe fundamentally in maintaining our strong commitment to anti-terror work.”

Democrat Bill Thompson said it wasn’t his responsibility but Kelly’s to arrange an NYPD briefing.

“It would have been nice if he extended the invitation,” he said. “I would have been happy to come in.”

Democratic City Council Speaker Christine Quinn seemed flustered by Kelly’s rebuke and insisted her staffers have “been meeting with the appropriate people with the Police Department.”

“My staff has been in constant — as we always are, not just because of the campaign — constant contact with the mayor’s office about terrorism and public-safety issues, getting briefings and updates,” Quinn said.

Democratic Comptroller John Liu, who has said he’d replace Kelly if elected, didn’t address Kelly’s challenge directly.

“Commissioner Kelly is doing as all commissioners are doing for Mayor Bloomberg, insisting that the current administration knows best about everything,” he said.

Republican Joe Lhota said he thought the tradition in mayoral elections was to begin briefings only after the primaries. Once nominated, he said, he would contact Kelly, whom he described as “a friend.”

Republican John Catsimatidis said he avoided consulting Kelly out of courtesy.

“I don’t want to put him in a position where he gets in trouble with Bloomberg for me asking to meet with him,” he said.

He added that he had met with the New York Police Foundation, an organization of business and civic leaders that supports the NYPD.

Catsimatidis launched a series of Twitter comments about the city’s security on Monday.

“Attacking Syria will put a bull’s-eye on New York for another terrorist attack,” one tweet read.

“The talk out of Washington in recent days is already making New York City less safe,” another said.

Thompson questioned the timing of Kelly’s comments, as well as the commissioner’s sincerity.

“It is a little strange that the commissioner has chosen to do this 24 hours before the election,” he said.

“It would’ve been nice if he was serious about the offer, if he would’ve done this a few weeks ago or a few months ago. If he would’ve mentioned it before, I’m sure all of us — I know I would’ve — taken him up on the offer.”

Kelly defended the NYPD’s anti-terror tactics and warned that the city is slipping into a casual attitude toward terror.

“I think the fact that we haven’t had a successful attack [since 2001] has lulled us into a feeling of complacency,” he said. “We understand that people want to get on with their lives. We can’t afford that.”

“There are few questions more important than what the next mayor will do to protect the city from terrorism,” he said. “New York remains squarely in the cross hairs of global terrorism.”

Speaking of Syria, he said, “We’re keeping a close eye on that country’s sworn allies, Iran and Hezbollah,” noting they have targeted “Israeli and Jewish targets worldwide.”

He raised the possibility of New York “jihadists” joining the al Qaeda-linked al Nusra rebel group in Syria.

“Our concern is what happens when these individuals return home?” he said.

Additional reporting by Yoav Gonen, Sally Goldenberg, Lia Eustachewich, Bruce Golding and Beth DeFalco