Police Commissioner Bratton confirms NYPD work slowdown

NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton told NPR's Robert Siegel that a work slowdown had occurred after all, after denying the charge earlier this week.

"We're coming out of what was a pretty widespread stoppage of certain types of activity, the discretionary type of activity by and large," Bratton said. "I'm very conscious of the impact of all of those on my personnel."

The Washington Post reported earlier this week that criminal summonses, along with traffic tickets, were down 90 percent compared to last year. Bratton told NPR that despite the steep drop in criminal summonses, major crimes in the city were still down.

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The slowdown was viewed by many to be a protest against New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio — it comes just weeks after hundreds of officers who attended the funerals of two slain colleagues turned their backs on the mayor during his eulogies at each service. Bratton said the department is now slowly returning to a normal level of policing in the city.