Union head calls for NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton to resign amid scandal

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Some of the NYPD Commissioner's high ranking police officials are under federal investigation for corruption.

Now Commissioner Bill Bratton is under fire from the department's second largest union.

The head of the sergeants union is calling for Commissioner Bratton, arguably the most famous police chief in the country, to resign.

"We have a sergeant, failure to supervise, where's the failure to supervise at 1 Police Plaza? We have incidents occurring in your very own building. Where's the failure to supervise there?" said Ed Mullins, Sergeants Benevolent Association President.

Mullins says the NYPD commissioner needs to go. Bill Bratton, he insists, runs the department with a double-standard.

Late Monday afternoon the commissioner hit back in a radio interview.

"A significant number of senior leaders have been placed on what we call 'modified assignment' because of the investigation. I'm very comfortable with the discipline issues being dealt with freely no matter what the rank of the individual," Bratton said.

The commissioner says the transfer of several top commanders, as well as the shakeup in the department's licensing division, is proof that senior NYPD staff is not immune.

But, Mullins says the buck stops with Bratton.

"I think the scandal just displays the hypocrisy that's in place. I mean, how could it not display the hypocrisy," Mullins said.

It all comes in the midst of a federal investigation into allegations of police corruption in South Brooklyn. That's where officers are suspected of trading favors for gifts from local businessmen.

But other police union leaders are defending Bratton, like Detectives Union President Mike Palladino.

"I don't want to see Bill Bratton go at this time, and my real concern is that if Bill Bratton were to leave is to who would come and take over the NYPD," Palladino said.

In his interview, Bratton referred to Mullins as "Crazy Eddie," and suggested Mullins is after his job.

"Not going anywhere for a while, so you might have to wait a while," Bratton said.