© YoutubeNew York City Police Chief Bill Bratton criticizes Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on March 22, 2016.
"I would remind the senator that he lives in the United States of America, and the statements he made today is why he's not gonna become the president of this country," Bratton said during a joint press conference with Mayor Bill de Blasio. "We don't need a president that doesn't respect the values that form the foundation of this country."
The Republican presidential candidate called for the "patrols" shortly after the attacks by members of the Islamic State group in Brussels earlier in the day.
"We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized," Cruz said on his Facebook page.
According to the Washington Post, Cruz's campaign later said that, should he be elected president, his administration would revive the surveillance program formerly used by Bratton's department, saying that de Blasio scuttled it because of "political correctness."
Both de Blasio and Bratton pointed out that the NYPD has more than 900 active Muslim officers.
"I have over 900 very dedicated officers in this department, many of whom do double duty," Bratton said. "They serve as active duty members of the U.S. Military in combat, something the senator has never seen."
Watch footage from the press conference, as posted online, below.
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