Bratton Says NYPD 'Will Practice What Mandela Preached'

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Nelson Mandela's death has sparked new discussion about equality in New York City politics. And it comes just in time for a new mayor who promise change and his choice for who will lead the NYPD.

Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio and incoming police commissioner William Bratton paid a visit to the National Action Network on Saturday to talk about their plans for the NYPD under the next administration.

De Blasio has promised to reform the NYPD's use of stop-and-frisk.

Despite his support for the tactic, Bratton promises his department will uphold standards of equality and respect the rights of all citizens.

'Our commitment to you is that your police force, in your city, will be respectful. It will practice what Mandela preached,' said Bratton.

Rev. Al Sharpton spoke at the event as well.

'We know as Mandela said, we can disagree without being disagreeable. But we're fighting for higher goals. This is not about Bratton or Sharpton or de Blasio, this is about one city with one goal, with equal protection under the law,' Sharpton said.

Bratton was Rudy Giuliani's commissioner in the mid-1990s. At the time, he used stop-and-frisk as a method of bringing down crime.

He also supported the tactic as police commissioner in Los Angeles.