Ted Cruz: Police need to 'patrol and secure' Muslim neighborhoods

(CNN) - Ted Cruz on Tuesday called for law enforcement to step up their policing of Muslim neighborhoods in the U.S. in the wake of terrorist attacks in Brussels, comparing it to police boosting their presence in areas with known gang activity.

"If you have a neighborhood where there's a high level of gang activity, the way to prevent it is you increase the law enforcement presence there and you target the gang members to get them off the streets," the Texas senator told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "I'm talking about any area where there is a higher incidence of radical Islamic terrorism."

Cruz also pointed to what he called the "successful program" in New York implemented by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, apparently pointing to the New York Police Department's controversial surveillance efforts targeting Muslims under his administration.

J. Peter Donald, communications for the New York Police Department, described Cruz's comments as an "incendiary, foolish statement."

"Hey, @tedcruz are our nearly 1k Muslim officers a "threat" too? It's hard to imagine a more incendiary, foolish statement," he tweeted, the night before Cruz is expected to host a rally in New York City.

Earlier in the day Cruz said in a statement, "We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized," adding that the U.S. can no longer afford to "political correctness."

"For years, the West has tried to deny this enemy exists out of a combination of political correctness and fear. We can no longer afford either. Our European allies are now seeing what comes of a toxic mix of migrants who have been infiltrated by terrorists and isolated, radical Muslim neighborhoods," Cruz said in the statement.

Donald Trump said later Tuesday on CNN that he agreed with Cruz's proposal to target Muslim neighborhoods, calling it "a good idea."

Cruz's comments are not the first time the Republican presidential candidate has called for policies that would single out Muslims. The Texas senator argued in November that the U.S. should shut its doors to Muslim refugees from Syria, only allowing Christian refugees to seek asylum in the U.S. - Read More at the Cruz
Ted Cruz: Police need to 'patrol' Muslim neighborhoods  - CNN

Ted Cruz Calls on Police to “Patrol and Secure Muslim ...- vanityfair

Brussels attacks: Cruz says police must 'secure' US Muslim neighbourhoods - BBC News