Mayor Bloomberg says a secret New York Police Department operation monitoring Muslims was “legal,” ”appropriate” and “constitutional.”

Bloomberg addressed the issue at length Friday on his weekly radio show on WOR-AM.

Officials in three states have traded accusations over who knew what about efforts by the NYPD to monitor and catalog Muslim neighborhoods and student groups.

Critics have said it isn’t appropriate for the police to spy on law-abiding citizens, without reason to believe they have committed a crime.

Bloomberg says authorities will continue to take all possible legal steps to keep New York safe.

(Source: NBC New York)