Pat Lynch must dial back the statements inciting harm towards de Blasio
[Publisher’s Commentary]
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton must issue a directive that NYPD police officers who commit acts of indiscipline, while on duty, including turning their backs on the mayor will be suspended without pay.
Those who repeat such transgressions should face more disciplinary action, including if possible, dismissal. Otherwise the mayor will soon lose control of the NYPD.
It’s one thing for police officers to engage in their constitutionally guaranteed right to protest when they are off duty. But imagine if active on-duty members of the U.S. military service were to turn their backs on President Barack Obama. What signal would that send to foreign adversaries?
The Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) chief Pat Lynch is sending the wrong message to those who would engage in crime in New York City; that some police officers, because of animosity towards their commander in chief, may not fully engage in police work. Pat Lynch is promoting the kind of climate of indiscipline that could compromise the safety of New Yorkers as well that of Mayor de Blasio by encouraging open insurrection and rebellion.
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So Bill de Blasio must not succumb to Pat Lynch’s attempt to blackmail him into doing something he can’t do anyway — which is to try and block the constitutionally guaranteed right people have to protest against police brutally and judicial misconduct.
Some local dailies have been playing an irresponsible role by referring to demonstrators as “anti-police”. This is a pretty libelous label.
Yes, without a doubt when tens of thousands of people of all ethnic and racial background come out to protest there will be some who are anti-police in general; similarly, on a police force such as the NYPD’s with more than 35,000 officers, there are many racist and even brutal cops who give the department a bad name.
Police Commissioner Bratton himself admitted to the problem of people who should not be on the NYPD in an October speech. The Daily News’s headline of that story read, “Police Commissioner Bill Bratton Declares War On Dirty Cops…”
It’s Pat Lynch who lives in denial and sadly provides cover to the bad cops on the force by pretending there are no such officers.
The overwhelming majority of the demonstrators are people who are tired of business as usual when it comes to police brutality and judicial miscarriage. These are national problems as evidenced by the across-the-country protests. They are not NYPD, or Pat Lynch, or Bill de Blasio problems.
The demonstrators want the specific reforms being advocated such as: having special prosecutors to handle cases where police officers shoot unarmed civilians; enforcement of residency laws so more police officers reside near the communities they police; diversity in the composition of the police forces–for example while African Americans make up 25% of New York’s population they’re only 17% of the NYPD; and, body cameras for all officers, to mention just a few of the proposed measures.
What’s more, here in New York, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has asked Governor Andrew Cuomo for powers to prosecute police officers who shoot unarmed civilians until such a time when the legislature passes a law creating and empowering such a special prosecutor. Surely Pat Lynch and his lot are not suggesting that Schneiderman is “anti-police”?
If Pat Lynch wants the public not to paint all police officers with a broad brush then he too must realize that the vast majority of the demonstrators are not against good police officers: they oppose the brutal ones who tarnish the NYPD’s reputation.
Pat Lynch must share the goal of the protestors. Responsible reforms will increasingly protect New Yorkers from abusive police officers who poison relations between the force and the communities that they are sworn to serve and protect.
Pat Lynch and Bill de Blasio could help the process with a private meeting between them.
