The PBA’s Pat Lynch
[Commentary]
According to Wall Street Journal reporter, Josh Dawsey’s, article on Tuesday, August 2, 2016, Patrick Lynch President of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association of the New York City Police Department and its members are planning to demonstrate “peacefully” in front of City Hall demanding a decent increase in pay. Strangely enough this very same Union rejected an arbitration battle in November / 2014 after previously rejecting a benefits package increase in salary.
Although the pay raise issue has a ring of truth like any other Municipal Public Service Union, this demonstration appears more personal and racially motivated.
During Bill DeBlasio’s campaign for the Mayor’s Office he ran on a platform of eliminating the “Stop & Search” which obviously affected minorities- Blacks & Hispanics-in their very own neighborhoods, although statistics showed that crimes in all neighborhoods were down, and more Cops were in the streets.
During my research of P.B.A. behavior throughout the history, they had also demonstrated during Mayors Michael Bloomberg’s administration but, the worst of them which had the taste of a race riot was during Mayor David Dinkins’ term.
This New York City Police insurrection in 1992 with over 10,000 apparently off-duty Police Officers, demonstrated in a brawl-like fashion blocking Brooklyn Bridge traffic, City Hall traffic, and even “roughed up” the City Hall on duty Officers as they knocked down the security barricades attempting to storm the Mayor’s Office.
Rudy Giuliani challenging Mayor Dinkins for the Mayoralty, joined the already drunk beer drinking rioters who then began to call Mayor Dinkins, “Nigger, Nigger” and also “Wash Room Attendant”.
Giuliani appeared to mouth those very same racial insults although he then denied it, but, he did act in concert. Phil Caruso, Patrick Lynch’s predecessor was the actual P.B.A. President who organized that racially-oriented Cop riot.
Despite the fact that then Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly described the incident as “Unruly, mean spirited, with criminal behavior”, and that the union leaders degraded the reputation of the Police Department, putting the on duty officers at risk, no one was arrested.
Internal Affairs was only able to identify 87 participants but only 42 faced disciplinary charges. Those charged were represented by Union Lawyers and they soon received “slapped on the wrist” punishments.
The investigation continued but was suspended under the new Mayor Giuliani, and his new Police Commissioner, Bernard Kerick.
Lynch stated that there would not be a repeat of that 1992 demonstration but insisted on going to wherever Mayor De Blasio was, even his gym, “because he is never in City Hall when we need him and we have to let him know how we feel”.
Since the founding date of the P.B.A. in 1892, P.B.A. Unions always felt and acted as if they were beyond scrutiny, an above the law arrogant insular institution with an annual dues collecting budget of over $63 million dollars up to the present time.
The cops and the Union through the years coddled criminal cops like Michael Dowd a junky and drug dealer who robbed dealers of drugs and money, and was finally arrested by the Suffolk County Cops.
Another P.B.A. Union coddling case was the toilet plunger sodomizing case of Haitian citizen Abner Louima. By the preponderance of the evidence they could not defend the guilty anymore, so P.O.’s Justin Volpe and Charles Schwartz were justifiably sent to prison, 30 years and 15 years respectively.
What is the P.B.A. going to do in the case of the “Staten Island Strangler”-P.O. Daniel Pantaleo-who chocked Eric Sanders to death for selling “loosies”? The Richmond County Prosecuter decided not to indict Pantaleo. He is free to “choke” again. That crime by cop gave birth to the rally cry of “Black Lives Matter”.
The past Mayor Dinkins City Hall P.B.A. riot is a prime example that present P.B.A. President Lynch wants to repeat to show union strength as he disrespectfully ordered his membership to turn their backs on Mayor De Blasio when he attended the funeral of a slain officer in church.
The attack on Mayor De Blasio could also be racially motivated since his wife Chirlane McCray is African-American, once an avowed Lesbian until she met and married De Blasio 19 years ago in 1994, and the children are Bi-racially reflecting a pro-black posture.
The daughter Chiara, has admitted to being a drugs and alcohol abuser and brother Dante flaunts an over-sized afro hair style that he refuses to trim. Hence, they do not reflect President Obama’s daughter’s serene postures.
As Mayor, De Blasio also approved the $41 million dollar settlement for the Central Park 5, asked L.G.B.T. people not patronize restaurants that did not served them.
Mayor De Blasio’s other proclamations that have angered Lynch and the P.B.A. has been ordering body cameras for Cops, reduced minor drug possessions arrests to misdemeanors and also discontinued the post 9/11 surveillance of Muslim residences in New York City.
Presidential candidate Donald Trump promised to re-instate this surveillance policy on Muslims if he wins the election.
Perhaps the P.B.A.’s albeit bias is that the De Blasio Family, first family of the City, has been labeled as “Black, White, Gay, Straight, and Afro”, and they have also resented that First Lady Mrs. De Blasio has input in running the City especially creating a diverse City Hall staff, with many more women than in the previous administrations.
Mayor De Blasio also enjoys a more favorable acceptance in the Black community than in the White community.
Mayor De Blasio who is 55 years old and his birth name is Warren Wilhelm, Jr. when questioned about his wife stated that “Chirlane is my life, my partner, and my number one Advisor”.
Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump stated viciously that all of his advisors in the White House “will only be men with the exception of my daughter, Ivanka”.
Perhaps what may have finally pushed the P.B.A. to attack the Mayor with this impending City Hall demonstration for higher wages was that Mrs. De Blasio appointed Rachel Noerdlinger a woman of color and former spokesperson for Rev. Al Sharpton, as her personal assistant at a salary of $170, 000.
In the final analysis it is my firm belief that these exposures in the De Blasio administration and also charges of possible corruption, may have motivated N.Y.P.D. Detective Gregory Gordon already a “rogue cop” to call Mrs. De Blasio, “A former crack addict”, tell the Black Community to “get over their slavery mentality” and also, to criticize Police Commissioner Bill Bratton for rejecting a Donald Trump invitation to speak at a Precinct on his behalf.To this date Gordon has not been disciplined, and charges are still pending on shooting a black man in the back years ago.
Lynch expects about 6, 000 officers to show up with their families, and has even invited Newark, Port Authority, Nassau, and Suffolk County Cops to the rally because their pay scale is more than, N.Y.C.P.D. A Newark 5 year cop makes, $58,000., a year while a New York City 5 year cop only makes $49,000 a year.
No Politicians nor Celebrities were invited to the P.B.A. rally.
Films of the 1992 Police City Hall riot are on YouTube—I did not see Giuliani, nor any cops of color, but newspapers did have pictures of him- Giuliani-being carried on cops shoulders.
It is my opinion that all of these demonstrations are a “White back-lash” because of the progress though limited of people of color.
When Barack Hussein Obama had the audacity to run and become President of the United States, he was converted into the “Jackie Robinson” of Politics, and became a “political pin cushion” for 8 years.
I am still waiting for Josh Dawsey to return my 5 telephone calls –I wanted to ask why he didn’t mention that unlike the protests by the PBA against mayor Michael Bloomberg, which he noted, the one against Dinkins was clearly racist with officers calling him a “nigger”; but I will not hold my breath.
