By: Mike Mustiglione
The New York Police Department’s captains union has criticized elected officials for putting cops between a rock and a hard place: blamed if they react too strongly or weakly to the ongoing George Floyd riots.
Chris Monahan, who took over as President of the Captains’ Endowment Association back in December of 2019, is pointing the finger of blame at politicians. “They do not have your back and will use you as a political pawn!” he reportedly noted in an emailed letter. “My assessment is ‘Hands off the protester/looter you will be assaulted by them. Hands on the protester/looter you will be assaulted by our elected officials.’ BE CAREFUL!”
Monahan told The New York Post, “We just have to see who votes ‘Yes’ for the series of anti-police legislation and who votes no Monday in Albany.”
The email reportedly began this way: “We are encountering troubling times, between COVID-19, the day after day protest and looting happening in our city, the long hours and cancellation of our RDO’s. I commend each one of our members.” It continues, “Rest assured if the wheel of misfortune falls on any of you, the CEA will be there to defend and protect you. Religious or not, at this time Saint Michael must pray for us because our leaders have abandoned us.”
New York City’s Mayor Bill de Blasio has often incurred the wrath of the NYPD. Just yesterday, he announced a series of new reforms to the New York City Police Department designed to strengthen trust between New Yorkers and officers. The City will shift funding from the NYPD to youth and social services for communities of color, move vendor enforcement out of the NYPD, and establish a community ambassadors program within the NYPD. The Mayor also announced his support of the new 50-A reform bill introduced in Albany. The Mayor also lifted the citywide curfew effective immediately.
“While we have taken many steps to reform policing in this city, there is clearly more work to do to strengthen trust between officers and the New Yorkers they serve,” said de Blasio. “These will be the first of many steps my Administration will take over the next 18 months to rebuild a fairer City that profoundly addresses injustice and disparity.”
Among his planned reforms:
– Shift Funding from NYPD to Youth and Social Services: The City will find significant savings in the NYPD budget. This funding will go towards youth development and social services for communities of color. The amount will be finalized with the City Council during the budget process.
– 50-A Reform: The Mayor announced that he supports the State Legislature’s efforts to take away the provisions in 50-A that prevent transparency while still protecting the personal information of police officers. The Mayor also commended the Legislature for taking this step to ensure more accountability in the Department’s disciplinary system and give the public confidence.
– Move Vendor Enforcement Out of NYPD: The City will shift enforcement for street vending out of NYPD so our officers can focus on the real drivers of crime instead of administrative infractions. This will further the Administration’s de-escalation agenda by reducing interactions between uniform officers and New Yorkers, particularly immigrant communities and communities of color.
