Bill de Blasio and his wife, Chirlane McCray, and their children, Chiara
and
Dante, arriving for his inauguration as New York City’s mayor.
(photo:
Uli Seit/NYT)
28 December 14
ill
de Blasio came to the office of New York City Mayor with an agenda for
reform of the New York City Police Department. He is quickly finding out
why his predecessors have had so much difficulty accomplishing the very
same thing.
The NYPD is the nation’s largest police department. It
is also one of the most corrupt, violent and entrenched. The NYPD is
also very savvy in the political ways of “The Big Apple.”
When NYPD officers turn their backs to de Blasio, one
of their objectives is to get him off their backs. This was planned
before the killings of officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos. As early
as December 12th, the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) was
promoting a de Blasio shunning to its members, with the admonishment
“Don’t Let Them Insult Your Sacrifice!” referring to Mayor de Blasio and
Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.
De Blasio has been very open about his desire for
reform within the NYPD, and the police have been just as open about
their determination that it will never happen.
The NYPD and the PBA, on behalf of the officers, paint
this as an officer safety issue. “City officials who want reform cost
cops their lives.” Not racist murders of unarmed New Yorkers – that of
course never creates animosity toward the police. But it does.
In fact, nothing puts the lives of America’s police
officers in greater jeopardy faster than racially motivated, unjustified
killings. If Eric Garner had not been needlessly killed, where would we
be today? Would officers Liu and Ramos still be alive?
There is an apparent perception on the part of the
NYPD rank and file and their union representatives that attempts at
reform are somehow bad for the department and the safety of the
officers. In fact transparency, accountability, the right training, and
attracting better educated personnel are the very things that would make
officers and the public they serve more safe.
What is really behind the well planned attacks on de
Blasio and the long standing resistance to change within the department
is a desire on the part of the NYPD old guard to maintain their power
structure.
The well choreographed insult to de Blasio at the
funeral of Officer Rafael Ramos was not only an insult to the mayor, but
to the dignity of the people of the city of New York.
At a time when unity is important to the police, the
community, and the city fathers, the NYPD and the PBA have chosen
cheap-shot, self-serving politics as the legacy of the two fallen
officers, amounting to yet another tragedy.
No good is served by police officers dying. A great
deal of good will result from the death of the NYPD old-guard power
structure.
To accomplish that, de Blasio will be tested.
Marc Ash was formerly the founder and Executive Director of Truthout, and is now founder and Editor of Reader Supported News.
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