I probably don’t write nearly as many stories about fascist cops as I should, but today’s news is far, far too important to ignore. After a NYC cop was killed, Mayor Bill de Blasio posted a supportive message to twitter:
This was a premeditated assassination attempt against New York’s Finest. It was also an attack on ALL New Yorkers and everything we believe in. This MUST be a city where everyone can live in peace and respect. This individual attempted to destroy that. We will not let him win.
In response to this message, calling the killing an assassination and an attack on all New Yorkers, the Sergeant’s Benevolent Association’s official twitter account responded with this:
Mayor DeBlasio, the members of the NYPD are declaring war on you! We do not respect you, DO NOT visit us in hospitals. You sold the NYPD to the vile creatures, the 1% who hate cops but vote for you. NYPD cops have been assassinated because of you. This isn’t over, Game on!
It is stunning that a group of armed public servants would “declare war” against their own elected government. It’s hard even to think of appropriate commentary to respond at this point. While it’s probably only one or a very few NYPD sergeants were involved in the wording of this tweet, the head of the NYPD SBA has been reelected in the past after saying things nearly as horrible (or, hell, perhaps more horrible, I don’t follow the SBA carefully). At this point it’s clear that the SBA is dangerously biased toward conflict and violence. It’s hard to imagine any reform being successful short of firing them all.
The only union that needed to be busted was never threatened with it. And when rarely held accountable, they whine. New York’s Swinest called new oversight rules a “stab in the back”.
I wish I could say I’m surprised.
The NYPD has a long history of corruption (every 10 years they get hit with another big corruption scandal), brutality, and incompetence. There have been several well-known cases of NYPD officers killing people out of arrogance, stupidity, or just plain the love of killing. Stupidity: an officer was showing off his pistol with some sort of laser sight, pointed it at a friend, and pulled the trigger. And there was a recent case in Mt. Vernon where a cop was parked near a corner and just shooting anyone he felt like shooting. When a police officer was on trial for accepting bribes, other officers waited outside the building to prevent anyone from going in to see the trial.
As for racism: it comes from the top. Bratton, Bloomberg, etc.
Cops who aren’t willing to participate in the corruption get forced out.
“Vile creatures” is particularly telling. I’d think you would have had to be living under a rock for the last five decades to not realize that dehumanizing people you disagree with almost ALWAYS leads to “so we should shoot them” as an inevitable next step.
I’m guessing that “1%” is seriously underestimating how many New Yorkers who hate cops. And if the other 99% all love cops, then how does he think de Blasio got elected?