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Friday, March 29, 2024

Mourning and Malaise at NYPD After Funeral of Slain Officer

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New York officers play taps (credit: Long Island Press archive)

Cops around the country gathered in New York last week to pay tribute to one of the two officers slain on December 20th while in their patrol car. It was a tremendous show of support, from law enforcement and the community, both public and commercial. Jet Blue flew about 670 law enforcement personnel to New York for free, in order to attend the funeral of Rafael Ramos. According to the Abby Phillip’s report in the Washington Post, the airline not only offered flights for two officers from each police department, but have also arranged travel for the family of Officer Wenjian Liu from overseas, with the help of a partner carrier.

The ambush killing of these officers has left a rift between the office of the Mayor and the police, with accounts of some officers turning their backs to Mayor De Blasio at the funeral. Even at the recent cadet graduation, there were boos and heckles as the mayor addressed the new police. The New York Post reported De Blasio’s comment from the commencement ceremony, “You will confront all the problems that plague our society – problems that you didn’t create,” was met with an anonymous, “You did!” Laughter and applause followed.

While this may not be the first time that a mayor has been booed by police (the two previous mayors each had some jeers at police rallies), there has certainly been an air of blame and distrust of the mayor’s office by our force in blue.

“There’s blood on many hands tonight,” said Patrick Lynch, president of Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, and then proceeded to lay that blame on the Mayor’s doorstep. In a statement to the public, on their website, however, Patrick Lynch has words of gratitude. “Those of us who wear the blue of the NYPD have experienced love, support and respect in many forms from people from all over the nation, but none means more to us than the slight smile and nod of the head we have been receiving from New Yorkers as we patrol our city’s streets doing the job we love. To those who demonstrate their support for the job we do with a nod and smile, we say thank you, it means a great deal to us.”

There will be a viewing of officer Liu this Saturday, January 3 at Aievoli Funeral Home, in the Dyker Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, from 1pm to 9pm, and the funeral will be held on Sunday, January 4, at 10am.

In the meantime, the New York Post also reports that some police officers are letting minor violations slide. Concerned about their safety, they are writing few summonses, citing recent violence against cops, including the report in November of a man axing an officer in the head in the New York subway. They are concentrating on pursuing arrests.

With cops being shot at in Los Angeles and Florida, by fringe elements who are not even under suspicion, we should be thankful that our police force still operates with the degree of integrity we find all the time in our NYPD. If you see an officer, tip your hat, smile, give them even a silent assurance that they are appreciated. It is no small thing.

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