PBA and SBA Attacks on Mayor de Blasio and Their Use of 'Dog Whistle' Words Are As Dangerous As the Criminals Roaming New York
By Gary Glennell Toms
Let me be very clear. This commentary will anger many rank and file members of the New York City Police Department. Good! This commentary will anger many of this city's elected officials, especially those who believe the NYPD, its leadership or methods of policing should never be questioned or scrutinized in any way. Good! This commentary may be a topic of discussion on various cable and network news channels. Good! This commentary will likely make From The G-Man, as well as myself, the target of Twitter trolls. Good! My response to all of the aforementioned will be the same. "I'm not easily intimidated, and neither are my news sites. Bring it!"
Before I go any further, I'm going to launch a preemptive strive against members of the NYPD or anyone else that would attempt to label me "anti-cop". Doing so would be a huge mistake. Truth be told, I've written over 200 news stories on the NYPD. Some were extremely favorable, and some were not. Even when the stories didn't showcase the department in a favorable manner, I still managed to develope extremely good working relationships with high-ranking NYPD officials over the course of my career, which includes my seven-year stint with The Wave of Long Island, Rockaway's newspaper of record. The late Chief Thomas Lawless, Captain Charles Talamo, who underwent special training with the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, Lt. Rob Schwach, who created the NYPD's C.O.B.R.A. program, and Deputy Inspector Kenneth Lindhal, who was with the 101st Precinct in Far Rockaway, were some of the law enforcement officials I worked with and later befriended. I respected them and the job they had to do, and they respected me for having the courage to ask the hard questions and hold people in power accountable through my reporting. As Captain Talamo once said, "You're tough on the department, G-Man, but you're always fair."
In the wake of recent comments made by NYPD union leaders Ed Mullins and Patrick Lynch, I felt it was crucially important, as a Black man with two independent and unfunded news and information platforms, to address what I consider to be incendiary statements that have the potential to make the division between the department, elected officials and communities of color even worse. I completely understand that Mullins, Lynch and members "New York's Finest" are upset over the attempted assassinations of two of their officers and the attack on the 41st Precinct in the Bronx. I'm angry, too! Based on comments I've heard on the streets, many in the Harlem community are equally outraged. I suspect this is the case in many areas of this great city, so I really don't understand why the PBA and SBA leader would publicly state there is an anti-cop sentiment in New York City. Moreover, why would these union representatives think it appropriate to take two separate and unfortunate incidents, the illegal acts committed by some during the recent subway protests and the recent shootings, and cite them as evidence that their officers are under siege? Fact: There may have been a significant number of people who took part in the subway protests against the NYPD, but that was a small percentage when you consider there are over 8 million people in New York City. I didn't see millions of people jumping turnstyles, flipping off NYPD officers, or defacing the subway system with markers. I, like many in this city, saw a select group that probably came from other locales to wreck havoc.
Additionally, in terms of the union leaders claiming anti-cop sentiment is engulfing New York City, the numbers certainly prove them wrong. Again, there are over 8 million people in New York City. According to the NYPD's website, there are 36,000 police officers on the force. Well, I would encourage Mullins and Lynch to brush up on their math. If there are only 36,000 police officers patrolling the streets, it would appear that the department and its officers are at a tremendous disadvantage and could be attacked or targeted by masses of people, repeatedly, at any given moment or place, right? I mean, they're vastly outnumbered and probably out-gunned, right? Is that happening? Hell no! Do you know why more cops aren't targeted for assassination or beaten on a daily or frequent basis, as Mullin and Lynch would have you believe? It's because the majority of people in New York City respect and support the NYPD. Citing an unruly horde of subway protesters as evidence that New York City has turned on its police department and officers is irresponsible. Citing an incident by an alleged assassin, who clearly suffered a mental breakdown due to addiction and/or the loss of his son, as evidence that New York City has turned on its police department and officers is reckless and unacceptable, particularly when an investigation is underway.
During a phone conversation that took place back on 2013, a retired NYPD official told me the following: "Encouraging and maintaining a bunker mentality among police officers is not a good look for the department, G-Man. We have to get away from that practice." The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines bunker mentality as "a state of mind, especially among members of a group, that is characterized by chauvinistic defensiveness and self-righteous intolerance of criticism." Mullins, Lynch and certain members of the NYPD should carefully consider the decorated 20-year veteran's statement.
I have one final question for the PBA and SBA. You both have used certain words during press conferences or in print that have been deemed inappropriate by elected officials, civil rights groups and leaders, and the general public. "Creatures", "thugs" "animals" and "low-lifes" were some of the words used to describe alleged or convicted criminals. Well, given the acts committed by the following alleged or convicted criminals, would you refer to them as such? I'm asking because I don't seem to recall you ever doing so, publicly.
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