'DE BLASIO, OUR BACKS HAVE TURNED TO YOU' Cold war between NYPD cops, de Blasio takes to skies

[branford]

58. The police first worry about the police. That's unsurprising.

The banner was also planned and funded by an unknown number of current and retired officers, not all police officers or even by any of the unions. Blaming all officers for the banner is no different than blaming all protesters when a few engage in the "death to cops" rhetoric.

I also don't know how firing the police leadership, at least those at the political level without protection, would have changed anything at all. It would not diminish any of the constitutional, statutory or contractual protections of the rank-and-file, affect the NYPD unions, or permit deBalsio or the new chiefs to prohibit "disrespect" of the mayor, a clearly unlawful order. I would argue that Commissioner Bratton, however, has demonstrated great professionalism and acted as a bridge between the police and mayor, and prevented the current situation from spiraling further out of control.

The drug was also the result of the policies of our elected national and local leadership, including majorities of both Democrats and Republicans, with a great deal of public support. Even now, with perceptions changing about marijuana, there's hardly a majority willing to go much further. The people you should be complaining about and to are not the police, but rather individuals like President Obama, AG Holder, Governor Cuomo and Mayor deBlasio.