Sixteen cops were arrested Friday in NY and charged with
ticket fixing. In addition to the more than 300 doctored ticket summonses
involved, the indictments also include taking bribes related to drug dealing,
hiding an assault, and leaking classified info. In response 100 cops and their
Union leaders showed up at the Bronx Courthouse in Protest.
Carrying signs that mimicked what the mayor had said about
the length of time it had been going on, many made the argument that “It’s a
courtesy, not a crime”, and that this was the way business was done in the
NYPD, saying it was part of the “NYPD Culture”.
While it is not clear that the protestors that showed up
represent the entire force—it was after all an investigation maintained by the
Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) of the NYPD—it is very clear that the Union leadership
is coming out hard saying the charges are illegitimate. When asked about the
charges NYPD Benevolent Association Leader Pat Lynch said, “I say to them, in
every profession there's professional courtesy," Lynch said. "In
every profession your coworkers look out for you. I say they do that in their
jobs. It's just a courtesy."
The head of the Union which now arrests OWS protesters for
the nefarious crime of staying on the sidewalk indicates that he feels it’s
only fair to have two sets of rules, one for his members and one for the public
at large.
Interesting…
Multiple news outlets also reported that the demonstrating
officers made demeaning and racially charged remarks to people in line nearby
applying for welfare benefits.
This is not to indict the force of nearly 30,000 officers en
masse, but the recent developments clearly indicate there are issues with at
least some members, and those difficulties extend at least in some cases to
contempt for the community which NYPD “serves and protects” as well as the law
itself.
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