Mayor de Blasio greets people after visiting the family of slain NYPD officer Miosotis Familia on Monday in the Bronx. (JAMES KEIVOM/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)
Mayor de Blasio called it “sad” that some cops turned their backs on him during a slain officer’s funeral, while defending his choice to go to Germany the day after the murder.
“It’s very sad,” de Blasio said of the officers’ gesture outside the funeral of Miosotis Familia, stressing it involved a “small number” of the estimated 25,000 cops who came.
“We were all supposed to be there to respect the family in their hour of pain. That’s the only thing people should have been thinking about, not making some kind of political statement.”
De Blasio angered police unions with his trip to Hamburg to speak at a protest of the G20 forum attended by President Trump.
Hizzoner initially pledged Wednesday that the NYPD would release an estimate of the travel costs incurred for his security detail on the trip — but when told the department was refusing to do so, he said he was fine with that.
Organizers of the rally picked up the tab for de Blasio and three staffers who traveled with him, but the city paid for the security detail.
“The NYPD always provides some kind of estimate. So please ask them for that,” de Blasio said when asked about the cost.
But the NYPD refused again Wednesday to release the information, saying they don’t discuss security arrangements for dignitaries.
“When it’s security related, I respect the protocols of the NYPD,” de Blasio said when pressed about the inconsistency, saying he would not push for greater transparency. “I want whatever’s been done in the past to continue.”
De Blasio said he “absolutely” would have scrapped the trip and stayed in New York for Familia’s funeral, but felt comfortable going once he knew it would take place Tuesday.
“I feel so bad for the family. I spent a lot of time with this family Monday in their home. And just unbelievable pain, but also unbelievable strength in that family,” he said.
Police officers turn their backs on Mayor de Blasio and then turn back around after he's done speaking. (TODD MAISEL/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)
The mayor also faced criticism for skipping a vigil for the officer while he was overseas, but said he didn’t know about it at the time he left and noted Police Commissioner James O’Neill also didn’t attend.
De Blasio said he deliberately did not mention Trump’s name in his speech at the rally, out of respect for an American President on foreign soil.
“I very purposely did not say the name Trump when I was there because I do respect that when our President is overseas, there’s a certain set of conditions,” he said.
He doesn’t expect to do much international travel to promote resistance to Trump, but does plan to work with cities around the country and world.
“Our whole view right now of what happens in Washington is stopping bad things from happening. There’s no potential for a positive climate policy, a positive immigration policy, a positive policy to address income inequality, or any of that,” de Blasio said. “So cities of the world, and in some cases states, are going to have to lead the way.”