PBA President reacts to the mayor’s veto of two anti-policing bills (Intros 1079 and 1080)

PBA president Patrick J. Lynch said:

“It is not an exaggeration, nor is it a doomsday threat, to say that passage of this legislation is dangerous for the city and that it will turn the NYPD from a successful, crime fighting, proactive department back into the hesitant and reactive one we had during the crime filled days of the 80s and 90s.  If these bills become law, it will force police officers to protect themselves against frivolous lawsuits instead of protecting the city from criminals.  I ask you to put yourself in the shoes of a police officer who is facing a possible lawsuit for every action he or she takes.  Would you go out and proactively fight crime or react only when it finds you?  These laws are a disincentive for police officers to get involved, and when officers aren’t proactive, crime goes up.  For that reason, we will continue to educate council members’ constituents through leafleting, direct mail and the PBA’s website (www.nycpba.org) of the urgent need to defeat these dangerous laws for the safety of their own streets.  If these bills are passed, the increase in crime and its negative impact on the city’s neighborhoods and economy will be the legacy of this misguided city council.”