Police Commissioner James O'Neill claims that a partial roll-back of the law protecting public-safety workers' confidential personnel records would help "demonstrate beyond dispute that the NYPD discipline system is effective, thorough and fair" while also "protecting both the integrity of the courtroom and the safety of our officers" ("The Right Transparency," PostOpinion, April 27).
This is wishful thinking of the most dangerous kind. Nothing will ever convince anti-police activists that NYPD discipline is "effective, thorough and fair."
Attempting to appease them will only expose police officers to more harassment and greater safety risks, because every scrap of personnel information released by the NYPD will be used to demonize cops and help criminals escape justice.
The activists' real goal is not to improve NYPD discipline -- it is to completely delegitimize police officers and the work we do. There can be no "compromise" on those terms.