PBA criticizes NYPD breathalyzer policy

PBA president Patrick J. Lynch said:

“The PBA has challenged the NYPD's breathalyzer policy in a federal lawsuit on the grounds that it violates officers' Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable government searches. The policy is politically motivated and flawed for many reasons beyond its unconstitutionality. Among its problems is that it fails to take real-life police situations into account, it sends a message to off-duty officers not to get involved in crime-fightinhg and prevention, it can make them hesitate to use their weapons even when quick action is called for, and it accomplishes nothing at all in the effort to determine whether or not a shooting was justified. Our federal lawsuit, which was filed last October, is pending.”