Statement of NYC PBA President Patrick J. Lynch on Mayor de Blasio's Comments on the Brian Lehrer Show

President Patrick J. Lynch said:

“Mayor de Blasio’s comments this morning on the Brian Lehrer Show raise serious concerns about his callous attitude towards the men and women who keep our city safe. When a police officer called in to say that members of the NYPD are hesitant to be proactive for fear of lawsuits, he dismissed those concerns. But when the next caller said police officers are ‘racist in their hearts’ the Mayor did not stop her, he did not attempt to correct her, nor did he ever step up and defend our police officers in his answer. The Mayor’s silence is indefensible, and feeds a growing bias and misperception of why and how New York City police officers do their job. The reality is that our officers are committed to making sure every New Yorker and every community in New York City is protected, and yet, are forced to do so in an increasingly hostile and dangerous environment. We need the Mayor and our elected officials to understand that demeaning the cop on the street will not fix generations of racial tensions in our country, and when the leader of the city fails to defend the honor of our cops, he is creating a destructive climate in New York City that will have an enormous impact on public safety.”