Friedersdorf: Why The Right Should Oppose NYPD’s Insubordination
Connor Friedersdorf at The Atlantic explains why the right should oppose what amounts to a work stoppage by New York City police.
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[su_thin_right_skyscraper_ad]Overall arrests rates fell 66 percent “for the week starting Dec. 22 compared with the same period in 2013, stats show. Citations for traffic violations fell by 94 percent, from 10,069 to 587, during that time frame. Summonses for low-level offenses like public drinking and urination also plunged 94 percent—from 4,831 to 300. Even parking violations are way down, dropping by 92 percent, from 14,699 to 1,241.”
As a ploy in contract negotiations, this tactic may prove effective, but it puts the NYPD in an unenviable position with respect to explaining what happens next. If this significant work slowdown has basically no effect on the safety of New York City, the NYPD’s prior policing will appear to have been needlessly aggressive, and the case for deploying more cops on the street in the future will be undermined. Scott Shackford zeroes in on this line [from a New York] Post article: “…cops were turning a blind eye to some minor crimes and making arrests only ‘when they have to’ since the execution-style shootings of Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu.”
He riffs, “Well, we can only hope the NYPD unions and de Blasio settle their differences soon so that the police can go back to arresting people for reasons other than ‘when they have to.’ The NYPD’s failure to arrest and cite people will also end up costing the city huge amounts of money that it won’t be able to seize from its citizens, which is likely the real point. That’s the ‘punishment’ for the de Blasio administration for not supporting them. One has to wonder if they even understand, or care, that their ‘work stoppage’ is giving police state critics exactly what they want—less harsh enforcement of the city’s laws.”
mea_mark December 31st, 2014 at 9:08 am
Sounds like an excellent time to get rid of the most aggressive cops and rescreen everybody to get rid of those that want to turn their backs on leadership. It appears we don’t need them.
wpadon December 31st, 2014 at 10:05 am
Union brothers and sisters standing side by side right or wrong.
Khary A December 31st, 2014 at 10:20 am
I’m not sure if you’re praising them or not.
mea_mark December 31st, 2014 at 10:56 am
Sometimes I think the plutocrats and the far right are manipulating the LEO unions to make them look bad, throwing them under the bus, so they can use it as an excuse to get rid of unions. I look at this very carefully, I sure don’t want to get played, like the LEOs might be being played.
wpadon December 31st, 2014 at 11:53 am
I was mainly commenting on their solidarity, as a member of the USW. All professions have good and bad members. It is the responsibility of management to develop and implement steps to remove individuals from a job.
KABoink_after_wingnut_hacker December 31st, 2014 at 3:43 pm
Time to save the city some money and send the insubordinate uniformed trash packing.
It’ll save citizen’s lives to have these reckless recalcitrants off the streets as well.
Ray M. January 1st, 2015 at 3:35 am
The work slowdown will cost the city huge sums of money.
whatthe46 January 1st, 2015 at 4:35 am
don’t you think they should have thought about that before allowing the continuation of rogue cops on the force. not to mention the amount of money that’s paid out to lawsuits.
“In total, the three-dozen cases cost the city $22.8 million, according to data compiled by the city comptroller’s office.
The largest payout this past year was $15 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing police of illegal arrests for loitering.
The accusations in the other lawsuits run the gamut — from illegal arrests to police brutality to cops withholding medication from inmates.”
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that was in 2013. i don’t know what its total is for 2014 so far, but you can bet its more than doubled.
KABoink_after_wingnut_hacker January 1st, 2015 at 9:37 am
Not when the clearly unneeded cops doing unnecessary things are cut from the payroll.
It’ll save huge mounts on the police brutality lawsuits as well.
William January 3rd, 2015 at 2:45 pm
Bingo
illinoisboy1977 January 2nd, 2015 at 7:11 pm
Officers who refuse to do their jobs aren’t just insubordinate, they’re operating in violation of their oaths and in direct contravention of their designated function. Those who are refusing to do their jobs, but still cash the paycheck, should be fired and lose their pensions. Just my humble and insignificant opinion…