The following press release was issued on June 11, 2020 by New York City Councilmember Robert Holden (D-Queens), Councilmember Eric Ulrich (R-Queens), and the five Police and other City unions regarding the Council’s failure to denounce the verbal violence against police during the City Council’s Public Safety Committee hearing.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HOLDEN, ULRICH, LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIONS CRITICIZE CITY COUNCIL FOR NOT DENOUNCING COP HATE DURING HEARING
QUEENS, N.Y. – Council Member Robert Holden (D-Queens) on June 11 was joined by Council Member Eric Ulrich (R-Queens) and several law enforcement unions that represent the New York Police Department, correction and court officers in criticizing the City Council for allowing members of the public to use obscene and inciting language toward police officers during the Public Safety Committee hearing on June 9.
During the hearing, numerous speakers in the public forum cursed at police, pointed their middle finger, and held up vulgar signs directed at police and council members as the committee considered bills related to police reforms.
“I’m very disappointed with what I saw from the public during Tuesday’s hearing,” said Council Member Holden. “The hearing descended into vile, cop-hating rhetoric that was completely unproductive and dangerous. Some of this would never have been allowed in the Council Chambers or any other legislative body, but it is somehow now acceptable on Zoom hearings. We should not tolerate spreading hate and threats toward any group. We must strive to maintain a civilized decorum during hearings, or else we are no better than the anarchists who have infiltrated this movement for the sole purpose of belittling the men and women who took an oath to protect this city.”
“I am shocked and disappointed to see the overall lack of civility and decorum demonstrated at Tuesday’s hearing,” said Council Member Ulrich. “No member of law enforcement or the City Council should ever be subjected to this type of harassment and verbal abuse during an official proceeding. Speaker Johnson needs to implement clear rules and guidelines for how members of the public can participate in the virtual hearings. We cannot allow the legislative process to devolve into a shouting match every time someone expresses an alternate point of view. That’s not how democracy should work.”
“The vile anti-cop circus in Tuesday’s Public Safety Committee hearing is just further proof that the Council’s leadership isn’t interested in public safety,” said Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch. “More than a dozen New Yorkers were shot on Monday night. On Tuesday morning, they were busy grandstanding and playing to the mob in the street. We thank Council Members Holden and Ulrich for speaking up against this lunacy.”
“The hate speech against police that was allowed during the Public Safety Committee hearing demonstrates the lack of professionalism and willingness to work collaboratively by many in the City Council,” said Detectives’ Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo. “It seems like some on the Council forget how hard New York City Detectives work to arrest criminals who target New Yorkers based on hate. The vile language we heard during the hearing is no different, and it must be publicly denounced by all elected officials.”
“Leadership is about making difficult decisions and being truthful even when not popular,” said Sergeants Benevolent Association President Ed Mullins. “What we have witnessed these past few weeks from New York’s Elected officials is fear. Fear of standing for was is right and just, fear of standing against what appears to be popular although wrong, fear to uphold their constitutional oath of office, and fear of losing their own elections. History will judge the present in the future, but we must remember that history has taught us that appeasement and the will to accommodate does not work. New York’s elected officials have abandoned law enforcement; worse yet they have also abandoned the people by not confronting the overall issues at hand and now it’s the people who suffer.”
“As elected officials in the New York City Council continue to threaten the public safety of New Yorkers in all five boroughs by kowtowing to the anti-police rhetoric, we would like to praise Council Members Holden and Ulrich for speaking up against the anti-police fervor that has replaced civil discourse and common sense reform,” said Lieutenants’ Benevolent Association President Lou Turco.
“The anti-police rhetoric coming from elected officials in Albany and the NYC Council will do more harm to the communities that they represent,” said Captains’ Endowment Association President Chris Monahan.
“Now more than ever, every member of law enforcement, including my members, is looking to our elected leaders to demonstrate leadership during these turbulent times,” said Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association President Elias Husamudeen. “For years, we have endured the continued coddling of criminal justice and inmate activists who demonize Correction Officers for their own political gain. Members of the Public Safety Committee should act as responsible policy makers rather than the extremists they seek to placate. Law enforcement officers are central to the fabric of our city, they should not be marginalized by politicians looking to score points with those who seek to vilify us.”
“The City Council hearing clearly shows the hatred to the law enforcement community and their total lack of concern for the safety of NYC residents,” said New York State Court Officers’ Association President Dennis Quirk.
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