New York City's largest police union has launched an ad campaign aimed at garnering public support in the midst of rising tension with minority communities and City Hall, and as a rumored work slowdown by NYPD officers appears to be substantiated by plunging arrest numbers.
The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association is taking out full-page ads in newspapers across the city, accusing "self-serving politicians and cynical pundits" of "thinking that New York City police officers are more worried about settling a contract than mourning our fallen brothers."
The ad goes on to say: "Real New Yorkers know better. You've stood with us. You've grieved with us. You'll work with us to protect our city and hold accountable all those who have stirred up hatred and violence against police officers."
The ads come as the rift between police and the mayor continues to widen. Police say de Blasio has been extra sympathetic toward protesters in the Eric Garner grand jury decision, fostering an anti-NYPD atmosphere they believe contributed to the killings of officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos last month.
Police union officials have been pointed in their public statements about the mayor, and they didn't appear to back off after a private meeting Wednesday with Police Commissioner Bill Bratton.
"The problem was not created here at headquarters, it started at City Hall," PBA President Pat Lynch said in a statement after the meeting. "We don't believe there is a willingness on the part of City Hall to solve these problems."
Meanwhile, new data shows a plunge in the number of arrests citywide in recent weeks compared to the same time last year, suggesting officers are deliberately ignoring minor crimes.
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During the week ending January 4, 48 tickets were written for drinking in public. Last year, 1,061 tickets were written for the same violations. That marks a 95 percent drop.
Last year, there were 160 summonses for urinating in public that week; this year, there were nine, marking a 94-percent drop.
And the number of tickets written for failure to obey a sign plummeted 95 percent, from 136 during that week last year to 7 this year.
City councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, the chair of the public safety committee, said she's "very concerned" by the data but added: "I do not believe there's a work slowdown in the meaning of police officers not doing their job."
But sources told NBC 4 New York that back in December, PBA President Pat Lynch told a private delegates meeting: "The rules are made by them to hurt you. Well now, we'll use those rules to protect us."
And on the day after the killings of Liu and Ramos, word began circulating among officers that they should wait to respond to every radio call with two cars and not make arrests "unless absolutely necessary," the Associated Press reported. A recent online posting on a site popular with police officers referred to the stance as "Operation Stand-down, Protect Yourself, Do Nothing."
Yet the union leaders who met with Police Commissioner Bill Bratton Wednesday denied ordering a slowdown in arrests.
"The members of the NYPD will never forsake their duties or the people that we serve," said Michael Palladino, head of the detectives union.
He added: "There is no work slowdown that is sanctioned by the unions."
The apparent slowdown threatened to hamper de Blasio's efforts to assure New Yorkers that historically low crime numbers — even as the NYPD drastically scaled back intrusive street stops — showed that it was possible to create a "safer city" and a "fairer city." Overall crime was down 4 percent and there were 332 homicides, down from 335 last year — a trend that continued into the New Year, despite the arrest drop-off.
De Blasio kept a low profile Thursday after holding a lengthy joint news conference with Bratton Monday in which he touted a reduction in overall crime.
"I think that is the story, you have a city that is getting safer all the time," he said Monday.
But Bratton said this week he'll be checking for evidence of a slowdown.
"I will look at it very specifically, precinct by precinct, sector car by sector car, officer by officer," he said. "And we will deal with it very appropriately if we have to."
In addition to taking out the ads, the unions are also renewing a push for someone like Gov. Andrew Cuomo or former President Bill Clinton to step in and mediate. Last week, the five police union heads met with the mayor and the police commissioner to "no resolve," according to Lynch.
Bratton said mediation isn't necessary.
"I don't know that the situation is going to require a mediator," he said.
A spokesman for Clinton said Thursday the president wouldn't get involved.
