NYPD work slowdown will be dealt with ‘very forcefully,’ Bratton says

[progree]

Source: Yahoo News

Commissioner investigating dramatic drops in arrests to determine whether the dip is a deliberate jab at NYC mayor

Any New York City police officers refusing to make arrests or issue traffic violations to express their dissatisfaction with Mayor Bill de Blasio will face forceful consequences, the department’s top cop said Monday.

New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said at a press conference that while he is not convinced the NYPD's rank-and-file is engaging in an organized work slowdown, he is actively investigating a dramatic drop in arrests in recent weeks and will deal swiftly with any intentional slacking off.

“We’re watching that very closely,” Bratton said Monday of the dip in summonses and arrests. He’s ordering a “comprehensive review of what has been happening,” drilling down to the precinct and squad car level to determine who is working and who may be dropping the ball.

The number of summonses in the city is down 90 percent for the week ending Sunday, according to the Daily News, while arrests are down 56 percent compared to the year before.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/nypd-work-slowdown-will-be-dealt-with--very-forcefully---bratton-says-230926632.html

---

and then there is some bilge about how this doesn't necessarily mean there is a work slowdown going on.

Black people shouldn't interrupt white people's dinner, according to some ( http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014980489 ), but I guess a 50-90% work slowdown is an OK form of protest.

[RKP5637]

1. Well, if it's dropped that much, than IMO a good layoff is in order! Therefore looks like

about half the force is not necessary!

[DetlefK]

26. Let's cut some spending!

Conservatives will surely be okay with that. There's nothing cuts on taxes and cuts on spending can't cure. Right?

[RKP5637]

29. Yep, exactly! Sounds like they are aren't doing anything, why pay them, dump them and

rehire as necessary. That's what their Reagan would have done!

[DetlefK]

30. Filthy public servants who aren't working anyways!

[msanthrope]

2. I need to go jump some turnstiles while I still can. nt

[JustAnotherGen]

3. My husband said this last week!

He was in the city today for business and he's like - I felt like making a right on red even though the sign says I can't!

[msanthrope]

4. He should park on the wrong side of the street while he's at it!! nt

[JustAnotherGen]

8. Oh too funny!

He just sprayed scotch out his nose when I read that to him.

His family lived in the Bronx for about 7/8 years in the 70's then went back to Italy. He's like -

New York survived the black out, son of Sam, and Giuliani - they will survive this too!

[Kber]

5. Total Anarchy!

Next: dogs and cats living together!

What will we tell the children?

[JustAnotherGen]

6. This is the end!

Ever since Bridgegate this shit has been getting real!

[rhett o rick]

7. Can you spell rhetoric? He is full of shite.

Let me guess. "we will investigate thoroughly and spend months conjuring and thinking and discussing and stuff like that. But in the end we will do f'n nothing."

[GP6971]

9. The unions are

probably too strong to effect much change. I'm fervently against union busting, but unions have to realize when they've crossed the line. A funeral is the time to put your differences aside......honor the fallen and don't hijack it for political gain and leverage.

And why is the NYPD represented by 4 unions? That alone will stymie any efforts for cooperation between the parties involved.

[branford]

19. I believe that the NYPD actually includes over 5 unions,

and often acts in solidarity with allied unions such as state corrections officers.

Nevertheless, the PBA, the union led by Lynch, represents the rank-and-file patrol officers, and includes a large majority of all NYPD officers. If tensions subside between the mayor and the PBA, the other NYPD and allied unions will follow the PBA lead.

[DeSwiss]

10. Fire. Them.

- Period.

K&R

[SwankyXomb]

13. Careful

Some cop apologists will be along soon to claim you're anti-union and don't belong on DU.

[ncjustice80]

15. Cop unions are silly anyway. Theyre proxies of the 1%- why should they be treated as workers?

[branford]

21. Police are entitled to all same protections, legal and contractual,

as any other public employee.

You are certainly free to criticize the police actions, I certainly am and personally oppose conduct like the back-turning and slow-down, but a work slow-down is a basic, accepted, often employed and sometimes successful tactic of unions everywhere, even where strikes are prohibited by law.

If you complain that work slow downs should warrant severe discipline or are legally or politically unacceptable, do not be surprised when conservatives highlight these types of objections when attacking the labor actions of more sympathetic unions, or use it as precedent to punish liberal union members.

I find it sad and amusing that when discussing police unions, many on DU sound like Ronald Reagan or Scott Walker.

One need not support the choices or positions of police unions in order to acknowledge their right to use quintessential union tactics or highlight the hypocrisy of many Democrats who claim to be pro-labor.

[brentspeak]

11. It won't be DeBlasio who'll have "blood on their hands" if someone get's murdered in NYC.

NYPD needs a serious attitude adjustment.

[MannyGoldstein]

12. Bratton will apply ever-increasing pressure

until the cops fold.

He's no-drama, but he gets stuff done.

[Sparhawk60]

25. Fascinating

A cop kills an unarmed citizen, get a few weeks off with pay....cop stops making revenue enhancing traffic stops? This will not stand! We will look in to this, and punish any cops doing this. What a messed up priority.

[former9thward]

27. Bratton only gets his support because the rank and file support him.

If they turn on him he is done. He will fold long before the cops will.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

14. ok? It's great.

As many others have noted, the world hasn't ended. Indeed, the 90% slowdown just goes to show you how much BS harassment of civilians the police were involved in. The city is far better off with them on 'slowdown'.

It also suggests that the number of New York police is far too high, and that the city probably needs something like 5000 police, not 35000. That way, you'd only have enough to work on real crime, not a force largely devoted to petty crap.

[ncjustice80]

16. Agreed. There should be.MASSIVE layoffs- reduce the force by about 75% shoulld do it.

[DLnyc]

17. Yes, we seem to be getting along fairly well.

I find New York much more peaceful without ridiculous numbers of cops driving around looking menacing.

Clearly, in the long run having police do nothing will not work well. People would likely start ignoring traffic laws and possibly pulling worse shit.

But, honestly, the slowdown demonstrates that a lot of police activity serves more to make people tense and hostile rather than to make for a more peaceful society. We all seem to be getting along okay without the massive police "visibility" that we are used to.

Also, the one thing I might agree with the police unions on, I think quotas are a terrible idea and should be done away with. Although, as your post implies, that might lead to layoffs.

[branford]

18. The slow-down is affecting city revenue.

Traffic and other minor citations represent a very large source of income for the city, and the increase of relatively harmless "quality of life" crimes will be noticeable to many voters if the union action continues. It a major pain in the rear end for a liberal mayor with diminishing poll numbers.

Bratton can investigate all he wants, but the union will grieve any discipline. In order to prevail in a labor dispute involving police issuing fewer citations, the city will actually have to concede that it has a policy or quota concerning minimum numbers of citations, a position that he city has strongly denied through multiple administrations, even though it's widely understood to be the operational rule. This political and legal catch-22 for the city is why the police feel confident that they can get away with this limited work slow-down. It's really smart and shrewd labor politics, and I only wish other unions, public and private, were as ingenious and determined.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

22. They can cut the city budget via laying off loads of useless police.

The police are showing everyone that the vast majority of what they do is geared more towards making money for the city than actually serving and protecting people.

[Calista241]

23. The city still needs that revenue.

And that revenue is already committed. Governments can't just fire people and divert revenue, especially in the time frames that would be required.

Laying off cops is a practical impossibility at this point. If deBlasio thinks the cops are being insubordinate now, just wait until he starts trying to punish them by laying off people.

That would derail his entire mayorship, and Cuomo and other politicians would roll out all the stops to prevent that.

[branford]

24. You know its not that easy, nor should it be given municipal labor protections.

The police collective bargaining agreements likely include minimum staffing levels and protects against layoffs, particularly if they're potentially punitive rather than truly budgetary. The officers jobs are secure and they will still get paid.

I hope you also realize that the city very much wants and needs the revenue from the citations. The people who will ultimately suffer from this lost income are not the police or upper class city residents, rather mostly poor minority neighborhoods where much of Mayor deBlasio's electoral constituency is located and from where many of the anti-police protesters originate.

The mayor doesn't want to fire police officers or remove traffic or quality of life offenses, he wants them actively enforcing laws necessary to maintain city revenue and keep rich campaign donors happy.

[former9thward]

28. Where do you suggest the city gets that revenue?

And please don't suggest layoffs, cops or others, because that is impossible in NYC, politically and contractually.

[IDemo]

20. Please don't tell me folks are being permitted to stand in front of their own homes? n/t

[1step]

31. What's Bratton Gonna Do?

Call the cops to clean up the situation?

[christx30]

32. Who knows, maybe New York City is a powder keg waiting to explode

and a large police presence is needed in New York City - maybe it is not and the NY Cops are just another big, expensive government agency that needs to justify its size.

I’d like to see this experiment go on for 1 year or more - see what happens (oh, and I don’t live in NYC!)