Dear Pat Lynch,
As a lifelong NYer, I’ve seen several iterations of the NYPD. In the 80s, the force had light blue shirts and most cops had light blue eyes and were also light on patience. I remember the .38 revolvers they carried. I remember the disconnect I felt when I saw them, I never felt like they were more than an occupying force in my neighborhood. I was young, but I do remember that the majority of cops I encountered were solid ppl. They were polite and they mostly arrested bad guys. We now know that isn’t completely true, and that innocent ppl were incarcerated. I don’t blame them or agree with them. I can’t blame all cops for the acts of few.
I also remember when the Transit and housing bureaus merged with the NYPD. I remember when cops all got semi-automatic weapons because of the increased violence in NYC due to the crack epidemic (thanks Reagan). Cops seemed more comfortable and I felt less tension on the streets. Most cops I encountered conversed with the good kids and arrested the bad ones. I started to feel like the NYPD wasn’t so bad.
Fast forward to the 2000s and the stop n frisk era. I can’t differentiate good or bad cops, because every encounter is me being frisked. Me walking to the store, me walking home, me on the phone with my grandfather. I have a long list of war stories of inhumane treatment by your cops. Nope, I wasn’t a criminal either, I was never leaving a crime scene. I was simply living life. Thankfully, I survived these encounters and can write this letter to you.
I see you speak out very publicly in a very negative way about any perceived threats against the NYPD. Eric Garner, Mayor DiBlasio, water, and the list goes on. I understand that you have to defend your members, but at what limit? Do you ever speak out against negative cop culture? About the fact that many cop families preach rhetoric and attitudes towards brown communities that are poisonous? Do you care about the communities AND officers that you deal with? You often seem short-sighted, myopic and bigoted. I’d like to think that you are better than that. That you care about all of your officers, and about shining the best possible light on your members.
I think its time you stepped up your efforts to understand the NYPD and the community. You are a president, but you are starting to resemble the one down in Washington, D.C. If that is your intent great. If not, you can fix that.
P.S. I didn’t mention Sean Bell or the fact that most of your members don’t live in NYC (which adds to the fractured community relationship), because I want to find the good in you.
Sincerely,
Concerned NYer
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