New York City’s police union is petitioning for Mayor de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viviero not to attend the funerals of any NYPD officers killed in the line of duty, saying that de Blasio and Mark-Viviero do not “support and respect” police officers.
The petition, titled “Don’t Insult My Sacrifice,” was sent to the mayor’s office Friday according to the Patrolman’s Benevolent Association (PBA). Officers can download the form on the PBA’s website and drop off a completed form to their delegates.
The petition states in part:
“Due to Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito’s consistent refusal to show police officers the support and respect they deserve, I believe that their attendance at the funeral of a fallen New York City police officer is an insult to that officer’s memory and sacrifice.”
The PBA has recently criticized lawmakers after council members have come out against the recent grand jury decision not to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo in the chokehold death of Eric Garner, who was unarmed. Mayor de Blasio also added fuel to the fire by announcing that he had instructed his 17-year-old, mixed raced son to be cautious around the police.
“This is deeply disappointing,” the Mayor and Council speaker said in a joint statement. “Incendiary rhetoric like this serves only to divide the city, and New Yorkers reject these tactics. The mayor and the speaker both know better than to think this inappropriate stunt represents the views of the majority of police officers and their families.”
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