The Police vs. the Mayor of New York

This Christmas season has not exactly been peaceful or calm for Democratic Mayor of New York Bill de Blasio. After dealing with street protests in response to the grand jury’s decision not to indict the policeman who applied a fatal chokehold to black cigarette-seller Eric Garner, de Blasio now must struggle with the hostility, open and evident, of the five union leaders who represent the members of the police department, after the point-blank killing on Saturday of two agents at the hands of an attacker of African descent who suffered from psychiatric disorders.

The events sparked a hostile reaction that had been incubating since the moment when de Blasio, who had become the defender of the people of New York, took on this responsibility in January of 2014 with the promise to make the relationship between the police department and the citizens much more sound with respect to civiil rights of minorities.

The wager paid off. He successfully reduced complaints against the institution by 10 percent, in addition to a noticeable reduction in crime, thanks to a security policy that differed from that of his conservative predecessors. However, such results have not served to abate the lack of conformity that generated the change among those in uniform. After Saturday’s crime, the police have gone to the extreme, even blaming the mayor and accusing him of having blood on his hands.

Additionally, when de Blasio entered the hospital where the victims were, the police present turned their backs to the mayor. For them, the mayor’s rhetoric during the protests in response to the Garner case helped stir up the hate of African-Americans against the police force.

Having overcome threats of protests being taken to the maximum, which would have included not making arrests except when necessary, de Blasio now faces the challenge of reaching a minimum understanding with his police force without implying that there is a strained relationship. Commissioner William Bratton — who, incidentally, has reiterated that he does not like the mayor — is also aware of the task. Despite Bratton’s negative opinion of the mayor, both have demonstrated that they are willing to work together. They know that their commitment to the people must rise above their differences, which border on contempt.