NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio Aims to 'Move Forward Together' With Police Unions
— -- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio met with police unions today after weeks of tension related to anti-police protests the mayor appeared to support.
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and senior leadership of the NYPD also attended the private meeting, the mayor's office said.
"We are here today representing every rank in the NYPD, the presidents, vice presidents, of all the respective unions," the NYC PBA's President Patrick Lynch said after the meeting. "We came here today to have a discussion. Our main concern is the safety of our police officers of every rank on the streets of the city and the safety of the citizens that we proudly serve on each and every street and each and every neighbor here today."
"There were a number of discussions, especially about the safety issues that our members face, there was no resolve, and our thought here today is that actions speak louder than words, and time will tell," Lynch added.
The meeting came 10 days after two NYPD officers were shot and killed in Brooklyn. The mayor's office also released a statement.
"Today's meeting focused on building a productive dialogue and identifying ways to move forward together," Press Secretary Phil Walzak said. "The mayor and police commissioner remain committed to keeping crime in New York City at historically low levels, supporting the brave men and women in uniform who protect us every day, and finding ways to bring police and the community closer together."
De Blasio was booed by some attendees at a police graduation ceremony Monday, and hundreds of officers turned their backs to the screen outside the church when he spoke at the funeral of NYPD officer Rafael Ramos, one of the slain cops, over the weekend.
Union leaders say the mayor has been encouraging anti-police sentiments, after De Blasio made statements that appeared to support people protesting the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, who were both killed by police officers this summer.
