New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is focused on looking past recent police protests following the deaths of two NYPD officers in December.
De Blasio is refusing to apologize to enraged NYPD union leaders – mainly Patrick Lynch – who has targeted the mayor on several different occasions for how he handled protests spurred by Eric Garner’s death.
According to The New York Observer, de Blasio has tapped Police Commissioner Bill Bratton to act as a mediator between himself and the leaders of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association and Sergeants Benevolent Association. Lynch, the leader of the PBA, has come at the mayor several times since the death of the two officers last month, hinting that de Blasio enabled the tragic murders.
The mayor had this to say after Lynch’s reported demands for an apology:
“I respect the question but the construct is about the past and I just don’t want to do that. I think this is about moving forward,” Mr. de Blasio told reporters when asked about whether he’d consider apologizing to the police.
“I’ve always tried to tell the truth as I know it and I tried to be respectful and if you look at years of what I’ve said about the NYPD, I have immense respect for the men and women of the NYPD. I believe in them and I’ve obviously directed a lot of resources to helping them do their work and be safe,” he added.
He also noted that Bratton plans to sit with NYPD leaders to help settle the riff that has intensified since December.
“I chose a leader for that agency that has the respect of people all over this country in policing,” Mr. de Blasio said. “So I’m very comfortable with the fact that I’ve always tried to tell the truth and stay consistent to my values but I don’t think it’s about the past, I think it’s about what people said and moving things forward and getting things done.”
Earlier this week, Lynch offered no apology for his own brutal comments regarding the mayor.
SOURCE: The New York Observer | VIDEO CREDIT: News Inc.
