Report: De Blasio Aides Urged Dems to Rip Cops Who Turned Backs

Law enforcement officers turn their backs on a live video monitor showing Mayor Bill de Blasio speaking at the funeral of slain NYPD officer Rafael Ramos(Shannon Stapleton/Reuters/Landov)

Wednesday, 31 Dec 2014 09:19 AM

By Melissa Clyne

As New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio made overtures to police union officials to have a sit-down to resolve their differences with him, the mayor’s aides lobbied politicians to lambaste Patrolman’s Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch and the officers who turned their backs on the mayor during the funeral of slain NYPD officer Rafael Ramos,according to the New York Post.

DNAInfo.com originally reported the phone calls to elected Democrat officials by the mayor’s top aides.

“City Hall wanted me to blast the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association for turning their backs on him,” one legislator said. “They called up Monday, said they were calling all of us, and that it was our obligation to stand up defending the mayor."

Two lawmakers told DNAInfo.com that most of their colleagues were not going to “take the bait.”

“The mayor’s people said that this had nothing to do with politics, so I said, 'then what is the purpose of this call?’ ” one of the lawmakers said.

One of the lawmakers characterized de Blasio’s press secretary’s claim that the calls were made only to ask for support for the slain officers families as “preposterous” and “not reality.”

No truce was made at the Tuesday meeting between union officials and de Blasio and his top brass, according to The New York Times, but the atmosphere remained professional.

“There was no yelling,” said PBA Spokesman Al O’Leary, “and there was no laughing.”

The head of the detectives’ union “gave Mr. de Blasio a lecture on public relations, noting the significance of a mayor’s comments on policing,” the Times reported, citing people who had knowledge of the meeting.

Lynch struck a cautious tone when speaking afterward. “Our thought here today is that actions speak louder than words, and time will tell,” he said.

The unions are upset about “the wide latitude given to protesters in recent weeks and the mayor’s relationship with the Rev. Al Sharpton,” according to the Times.

The two-hour meeting took place in Queens. Tensions between the NYPD and de Blasio mounted following the Dec. 20 assassinations of Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu as they ate lunch in their patrol car in Brooklyn on Dec. 20. At Ramos’ funeral, a contingent of officers turned their backs as de Blasio spoke.

"We came here today to have a discussion," Lynch said after the meeting. "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 we proudly serve on each and every street in each and every neighborhood here today.”

http://www.newsmax.com/US/Bill-de-Bl.../31/id/615782/