Tragic murder of two NYPD officers in the days following grand jury’s refusal to indict officer involved in the homicide of Eric Garner has produced unforeseen results, including stifling criticism of police misconduct and potentially brought the New York to the brink of crime-ridden abyss.

Here is the recap of the events preceding the killings of Officers Ramos and Liu.  Upon the announcement of Staten Island’s Grand Jury decision in Garner’s case the Mayor of New York City, DeBlasio has called a press conference where he stated that his own son, being biracial, is sometimes afraid of the NYPD and penned in a press release that reforms are needed in the police approach to the minorities.  DeBlasio has also expressed his support for peaceful demonstrations on issues of police misconduct. Rev. Al Sharpton, already heavily embedded in the protests following the Missouri Grand Jury in Mike Brown case, has participated in similar New York protests.  PBA Union Chief Pat Lynch has accused DeBlasio of “throwing cops under the bus” with his statements.

Indeed, street demonstrations and “die-ins” followed which disrupted traffic in the city and has even led some protesters to chant calling for deaths of police officers.

Ismaaiyl Brinsley, later described to be mentally deranged by NYPD spokesperson, has travelled from Ohio to gun down two police officers seating in their squad car, quietly and innocently enjoying their lunch.  The gunman stated in his social media postings that he would commit this atrocity as a revenge for the “killing of Eric Garner” by NYPD.

In the aftermath of cold blooded murder of the two cops, PBA’s Pat Lynch emotionally and pointedly announced that there is “blood on the city administration’s hands”, effectively blaming the Mayor for the killings.  Much of right wing leaning national and New York press has in essence blamed DeBlasio, for “giving the green light” to the killer through his statements and by allowing unsanctioned protests.  Numerous NYPD members have literally turned their backs on DeBlasio and have instituted an unwritten policy of substantially reducing the number of summons issued and arrests made as a way of sending a message of defiance to the city coffers and city administration for its perceived lack of support.

The killing of innocent police officers must be universally condemned and deplored, with harsh punishment and public shaming of anyone attempting and directly instigating for same.  However, in aftermath of the murders a very troublesome observation must be isolated and considered: of hyper-sensitivity of the law enforcement community and its disdain for any kind of criticism, no mater how constructive.

In his remarks following Gardner’s Grand Jury decision, DeBlasio was retelling the experience that only people who are racial minorities can relate to.    He expressed a real concern about treatment of minorities by NYPD that was subject of much debate and litigation surrounding the “stop and frisk” policy.  Federal Judge Scheindlin has even ruled the practice to be unconstitutional.  In other words, DeBlasio’s call for reforms in the NYPD practices was not uniquely his own but one shared by many, including the ultimate arbiter, a federal judge.  DeBlasio was not blaming the NYPD as a whole but was addressing his whole constituency, including the minorities and any other members of public ever wronged by the cops’ actions.  The protestors were making an outcry over perceived flaws in the justice system as it relates to investigating and bringing for an indictment police officers, namely that the justice system protects its own and manipulates the grand jury so that very few cops ever get charged with murder following their killing of a civilian.  Protesters’ concerns were likewise legitimate since so much public discourse in the media was held by the pundits, law professionals and politicians on whether killings by the police need to be investigated and prosecuted by independent bodies.  In sum, besides the heinous calls to murder cops, DeBlasio’s, civil rights leaders like Sharpton’s, and protestors statements were by and large reasonable.

It became apparent that to the law enforcement personnel any kind of critique is tantamount to calling for murder of cops.  One recommending reform in police procedures is labeled a “cop-killer” if subsequent to such recommendation a cop is killed, even if by an unrelated party to the original orator.  There has even been a proliferation of calls on the social media for DeBlasio to resign in the wake of cop murders.

This tsunami of besmirching the critics of police misconduct is very dangerous and unproductive as it prevents from conducting studies on changes in procedures, it dissuades victims of law enforcement abuse to come forward and finally, it puts whole partiality of the justice system into question.

The theatrics by the police union and some officers towards people who dare to criticize aspects of police work make it seem as if the cops are especially noble and holy people who are above any reproach.  The gist to be taken away from police union statements is people who decide to work as enforcers of the law are moral giants, specially incubated for their calling in life and sheltered from any corruptions and impurities.  Nothing could be further from the truth and is illogical.  Police personnel are same people as us, civilians, but who have decided to be cops in their profession.  In fact, cops are us!  They are hired by us, to “serve and protect“ us.  If members of the public, and especially their commander-in-chief, the Mayor, has recommendations for them, then be it.  Police officers must at least hear out the complaints and act upon them if appropriate or if mandated to do so by their superiors.

To take it a step further, this notion of law enforcement personnel’s moral superiority permeates all layers, from beat cops to detectives and all the way to the prosecutors.  This air of supremacy and unquestioned tactics on the streets and in the courtrooms is what allows for so many bad actors in the system to go unpunished.  There is very scant evidence of internal or external discipline measures exacted on the employees of the law enforcement establishment.  Even gross misconduct on part of cops and prosecutors goes uncondemned, unpunished and unprosecuted.  All a result of stamping out of any criticism of them.

To demand that DeBlasio resign over the inconceivable connection between the triggerman who killed two cops and the Mayor’s statements on police procedures is particularly troublesome when analyzed in light of New York City cops’ deliberate slowdown in issuance of summons and making arrests.  NYPD is holding the city administration hostage and imperiling the lives of its citizens in the process.  All to make the Mayor resign or to ensure that he never again voices his concerns toward the cops. Were that to happen that Mayor does heed the calls for his resignation, it would truly turn New York into a “police state”, where the police force members overrule the mandate of the people who elected their mayor.

We, as civilians must grief with the police officers over the deaths of their brethren; however, we must not have our agony over the fallen cops close our eyes towards addressing any law enforcement misconduct.

Michael Levitis