Dead If You Do. Sued If You Don't": ‘Corrective’ Actions Possible If NYPD Arrest Statistics Continue To Go South

1/9/2015

Sources: Offending Officers Could Be Subject To Sanctions, Fines And Penalties

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The city is considering possible legal action against NYPD officers who aren’t writing enough tickets.

CBS2 has been reporting on the dramatic drop in the number of parking and traffic violations, and on Thursday political reporter Marcia Kramer learned that Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration is weighing all of its options.

The anti-cop protests, the murder of two officers, fears for the safety of cops on the beat, and feelings of mayoral betrayal are all part of the simmering cauldron of tensions between de Blasio and his police force.

But new and troubling crime statistics have city officials on high alert, watching to see if there is a work stoppage going on.

In the two weeks that ended Sunday, there was a 70 percent drop in DWI arrests, a nearly 96 percent drop in arrests for incidents in the subways, and nearly 80 percent fewer arrests on housing development property, Kramer reported.

And that’s in addition to the plummeting number of tickets written for parking and traffic violations.

City sources told Kramer if those numbers continue and there is clear evidence of a slowdown, “corrective” actions will be taken. Possible sanctions could involve administrative actions by NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton or even invoking the Taylor Law, with its threats of fines and penalties.

The unions insist there is absolutely no job action going on.

“There is no work slowdown that is sanctioned or encouraged by the unions,” Detectives Endowment Association head Michael Palladino said.

Meanwhile, the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association has taken its case directly to the people with full page newspaper ads that were to run for a week. The ads deny the fight with de Blasio is about a contract – actually, those talks are over. The contract will be decided by an arbitration panel.

But what the ad does do is ask New Yorkers to “… Work with us to protect our city and hold accountable all those who have stirred up hatred and violence against police officers.”

“The problem was not created here at headquarters. It started at City Hall. We don’t believe there’s a willingness on the part of City Hall to solve these problems,” PBA President Pat Lynch said.

So where does it end? Some unions have suggested a third party be called in to broker a truce, while others have suggested the mayor support a state bill increasing pensions for new cops. Still others want de Blasio to block several controversial City Council police reform bills, Kramer reported.

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