ENFORCING THE LAW IN NYC: THE “HUMAN FACTOR” & HARSH REALITY

PROTECTING AND SERVING WHILE HAMSTRUNG

THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT TO BE TAKING

A PASSIVE STANCE. 

TAGS: NYPD, NYPD “REFORM”, DE BLASIO’S ERRORS,

 COMMUNITY LEADERS WANT “STOP, QUESTION, AND FRISK” TO RETURN

TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AS CRIME RATES INCREASE,

BROKEN WINDOWS, BLUE LIVES MATTER,

LAW ABIDING LIVES MATTER

(Wednesday June 3, 2015 The Bronx, NYC)  Policing New York City, has always been a dangerous, gritty, often violent endeavor; one taken up by men and women of a certain mindset.  It is not a profession for the faint of heart.  It requires a wide array of innate character traits, specialized skills acquired in the Police Academy and then on the streets, as well as a mature temperament.  The NYPD by and large only admits to the Academy those men and women who have passed the initial screening process including the physical and psychological testing prerequisites.  As any Cop would say, his or her real training began once they graduated from the Academy and began their first posting in a precinct.  It is at that time each newly minted Cop must pass the most difficult tests, those monitored by the veteran Cops they work with.  Those tests administered daily can make or break a career by weeding out those who simply are not suited for the work, those who will never be trusted by their peers to be reliable partners or good street Cops.

There was a time in the NYPD, up until the early 1980’s, when the unwritten rule among veterans was that it took seven years for a rookie to lose that status and be fully embraced and truly called a peer.  The thinking was that within a seven year time frame every rookie would have at least been exposed to as many facets of the Job, as many situations and scenarios and have proved their mettle under pressure and the close observational scrutiny of the veterans they worked with. 

THE SEVEN YEAR BAPTISM

Armed with nothing more than the fundamentals of the law and the basic skills, the rookie must prove themselves every day.  That each of them pass muster, so to speak, among the veterans who supervise and work with them, is essential.  During those years each Cop hones their physical skills, their abilities to control an arrest, deal with a crowd, rapidly process often conflicting observational stimuli, and the dozens of other unconscious and subconscious abilities that collectively evolve into real, reliable, actionable, instinct and intuition; the capability to know and feels the streets, the mood in the air, the wafting scents of impending danger all of which come together to make a Police Officer a Cop.

THE AMORAL APPROACH TO URBAN POLICING: STAND DOWN

Anyone who even pays the most minimal attention to the news knows that the incontrovertible decline in crime over the last 20 years here in NYC and in other large urban areas is beginning to be undone.  Politicians, pundits and so called “experts” have been flooding the airwaves and taking to the editorial pages to offer their opinions and theories regarding the increase in crime, violent, gun-related crime in particular.  For all their talk, the veritable ocean of blather they spew, none come close to being objective and recognizing the undeniable reality on the streets.  While all these blowhards are busy making claims and skewing statistics and “trends” to support their pet theory, politicians such as NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, prove themselves to be not only living in a parallel reality but also to be apologists, imbeciles, and spineless.  Some of Mayor de Blasio’s recent comments not only contradict each other, they are so far from the truth that he may as well be speaking about crime on Mars.

Never one to let an opportunity to lambast Cops pass by even the President of the United States views the spikes in crime rates as a matter of more stringent “gun control”.  The absurdity of his statements alone disqualify him from having any “bully pulpit” from which to offer anything positive to the debate that is simmering towards a boil over Police practices, policies and procedures.  President Obama, rather than support Law Enforcement, has chosen to condemn the police and call for a “softer police presence” in crime riddled areas such as Baltimore, a city that just weeks ago saw some of the most destructive civil unrest in decades.  Baltimore, a city that had a dramatic increase in shootings and shooting deaths in May, the highest single month totals in over 25 years.  But the story of Baltimore is a story for another time.  It is mentioned here merely as an example of a city gripped by the scourge of street crime and a Police Department under fire – literally – and asked to “stand down”.  Even the police Commissioner of the Baltimore PD, Anthony Batts, admits the low morale of his police Officers, he refuses to address the morality or rather the immorality of allowing his Officers to take a hands off approach to street crime.  Instead he and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake are welcoming in the Department of Justice to conduct a “review” of all aspects of the BPD.  If that is not demoralizing to the rank and file MOS, what is?

THE CURTAILING OF “SQF”: CAUSE AND EFFECT

Born out of the tried and true implementation of the “Broken Windows Theory”, the practice of “Stop, Question, and Frisk” was a powerful tool in the operational tactics of the NYPD.  When then candidate de Blasio predicated virtually his entire electoral platform on the elimination of “SQF” he was widely lauded as a true “progressive” who recognized that “SQF” had outgrown its legitimacy in NYC. The New York City de Blasio inherited was the safest large city in the USA.  Crime rates across all major categories were at 30, 40 and 50 year lows.  The Broken Windows Theory and “SQF” were the double barreled practices that rescued our City from the dreadful abyss it was poised to fall into when Rudy Giuliani became Mayor.  His Police Commissioner at that time was the same man on the 13^th floor of One Police Plaza, Bill Bratton. (We’ll not address the well-known Giuliani/Bratton divorce nor the Bratton of today who appears to have sold his soul to be NYPD Commissioner).

The results of Broken Windows tactics and “SQF” in NYC were nothing short of astounding.  Quickly they were adopted by Police Departments in other major cities across the country.  Only a fool or moron could dispute the sheer effectiveness of these two policies.  But since candidate de Blasio has become Mayor de Blasio, a cold bucket of the water of reality has been dumped over his head.  Clearly his ambitious “progressive agenda” the centerpiece of which was “reforming” the NYPD (reforming?!) has unceremoniously backfired as any Cop could have predicted it would.

“SQF” was beyond question the single most significant factor for getting illegal guns off our streets.  Although nothing seems capable of staunching the flow of illegal handguns up the Interstate 95 Corridor destined for NYC, once in the hands of the criminal element here, thousands of such guns were confiscated during “SQF” incidences.  As many Democratic, Liberal and Progressive politicians, “activists”, ministers, and commentators had applauded the curtailing of “SQF” after a controversial court ruling last year, the same rationale de Blasio cited for his efforts in the elimination of “SQF”, some of these vary same actors in neighborhoods that are experiencing the highest upticks in violent crime are calling for de Blasio to “bring back SQF”.

Long time and long winded opponents of SQF initially celebrated during the time the NYPD was allegedly “standing down” as a silent protest against a Mayor they have little to no respect for.  The activists lauded the fact that the almost total abandonment of SQF, fewer police interactions with the public and a dramatic decrease in everyday arrests, did not result in higher crime numbers.  Confident they were witnessing living proof of their position; they clearly were blind to the reality of a less active Police force in NYC.  Gradually the numbers began to creep up; there were several high profile shooting incidents, broad daylight attacks on Officers on patrol, and in several precincts in The Bronx and Brooklyn, gunfire was returning to the soundtrack of life on those streets. The stark, bloody reality of fewer arrests was beginning to rear its ugly head. 

Policing is an integral component of a civil society fulfilling a mission that is simultaneously hazardous and thankless.  In our City of over eight million diverse residents, without a proactive NYPD we will most definitely continue to see crime and violence escalate.  Summer is fast approaching; a season that typically has the highest rates of street crime. This is clearly not the time to be seeking widespread “reforms” of the strategy and tactics of our Police Department.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/analysis_and_planning/stop_question_and_frisk_report.shtml

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/02/nyregion/gunplay-rises-in-new-york-reviving-issue-for-de-blasio.html?ref=topics&_r=0

http://nypost.com/2015/06/03/we-need-cops-residents-plead-to-mayor-after-rise-in-shootings/

http://www.npr.org/2014/07/03/328120358/top-nypd-cop-stop-and-frisk-is-not-the-problem-or-the-solution

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2015/01/nypd_and_bill_de_blasio_why_new_york_s_mayor_was_wrong_to_count_on_police.html

http://www.lawofficer.com/articles/2015/05/why-the-soft-uniform-is-dangerous.html

http://www.azcentral.com/story/robertrobb/2015/05/21/tougher-on-cops-softer-on-crooks/27735059/

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/227924-nyc-returns-obama-to-center-of-debate-over-police-and-race

http://dailycaller.com/2015/05/14/a-police-week-plea-to-president-obama/

Copyright The Brooding Cynyx 2015 © All Rights Reserved

BRATTON FINDS HIS FOOTING

THE NEW “OLD” BRATTON :

SIGNIFICANT INITIATIVES COMING TO NYPD

William J. Bratton has made a name for himself

 based largely on a “broken windows” theory of policing.

(Credit Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times)

TAGS: NYPD COMMISSIONER BILL BRATTON,

NEW INITIATIVES FOR BRATTON’S NYPD,

USING OLDER “PROVEN” METHODS IN SECOND TENURE IN 1PP,

BRATTON’S SIGNATURE METHODOLOGY,

SALUTE TO BRATTON ON LATEST ANNOUNCEMENTS

(Thursday, June 26, 2014 University Heights, The Bronx, NYC)  Welcome back Bill.  After six months in his second tenure as the NYPD Commissioner the Bill Bratton we knew and respected back in the early 1990’s is once again asserting himself in old familiar ways and we applaud the return of this Bill Bratton. All New Yorkers of a certain age can vividly recall the “bad old days” when New York City ranked at the top of all major crime categories and the City itself seemed at times to be tenuously balanced on life support as the NYPD fought crime tooth and nail in some of the most crime ridden Precincts in the nation.  As our City sank ever deeper into the scalding molten lava of crime, low quality of life, wide spread crime in our subways and on our streets during the disastrous years of the hapless administration of David Dinkens, the arrival of Rudy Giuliani into City Hall as our Mayor was welcomed by all.  Giuliani, a tough former Federal Prosecutor for the Southern District of New York was a well-known and highly regarded crime fighter that a beleaguered population looked to for solutions despite his political affiliation as a Republican in one of, if not the most Democratic cities in America.  Giuliani tapped one-time Chief of the NYC Transit Police, a native Bostonian highly regarded in Law Enforcement circles, Bill Bratton to serve as his NYPD Commissioner.  The rest of that chapter in the storied past of NYC and the NYPD is, as they say, history.

A MORE FAMILIAR BILL

After getting off to somewhat of a rocky start in his second term as NYPD Commissioner, Bill Bratton seems to have found his sea legs.  Some of his earliest restructuring of the top cops in One Police Plaza, alterations of patrol tactics and anti-crime strategies, as well as a handful of profound shifts in the Intelligence and Counter Terrorism Divisions, the “old” Bill Bratton is once again seeking novel approaches to policing the City that has changed and been changed so much since his last go round in the first Giuliani administration.  It was during that tenure that Bratton, an innovative flamboyant Cop, Jack Maple who designed the technological template for what became CompStat, implemented a variety of measures that ultimately resulted in the most amazing turn around and elevated the City of New York to the literal “safest big City” in the United States.  That Bratton has returned to a City that he had an integral role in making safer in his first term in 1PP cannot be denied.  The initiatives put in place in the post 9/11 years under Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Ray Kelly have proven to be successful in the constant overcast of another terrorist attack.

As the initial shock of September 11^th, 2001 began to fade some of the initiatives Ray Kelly implemented in both the Intelligence and Counter Terrorism Divisions, as well as a sound patrol practice known as “Stop, Question and Frisk” (SQF) became controversial.  The “See Something, Say Something” campaign enlisted all New Yorkers  to be constantly vigilant of any suspicious activity such as unattended packages or backpacks left on subway trains, and it paid off.  Some have questioned the legality of the means to the ends in this equation as well as the right to privacy and freedom of religion citing the enhanced monitoring of New York City’s large Muslim community as “racial targeting”.  Such knee-jerk reactions are typical here in this bastion of Liberal Democrats however every step Kelly implemented in his Department was upheld in the Courts despite repeated attempts to have NYPD’s operations curtailed.  The activists’ version of an effective policy dropped the “question” element from the equation as it became derisively known as simply “Stop and Frisk”.  It was in this legal battle as well as the enhanced surveillance in Muslim neighborhoods coffee shops and Mosques that forced Bloomberg and Kelly to scale down their efforts.  Yet, it cannot be dismissed that the NYPD thwarted, averted or prevented (some would add "allegedly") 13 terrorist plots.  That NYC has not seen another terrorist atrocity since 9/11 is an undeniable fact and arguably should be credited to Kelly and his Department.

When our current Mayor Bill de Blasio was a candidate he ran on a strong anti-Stop, Questions and Frisk platform, called for an end to what he viewed as “racial profiling” by the NYPD and vowed to “reform” the NYPD with measures that included the installation of an Inspector General, Philip Eure, as the supreme “watchdog” over NYPD.  Eure’s purview remains ill-defined given the already existing Civilian Review Board that has been in operation for many years. During the earliest days of the de Blasio/Bratton tag team it appeared that Bratton was prepared to be more of a contrite penitent seeking the approval of all the varied “disenfranchised” communities within our Five Boroughs.  After all, candidate de Blasio was never shy in his criticism of the NYPD, Ray Kelly, Mayor Bloomberg and any and all of their policing initiatives.  When the candidate became our Mayor and appointed Bratton as his Top Cop many rank and file Member of Service (MOS) of the NYPD were uncertain of what, if any changes Bratton would enact.  Others among the ranks had only been newborns during Bratton’s first stint in 1PP. 

SURVEILLANCE CITY: EYES IN THE SKIES

Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack there has been a dramatic increase in the number of surveillance cameras operated by the NYPD, private security firms, local shops and other public places.  While the exact number will not be released by the NYPD, personnel in the Intel Division unofficially claim that they operate upwards of 22,000 closed circuit monitoring cameras including at least half that number having long term recording capabilities.  As any New Yorker knows all those tinted dome affixed to street corners, building lobbies and exteriors as well as the portable NYPD surveillance towers are keeping a watchful eye on us all.  In recent years in NYC and other locations across the country closed circuit cameras have contributed mightily in the identification and arrests of criminals of every ilk.  Yes, there are privacy issues and it will always be a hotly debated topic among civil libertarians and public advocacy groups and Law Enforcement.  Certainly it is a valid debate but in the world of asymmetrical warfare and non-state sponsored terrorism, it could reasonably be posited that the security of the “great good” can trump the absolute privacy of people in public domains.  In this age of exploitive, narcissistic “social media” where people willingly, if not wantonly reveal themselves in a cyber/viral manner, there seems to be a cognitive dissonance when it comes to individual privacy. That the very same technology we use privately can also be utilized for public safety should not be as controversial as it often is.

EYES UNDERGOUND

Yesterday Commissioner Bratton announced his plans to have surveillance cameras installed in all subway stations and subway cars.  That he man who first employed some high-tech algorithms and innovations back in the 1990’s would seek novel approaches in an effort to keep the crime rates decreasing only seems logical.  His idea is to enable the NYPD to do “more with less”, to utilize the available technology in the on-going fight against crime throughout our vast, largely subterranean rail transportation system.

If all the subway track in the service of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) was laid out end to end it would reach from Times Square to Detroit, a distance of approximately 829 miles.  That’s a lot of track and the subway system has an average weekday ridership of 5.5 million commuters.  There are 484 subway stations in the complex City-wide network that presents, and always has, a host of challenges for the NYPD to effectively monitor and police.

Bratton envisions an underground surveillance array of cameras that will be monitored by Cops armed with tablet computers and other hi-tech, hand held devices.  This would represent the latest innovative method of “smart policing”; of doing more actual crime intervention with fewer Cops assigned to a designated locale.  Such an MTA-wide network of cameras and communications technology could and would prove its value and financial “return on investment” in a very brief time as one NYPD Three Star Chief commented in a phone conversation earlier today.  He spoke under the condition of anonymity because he is not officially authorized to speak to the media on behalf of the NYPD. 

TWEAKING COMPSTAT

Another of Commissioner Bratton’s announcements yesterday was directly related to the as yet to be determined relationship between the decrease in Stop, Question and Frisk usage and the uptick in crime, particularly gun violence in some off the highest crime Precincts in the City.  Here, at the 46^th Precinct in the University Heights neighborhood of The Bronx there has been a troubling increase in violent crime since the orders from 1PP to reduce the frequency of SQF.  Returning to his penchant for statistically derived patterns and trends, Bratton has ordered a review focusing in the seven other Precincts besides the 46^th that are experiencing the most disturbing increases in gun crime after reductions in SQF.  As a “numbers guy” and a stickler for accountability among the ranks he commands, it is only natural that he would revitalize some of the methods that had yielded some much of the NYPD’s success during his initial tenure as Commissioner. He has announced some plans to revamp deployment of his Officers as determined by CompStat and seasonal specifics such as increasing the police presence in Coney Island as the summer beach and boardwalk activity heats up. We view these as more proactive, practical applications of a Police Department that must always be dynamic due to the nature of our City both as the home to almost 9 million residents and a world renowned, international capitol.   

WE STAND CORRECTED

As even the most casual reader of the Brooding Cynyx knows, we have been highly critical of the second incarnation of Bill Bratton.  We had been very skeptical regarding the return of Bratton and never missed an opportunity to make our opinions known.  We have received a great deal of criticism for our negative stance on Bratton Version 2.0 and have respected all opinions voiced including those most critical of our own opinion.  While much remains to be seen in the not too distant future we have begun to turn the objective corner on our assessment of the return of Bill Bratton.

It is encouraging to watch as Bratton settles more comfortably into his Office and begins to assert himself and emerge from beneath the shadow of the Mayor who chose him specifically to perform an extremely challenging job.  Without doubt there will be troubles along the way; as we all realize here in Gotham City anything can happen in the blink of an eye.  We live and move at a pace that can only ever be natural for the native born.  We’re tough and resilient, we don’t suffer fools easily, we can be aggressive and abrasive to the outside world but among our diverse and disparate selves we are one, we all share this 326 square miles with each other and are the only people on the planet who can proudly claim the title of  "New Yorker". 

Copyright The Brooding Cynyx 2014 © All Rights Reserved

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/bratton-advocates-security-cameras-city-subway-cars-article-1.1837813

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/nypd-transit-chief-won-war-subway-crime-article-1.1841307

http://online.wsj.com/articles/nypd-studies-frisk-decline-consequences-1403745924

http://www.officer.com/news/11535379/nypd-officials-consider-task-force-merger

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/daily-news-analysis-reveals-perverted-subway-stations-article-1.1836952

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/daily-news-analysis-reveals-crime-rankings-city-subway-system-article-1.1836918

http://www.policeone.com/chiefs-sheriffs/articles/7321310-NYPD-considers-task-force-merger-as-shootings-continue-to-climb/

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nypd-adding-1g-patrol-cops-commissioner-bratton-article-1.1838366

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/nypd-inspector-general/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/02/philip-eure_n_5430906.html

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2010/05/big_apple_is_watching_you.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/17/nyregion/for-a-much-safer-new-york-bratton-redefines-role.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C[%22RI%3A5%22%2C%22RI%3A16%22]&_r=0

THE BILL AND BILL SHOW

De BLASIO TO GRACIE MANSION

BRATTON: WHO’S BEEN NAUGHTY OR NICE

Bill and Bill: All smiles during their honeymoon.

How long will it last?

TAGS: MAYOR-ELECT De BLASIO MOVING TO GRACIE MANSION, De BLASIO

TRANSITION TEAM, NAMES CLOSE ADVISERS AND ONE DEPUTY MAYOR

BRATTON WANTS RESUMES FROM NYPD UPPER ECHELON,

BRATTON CLEANING HOUSE?

(Wednesday December 11, 2013, Carl Schurz Park, NYC)  From the promenade here that runs from East 84^th Street up to E 90^th Street one is afforded a great view of the East River, both Randall’s and Wards Island, and the Triborough Bridge.  Nestled within this park is the 18^th century mansion that is the official residence of the Mayor of New York City, Gracie Mansion.  Not since Rudy Giuliani has this stately structure been occupied by a Mayor.  But that is about to change.  Earlier today Mayor-elect Bill De Blasio announced that he will be moving into the Mansion with his wife, son and daughter after his inauguration.  They will still retain their home in Park Slope Brooklyn but citing travel and security concerns the De Blasio’s have decided living in Gracie Mansion will be easier on all of them.  It may also prove to be a shrewd public relations coup having the biracial “First Family” of New York City seen hosting honored guests, family friends and giving tours to everyday New Yorker’s at The Mansion. 

But Bill De Blasio was not the only notable Bill to make an announcement this week.  Bill Bratton, the NYPD Commissioner-in-waiting sent a department wide message yesterday to all members of the upper echelon of the NYPD requesting they each submit an up to date copy of their resume’.  Bratton wants all members from the rank of Inspector and above, including highly placed civilian employees of the NYPD to do what essentially amounts to reapply for the positions they currently hold.  While it is certainly the newly appointed Commissioner’s prerogative to make personnel changes as he deems fit, his memo has been seen as a harbinger by some long serving members of NYPD that widespread changes are in the offing.  Many of the men and women currently in the upper echelon have worked for Bratton previously when he was Commissioner from 1994 until 1996 when he and Rudy Giuliani had a very public falling out and divorce.  Actually for many members of the “Top Brass” their career trajectories began under the previous Bratton regime.  But there are others who have candidly expressed the concern that Bratton may be looking to “settle some old scores”, or, “fill some very important posts with his own friends” as one high ranking NYPD official who will be among those polishing up his resume’ stated not for attribution.     

As reported in detail in today’s issue of The New York Daily News, “Bratton’s directive applies to those with the rank of inspector and above, including civilian deputy commissioners and directors, and climbs up to the highest echelons of the NYPD. Those include (Chief of Department Philip) Banks, Chief of Detectives Phil Pulaski, Chief of Internal Affairs Charles Campisi and First Deputy Commissioner Rafael Pineiro, who also interviewed for the top cop’s job.” (Link to full NYDN article below)

Lis Smith, spokeswomen for De Blasio noted that what Bratton is requesting now is simply his own standard operating procedure and a practice he has employed in virtually every other similar job he has held in the past.  Despite downplaying Bratton’s request as merely part of his management style, some who must submit their resumes’ perceive it in a more ominous manner.  Another highly placed NYPD Supervisor also speaking not for attribution said, “I can see where he’s (Bratton) coming from. I really do but, it is vital to the management and morale of the entire Department that he keeps a sense of continuity, that every Cop from top to bottom of this organization feels that things are not going to change drastically.  Bratton’s reputation precedes him and some of my colleagues are also concerned about maintaining stability among the ranks.  The last thing this Department needs is a big shake up.  If he is simply trying to get some people’s attention then I can tell you he has certainly succeeded”.

THE END OF THE HONEYMOON

Of more immediate concern to the hard working men and women of the NYPD is just when the honeymoon between Bill and Bill will come to an end and, make no mistake about it, their honeymoon will end.  Much of candidate De Blasio’s campaign rhetoric was extremely critical of the NYPD, Commissioner Ray Kelly and some of the practices and procedures of the Department most notably the “Stop, Question and Frisk” (SQF) policy.  Candidate De Blasio made the “dismantling” of SQF the centerpiece of his platform geared to “reforming” NYPD.  Bratton is a staunch believer in SQF,has implemented it aggressively while Chief of LAPD and has made no comments about “reforming” any of the existing policies, practices or procedures.  Candidate De Blasio was also a vocal proponent of increasing civilian review of the Department, an issue that every Member of Service (MOS) feels very strongly about because it directly impacts how they perform their job.  What may be missed in the months to come is the absence of a Mayor and a Police Commissioner who actually saw eye to eye on some of the most basic fundamental elements of policing our City.  Mayor Bloomberg, think what you will about him, was, at least, always publically behind Commissioner Kelly and the MOS knew that Kelly “had our backs”.  One cannot dismiss the significance of this as it applies to the men and women on patrol, conducting investigations, gathering intelligence and generally enforcing the law on our streets.

The harsh fact of the matter is that the men and women who police Our City often find themselves in critical scenarios where they must process a great deal of stimuli and information under extremely stressful circumstances and make decisions; decisions where life and death might hang in the balance.  If Officers are factoring in how a civilian review board will analyze their actions lethal and fatal mistakes will most certainly be made.  An Officer’s moment of hesitation or doubt may cost the life of a partner, another Officer or an innocent victim or bystander.   Candidate De Blasio’s blatant pandering to the segments of our population who feel most aggrieved and disenfranchised did nothing to promote the notion that relations between the residents of the neighborhoods we police and our Department could change for the better if honest and open exchanges were made. Now that candidate De Blasio is Mayor-elect he will soon be taken to task by those segments of our populace to whom he pledged allegiance and reform.  The new Mayor may find quickly that his campaign stump speeches do not comport with Bill Bratton’s policing philosophy.

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

As Bill Bratton sits in his transition phase office and reviews all the resumes’ he’s requested he will encounter resumes’ of others who were in contention or, at least, considered for the post he is about to assume.  On the other side of City Hall De Blasio’s team may wonder why Bratton was selected while there are so many well qualified NYPD veterans in good standing who could have effectively taken over the reins of NYPD. The short list of those who were or should have been considered is impressive. Chief of Department Philip Banks and First Deputy Commissioner Rafael Pineiro as well as Chief of Detectives Phil Pulaski are all as well qualified if not more so as longtime NYPD veterans who rose up through the ranks than Bratton.  For better or worse, NYPD is an organization that respects history, legacy and promotion from within.  Some may criticize the “culture” of the NYPD; it has served the Department well since the First NYPD Commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt, consolidated an un-unified collection of Police Departments from what are now known as “The Outer Boroughs” into one organization proudly designated as the NYPD.

THE LIGHTS ON BROADWAY

For now the newest show in our town world renowned for its spectacular shows is the Bill & Bill Show.  While it is still in its premier weeks, it will remain to be seen how the audience – the citizens of Our City – respond to the plot line, characters and production.  For the most part this is a two man show, a drama that can turn comedic or tragic in on night.  The curtain will no doubt fall on this show night after night and, hopefully, it will rise again the next night with cast and crew firmly in place and performing as expected.  But, this particular show has a certain tinge of mystery to it; how will bill and Bill play out in reality when the stakes are higher than mere ratings. 

The citizens have spoken and delivered Bill De Blasio to Gracie Mansion and, in turn, De Blasio has recalled a star from the past to be his most visible cohort.  We, a discerning and picky audience will render opinions soon; very soon.  We will decide if Bill & Bill get a thumb up or thumb down.  We know a good show when we see it and we can easily recognize a cheap vaudevillian act from a standing ovation performance.  For the time being opening night is a few weeks away; the cast is in rehearsal.  But, once the New Year strikes and the curtain rises we will determine rapidly if the Bill & Bill Show is going to be a long running act or relegated to an off-Broadway death. 

SOME VERY INFORMATIVE LINKS:

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bratton-nypd-supervisors-resumes-article-1.1544100

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bill-bratton-article-1.1541241

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/bratton-back-beat-article-1.1540341

http://gothamist.com/2013/12/05/who_is_bill_bratton.php

http://observer.com/2013/12/editorial-de-blasio-goes-with-pros/

http://politicker.com/2013/12/whos-going-with-bill-de-blasio-to-city-hall/

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/12/nyregion/de-blasio-says-he-will-move-to-gracie-mansion.html

Copyright The Brooding Cynyx 2013 © All Rights Reserved