Hipster Cop Identified; Detective Rick Lee Fits Internet Meme Persona
The Occupy Wall Street protests have drawn hundreds of NYPD officers to the streets of New York, but one cop has been standing in Zuccotti Park since before it was cool. Meet Hipster Cop.
The skinny tie police officer, who has become an internet meme, was recently identified by the New York Times. Hipster Cop is a community affairs detective in the First Precinct named Rick Lee.
Lee said
“That (hipster cop) is what they call me… I’m into fashion, always have been… I will reveal that I wear skinny jeans off-duty.”
The NY Times reports that Detective Lee is 45 and enjoys organic food instead of donuts. He listens to everything from Radiohead and the Killers, lives on Staten Island and loves a good cardigan. But just because Lee is the butt of the joke, doesn’t mean he doesn’t appreciate it.
Lee said:
“I’m not a blog guy, so I haven’t really seen a lot of the hipster mentions… but I think it’s funny. ”
Hipster Cop can blend in perfectly with the protesters, which is probably why the he is one of the department’s the main liaisons at Zuccotti Park. Detective Lee has been working 7 days a week during the protests as he tries to keep communication between the protesters and the NYPD open.
Despite his casual appearance, some protesters have warned people that Detective Lee is still the enemy.
A writer at The Sparrow Project said:
“Hipster Cop is part of the process of intimidation, ridicule and violence being levied against us.”
Although the protesters have had a few bad run-ins with the NYPD, the majority of the 99% maintain that cops are not the enemy.
What do you think about Hipster Cop? Is he an evil officer trying to infiltrate the 99%? Or just a guy doing his job and trying to keep everyone safe?
Tags : detective lee, detective rick lee, hipster cop, hipster cop identified, Occupy Wall Street, zuccotti park
Posted: October 19, 2011
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Oct 19, 2011
It actually sounds like one of the 99% is infiltrating the police!
Oct 19, 2011
He looks like nerdster cop to me. Or should it be geekster cop.
Oct 19, 2011
The police are part of the 99%. Except for some of those white shirt assholes. They're management, the blues are fellow workers.
Oct 19, 2011
One thing I appreciate about cops is that without them, chaos reigns…
Oct 19, 2011
he's cute. Hi Detective Rick Lee!
Mar 2, 2012
Yep, without cops it'd be like a bad day of Grand Theft Auto IV out there…
See, most people have learned over time to FEAR the blue flashing lights- because of the experience of being pulled over and issued tickets, etc… It creates a negative Pavlovian training aspect.
This feeling was switched in my case when I was saved by the police in the middle of a savage beating. I remember the blue light and I remember thinking to myself "Thank God, I'm going to live!" Ever since then, I've noticed how much EVERYONE's reactions to cops are skewed.
But this also applies to the cops themselves. They have to go out of their way to be nice to people and avoid unnecessary confrontation. They have to spend that energy chasing the REAL bad boys while at the same time making a lasting peace with all the other decent people of this great nation.
If anything, that's why a nice hipster cop like this is really a very good thing. He can regulate affairs passively, so as to save the SWAT Team for the REAL SWAT Team missions. Think of it this way; the Battleship is for shooting bad guys, the Medical ship is for healing the sick and wounded and the Supply ship is for carrying food and Supplies.
The Battleship cannot fully do it's job without the Medical and the Supply ships. In New York City, they have Cops, Firefighters, Ambulances, Active Duty AND Reserve Military, every kind of detective under the sun, and more. They all work in unison to keep the city safe.
If you want to fix things that are wrong with that system, don't talk about getting rid of a system that is CLEARLY NECESSARY for the living people of that community. Talk about fixing problems from within the system so that we can make the system better for everyone.
I would think that cops like this guy help to drive that point home…
Mar 2, 2012
Every town should have one of these… Send him out to deal with sloppy situations first. He can probably make 95% of them less sloppy…
May 6, 2012
He's a nerdy cop that I'd do dirty things to.