Following the double murders of two NYPD cops, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, arrests in New York are down a reported 66 percent as police officers come to terms with the loss of their comrades, as well as the ensuing fallout concerning Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and Mayor Bill de Blasio.
According to a report in the New York Post , NYPD traffic tickets and summonses for minor offenses have dropped by an unprecedented 94 percent, as officers feel betrayed by the mayor and fear for their safety.
The police union have ordered drastic measures for their members since the double assassination of officers Ramos and Liu, including the directive that two units respond to each and every 911 call.
The whole affair has led to a natural reaction among NYPD cops , who are scared to attend to calls for fear of being hurt or killed. For example, citations for traffic violations fell by 94 percent, from 10,069 to 587, compared to the same period last year.
On top of that statistic, summonses for low-level offenses like public drinking and urination also dropped 94 percent, from 4,831 to 300, and parking violations are way down, dropping by 92 percent, from 14,699 to 1,241.
So criminals or would-be troublemakers have life easy these days on the streets of New York , as even arrests of drug addicts and dealers have dropped by 84 percent from 382 to 63 over the same period last year.
According to police sources, safety concerns were the main reason for the drop-off in police activity, although some officers were mounting an “undeclared slowdown” in protest of de?Blasio’s response to the non-indictment in the police chokehold death of Eric Garner.
As one source said, according to The Post , “The call last week from the PBA is what started it, but this has been simmering for a long time. This is not a slowdown for slowdown’s sake. Cops are concerned, after the reaction from City Hall on the Garner case, about de Blasio not backing them.”
At the same time, Sergeants Benevolent Association President Ed Mullins told the publication that he was pleased that de Blasio was meeting with the unions, despite his concerns of a “publicity stunt.”
“I’m disappointed in the issuance of a press release announcing the meeting, which now raises concerns of sincerity,” he said.
