New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio can clear the air with NYPD officers with one simple step — apologize to them — says Ed Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association.
"The easiest way for the mayor to address this is to apologize and understand that his philosophical viewpoints are not the same viewpoints shared by 8 million New Yorkers," Mullins said Monday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on
Newsmax TV.
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"He's entitled to his viewpoint, but as a public official, statements you make often can either be misinterpreted or they can be triggering points to what we have now."
De Blasio has been in hot water with cops since saying he has talked to his bi-racial son, Dante, about interacting with police. The remark, which many with the NYPD see as anti-police, came after a grand jury declined to charge a white cop in the chokehold death of a black man selling loose cigarettes.
When de Blasio spoke at the funerals of Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos — killed by gun-wielding maniac who said he was avenging the killings of black men at the hands of police — some officers turned their backs on him.
"There is still a feeling of not being supported by this mayor," Mullins said.
"It is a First Amendment right to the members of the NYPD to which they broke no laws, uttered no words, and simply took a position.
"It's in many ways an embarrassment to City Hall right now, and hopefully as we move forward, we'll be able to get all this behind us. But we need to address issues and try to keep the ball moving forward."
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