By Michael Letts
By the time you read this, New York City may have lost nearly 28 percent of its police officers from either being fired, laid off, calling in sick, or taking early retirement. In a city that has significant crime problems, officials seem bent on making things worse.
The New York City Police force was already understaffed by thousands of officers, as reported last year. Men and women who had served their city were tired of being made the targets by the very people they served and protected, so the police officers retired or found other work. Last year, the size of the police force was at 2011 levels.
The “blue flight” was fueled by the “Defund the Police” movement that Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio supported. He even promised to cut $1 billion from the police department budget, although the final cut was only half that amount because of the pandemic rather than pandering to the left.
Because mayor Blasio has decided that all police should be vaccinated, 27 percent of the nation’s largest police force could lose their jobs. In addition, Mayor de Blasio’s vaccine mandate decrees that any police, firefighters, and other city workers who weren’t vaccinated by November 1 could be fired.
The Police Benevolent Association, representing 24,000 New York City police officers, sued to block the mandate, saying, “The city has provided no explanation, much less a rational one, for the need to violate the autonomy and privacy of NYPD police officers in such a severe manner, on the threat of termination.” However, the New York Supreme Court ruled against the police.
PBA President Patrick J. Lynch said that the decision set up a crisis for the city for no apparent reason. “This not only violates police officers’ rights — it will inevitably result in fewer cops available to protect our city,” Lynch said.
With the deadline reached and passed, the police who remain with the department wait to hear their fate. Unfortunately, the NYPD has no plan to address the staffing shortage the vaccine mandate will create if it is enforced, despite the fact that Mayor de Blasio passed the order and Police Commissioner Dermot Shea supported it.
Did they believe the police would cave to the threat of losing their jobs and get vaccinated? If so, they either weren’t watching what was happening in the department last year or not paying attention to the backlash vaccine mandates have received nationwide.
If Mayor de Blasio goes forward with his vaccine mandate, he will cripple vital services for his city.
All he has to do is look at what is already happening with New York City firefighters. A third of the city firefighters took either unpaid leave or sick leave beginning November 1, causing 65 fire stations to close because they had no staff.i
Over the past decade, the New City Police Department made some headway against fighting violent crime in the city. Crime rates are falling. That will all go out the window if the city doesn’t support its police officers. Response times will increase, which also means that patrol times will decrease. Fewer officers on the street
We entrust police with our lives and safety. Doesn’t it then follow that they will be just as careful with their own lives?
If a police officer or anyone else chooses to be vaccinated against COVID-19, that is their prerogative. It is a choice that needs to be made between them and their doctor. It is not a decision the government should decide for them.
The ferocity of the government’s response to this is surprising. Rather than use the carrot approach and convince people of the efficacy and benefit of the vaccine, officials jumped right into using a stick more like a Louisville Slugger to force the ‘simpleton great unwashed masses’ into submission. To what end? They are creating a backlash among employees and public service workers.
In the meantime, people’s livelihoods are being stripped away from them, further adding to America’s worker shortage while endangering the lives of the citizens by taking police off the streets. Our elected leaders took an oath to serve and protect the people who entrusted them to hold office. Instead of firing our defenders, it’s high time we protect those who protect us.
Michael A Letts is the CEO and Founder of In-VestUSA, a national grassroots non-profit organization helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs.
CONTACT: Jerry McGlothlin for Michael Letts 919-437-0001 jerry@specialguests.com
