U.S: Police vs. hoodlums
29 December 2014 By Abi Giwa
Mayor De Blasio delivers eulogy with officers back on him (Courtesy:CNN)
Information reveals that some men have attempted pointing the gun at two police officers of Los Angeles Police Department, LAPD. The incidence in LA is a quick reminder of events in New York City in the last two weeks, the death of two police officers, and the effect on the relationship between members of the force and the city's Mayor Bill De Blasio.
Although, members of the New York Police Department, NYPD, are still on guard at Mayor De Blasio's home, and they still go around with him for his safety. But they are not happy with the mayor and they have not hidden their annoyance. Some members of the force first showed their indignation against the mayor at the hospital, where the two police hero were taken after they were shot by the hoodlum from Baltimore.
The news said members of the force turned their back on the mayor. The mayor may have thought the odd against him was over that moment. But on Saturday, at the funeral of Rafael Ramos - one of the slain officer - members of the NYPD again turned their back on the mayor, while he read his eulogy.
It was like they told the mayor to go tell it to the Marines. To whom then did the mayor read the eulogy with majority of mourners, who were men and women from the NYPD, turned their back on him?
Someone said nothing could be more humiliating for the mayor of New York for his own officers to disown him. No wonder the news said the police commissioner, William Bratton, described the action of the members of the force as inappropriate. The first time the police turned their backs on the mayor in the hospital, Bratton talked public relations by telling the police about how good the mayor is; how he made his appointment as commissioner possible, because he said the mayor cares about the police.
By now, students of journalism and public relations will be in session in their various classes across the country to consider what the mayor may have done to curry disfavor from members of the force, if school have not gone on holiday. Analysis of what had happened would have led them into conclusion that De Blasio as mayor belongs to both the police and the community, and that he should have maintained a neutral posture, disallow emotion from having the better of him, over the manner of Eric Garner's death.
And the end of the conclusion would be that because the mayor allowed emotion, unaware a hoodlum was somewhere plotting to do the unthinkable, made some members of the police department think the mayor has thrown the police under the bus, at a time he was most needed. And the mayor could no longer claim neutrality.
Worse still is that the office of the mayor has not been seen doing any public relations effort to disabuse the public's mind that the jury's decision was best for the city, believing that most of the protests against the jury's decision was based on lack of knowledge of the important role the jury system plays in the dispensation of justice in the United States.
Many observers believe that the jury cannot be wrong in New York, be wrong in Missouri and be wrong in LA or anywhere that jury's decision is opposite public expectation. A member of the NYPD interviewed by this reporter said that members of the jury see and consider many factors the public don't see. He said the jury don't base their decisions on emotion, but on facts made available to them. He said the police authorities could not have been anywhere near influencing the jury's decision.
It is why some people are against certain individuals whom they say instigate the protests, hiding under the issue of race because they believe protesters are saying they want justice, in a case the jury system has already dispensed justice.
Although, members of the New York Police Department, NYPD, are still on guard at Mayor De Blasio's home, and they still go around with him for his safety. But they are not happy with the mayor and they have not hidden their annoyance. Some members of the force first showed their indignation against the mayor at the hospital, where the two police hero were taken after they were shot by the hoodlum from Baltimore.
The news said members of the force turned their back on the mayor. The mayor may have thought the odd against him was over that moment. But on Saturday, at the funeral of Rafael Ramos - one of the slain officer - members of the NYPD again turned their back on the mayor, while he read his eulogy.
It was like they told the mayor to go tell it to the Marines. To whom then did the mayor read the eulogy with majority of mourners, who were men and women from the NYPD, turned their back on him?
Someone said nothing could be more humiliating for the mayor of New York for his own officers to disown him. No wonder the news said the police commissioner, William Bratton, described the action of the members of the force as inappropriate. The first time the police turned their backs on the mayor in the hospital, Bratton talked public relations by telling the police about how good the mayor is; how he made his appointment as commissioner possible, because he said the mayor cares about the police.
By now, students of journalism and public relations will be in session in their various classes across the country to consider what the mayor may have done to curry disfavor from members of the force, if school have not gone on holiday. Analysis of what had happened would have led them into conclusion that De Blasio as mayor belongs to both the police and the community, and that he should have maintained a neutral posture, disallow emotion from having the better of him, over the manner of Eric Garner's death.
And the end of the conclusion would be that because the mayor allowed emotion, unaware a hoodlum was somewhere plotting to do the unthinkable, made some members of the police department think the mayor has thrown the police under the bus, at a time he was most needed. And the mayor could no longer claim neutrality.
Worse still is that the office of the mayor has not been seen doing any public relations effort to disabuse the public's mind that the jury's decision was best for the city, believing that most of the protests against the jury's decision was based on lack of knowledge of the important role the jury system plays in the dispensation of justice in the United States.
Many observers believe that the jury cannot be wrong in New York, be wrong in Missouri and be wrong in LA or anywhere that jury's decision is opposite public expectation. A member of the NYPD interviewed by this reporter said that members of the jury see and consider many factors the public don't see. He said the jury don't base their decisions on emotion, but on facts made available to them. He said the police authorities could not have been anywhere near influencing the jury's decision.
It is why some people are against certain individuals whom they say instigate the protests, hiding under the issue of race because they believe protesters are saying they want justice, in a case the jury system has already dispensed justice.
