If you watched the video of the takedown by a plainclothes NYPD police officer of retired tennis star James Blake in front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York, I think that you would agree that policing is still a problem when it comes to people of color. Both New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio and police commissioner William Bratton have since apologized to Mr. Blake for the incident.
Initially, however; Commissioner Bratton defended the officer involved saying that Mr. Blake looked exactly like the suspect in an identity theft ring. Based on a CNN report, when questioned as to whether how the arrest took place was related to race, the commissioner responded, “Let’s put that nonsense to rest right now, race has nothing to do with this.”
In addition, Patrick Lynch, the president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) was indignant because the officer – James Frascatore, who was involved in the incident, was assigned to desk duty pending the outcome of the investigation. Surly you remember Patrick Lynch; he was prominent in instigating the disrespect that was displayed toward Mayor DeBlasio after a deranged man shot two unsuspecting NYPD police officers to death. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal by Pervaiz Shallwani, Mr. Lynch “said that placing the officer on modified duty was ‘premature and unwarranted’.”
Subsequent to that comment, per Polly Mosendz of Newsweek, Mr. Lynch sent the following email to reporters:
“To all arm-chair judges:
if you have never struggled with someone who is resisting arrest or who pulled a gun or knife on you when you approached them for breaking a law, then you are not qualified to judge the actions of police officers putting themselves in harm’s way for the public good.
It is mystifying to all police officers to see pundits and editorial writers whose only expertise is writing fast-breaking, personal opinion, and who have never faced the dangers that police officers routinely do, come to instant conclusions that an officer’s actions were wrong based upon nothing but a silent video. That is irresponsible, unjust and un-American. Worse than that, your uninformed rhetoric is inflammatory and only serves to worsen police/community relations.
In the unfortunate case of former tennis pro, James Blake, — who was clearly but mistakenly identified by a complainant — there certainly can be mitigating circumstances which caused the officer to handle the situation in the manner he did. Do they exist? Frankly, no one will know for sure until there is a full and complete investigation. That is why no one should ever jump to an uninformed conclusion based upon a few seconds of video. Let all of the facts lead where they will, but police officers have earned the benefit of the doubt because of the dangers we routinely face.
The men and women of the NYPD are once again disheartened to read another the knee-jerk reaction from ivory tower pundits who enjoy the safety provided by our police department without understanding the very real risks that we take to provide that safety. Due process is the American way of obtaining justice, not summary professional execution called for by editorial writers.”
Sincerely,
Patrick J. Lynch President
I don’t know about you but I think that by addressing his email to all ‘arm-chair’ judges and then talking in the body of that email about those who jump to conclusions based on a few seconds of video, he is not just referring to reporters and pundits; he is referring to people like me as well. I am among those who strongly believe that policing is a problem in our country, that all citizens are not treated the same by some of our police officers and that – but for the fact that some of the excessive force used by some police officers was on video tape – those policemen would have gotten away with murder. That must be taken into consideration and this problem must be confronted, addressed and solved.
As regards Commissioner Bratton, he seems to be a good and reasonable person who is simply trying to do his job. He might truly believe, as many others do, that the police treat all citizens equally and do not judge anyone based on the color of their skin. The preponderance of the police officers on police forces around the country probably know that this is not the case and they do not agree with or condone what their fellow police officers do when they use excessive force based on race or for any other reason.
But the problem is that none of them are strong enough to speak up and participate in doing something to address this problem. They are all too scared to touch it! Can you believe that? I can. Although it would appear that – if simply by virtue of the career that they have chosen – these officers are not cowards, there has to be something that is preventing them from taking on this issue.
If we refuse to admit that we have a problem then there will be no way that we can formulate strategies to correct it and ultimately rid ourselves of it. Although those like Commissioner Bratton and the president of the PBA might be good and reasonable people with good intentions, they are actually a part of the problem. They need to resolve to take as many steps back from the situation as necessary so that they can become reasonable participants in discussions and the development of strategies to attack this problem.
I believe that every reasonable and law-abiding person, no matter the color of their skin, want to see the police do the job that they were hired to do and to see justice served. They just want to see it served equally under the law for all people regardless of the color of their skin.
They want to be willing to step up and assist the police in any way that they can – even if at times it may involve risking their own life, to prevent a police officer from being harmed and to apprehend criminals. But many people, especially people of color, are afraid to do this because of the current relationship that exists between the police and the community members that they are sworn to protect and serve. They – again, especially people of color, are afraid that if they are not a known and accepted member of the ‘police family community’, even if at a crime scene they are making an effort to assist a police officer, they are more likely to be viewed by officers who respond to assist a fallen officer as foe rather than friend.
And under these circumstances, that could equate to a life-or-death situation for them; especially in light of the fact that there are those officers who readily and constantly use excessive force. It does not matter how few of them that there are on each police force. What matters is the image of the police force that those few have instilled into the minds of community members and the fear that those community members have of them.
This is likely why that many citizens who want to assist law enforcement officials do not do so. And that is also why that people like Commissioner Bratton, PBA president Patrick Lynch and police officers – from the street cop to the top cop, on police forces around the country must take their heads out of the sand and rationally assess this continuously eroding situation that exists between the police and communities. They must step up and help to resolve the problem of unequal justice under the law and the use of excessive force by police officers.
Mr. Blake was unwilling to say that his arrest was based on race or that the quick release and apology that he received was based on his celebrity status. But he did say that he has a voice and a platform from which to address what happened to him. He then asked, what about those who are not celebrities and who do not have a voice? Would they have been treated the same way that he was subsequent to their arrest?
What do you think? And no matter whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent; whether you are a liberal, conservative or Libertarian; no matter your color, creed or ethnicity; do you really believe that a white person in that same setting – whether or not they were a celebrity, would have been treated in that same manner? Really think about it. Do you?
Eulus Dennis