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Bloomberg: Cops Dirty Dancing At West Indian Parade Is Great Ad For NYC
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 14, 2011
Modified Sep 14, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 14, 2011
Modified Sep 14, 2011
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Soon after the NYPD confirmed it was launching an investigation into NYPD officers caught on video "daggering" dancers during the West Indian-American Day Carnival, Commissioner Ray Kelly and Mayor Bloomberg downplayed the incident. At a press conference yesterday, Kelly acknowledged that the behavior was regrettable, but also pointed out that it's not like the officers forced themselves on the women. "I would prefer that it not have happened," Kelly told reporters. "But I don’t want to make too much of it. You know, these young women approached the officers. They didn’t go out of their way to be approached like this."
Bloomberg also had a mixed reaction to the video, calling it "a little bit of poor judgment" but also reminding everyone that in other parts of the world, citizens are terrified of the police and would never dare bend over in their presence, for fear they might be violated in the most brutal way. "Quite the contrary here," Bloomberg told reporters, declaring that visitors "think police officers are what’s going to keep them safe and help them." Like if you're ever too drunk to get out of a cab, or even simply on your way to work, the NYPD has got your back!
As such, New York should be proud of the officers' behavior at the parade! As Bloomberg put it, the video might even be "a great advertisement for New York." Come to New York, The Big Dagger?
Tagged
daggering
dirty dancing
mayor bloomberg
nypd
Ray Kelly
west indian american day carnival
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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