Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Are You A "Real New Yorker"? Let The Police Union Decide
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 8, 2015
Modified Jan 8, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 8, 2015
Modified Jan 8, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Can you appreciate the role that police officers play in upholding justice in a civil society while also recognizing that justice is systematically denied to many? Do you praise the actions of brave, compassionate cops and condemn those who abuse their power and others who protect their ability to abuse it? Are you capable of having nuanced thoughts? If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, the city's largest police union doesn't consider you to be a "Real New Yorker."
Here's an ad that will run in several city newspapers courtesy of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.
It's unclear whether the PBA believes Commissioner Bratton to be one of the "self-serving politicians" who thinks that their visceral (and statistically significant) reaction to the protests and police slayings is related more to labor matters than showing their hatred for Mayor de Blasio.
Bratton has consistently pointed to the absence of contracts with the PBA and the SBA as the unspoken rationale for cops turning their backs on the mayor and conducting a work slowdown, most recently on Monday.
There's a lot going on in the department at this particular point in time that's of concern to officers - contracts that the previous administration chose not to settle, this administration's seeking very hard to settle. There's also the issue of the various retirement plans - almost now a majority of my officers are now in a retirement plan that offers significantly less benefits than their predecessors received - an action that Governor Paterson took as he was leaving office - that is having profound implifications [sic] on officers who were injured in the line of duty.
With a very young - and now constantly enlarging - workforce, that are now out on the streets of the city, that's of great concern to them and their families - the benefits if they're injured on the job. We also have issues of concern relative to indemnification, in terms of the city willing to protect them if they're sued. There's a whole slew of issues, many of which the mayor and the police department - the administration of the department - are looking at, actively looking at, to see, are there things that can be done to improve or address those concerns.
Here are a few more PBA ads that went up over the last year; they all strike a similar theme.
But we're just cynical pundits, what do we know?
Tagged
Goodbye Nuance
nypd
pat lynch
pba
original
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Early Addition: Get to know Wanda, the donkey in the Met's 'La Bohème'
Because she's 18 years old now, here are your early links: The RHONY castmember mentioned in the Epstein Files, killing rats with carbon monoxide, Selena Gomez says don't vape and more.
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 8:26 a.m. ET
Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest
Ulrich, a former city councilmember, is accused of trading access and favors for cash and bribes. He was the first aide to Mayor Adams charged with public corruption.
By
David Brand
and
Samantha Max
News
Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest
Ulrich, a former city councilmember, is accused of trading access and favors for cash and bribes. He was the first aide to Mayor Adams charged with public corruption.
By
David Brand
and
Samantha Max
Need help with mental health or addiction services? NYC has a new tool.
By
Caroline Lewis
NYC sues personal injury law firm accused of bogus trip-and-fall claims
By
Walter Wuthmann
NYC Council to consider earlier Legionella reporting after deadly outbreaks
By
Catalina Gonella
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .