Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Police Union Head Says "Nincompoop" De Blasio Is Now A "Gentleman"
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 24, 2015
Modified Jan 24, 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
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 24, 2015
Modified Jan 24, 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
For the better part of the last two months, various police unions have been waging a very juvenile war against Mayor de Blasio, encouraging members to turn their backs to him in public or slinging vitriolic rhetoric in his direction. But something has apparently changed, because one prominent police union head has gone from calling de Blasio a "nincompoop" to labeling him a gentleman.
Ed Mullins, the head of NYPD sergeants union the Sergeants Benevolent Association, told Capital NY that he has started to mend fences with de Blasio. "The guy was a gentleman," Mullins told them. "We had a conversation and things have slowly begun to look differently. And all I can say is we need to give the atmosphere a chance to grow."
Mullins wouldn't get into the nitty gritty, but he added, "I had a private conversation that no one knows about with Mayor de Blasio. At this point in time, I think we need to agree to disagree. We need to work together for the benefit of the public."
This is a total turnaround from what Mullins and other police union leaders have been saying. Back in mid-December, Mullins called de Blasio a "total nincompoop" for his handling of a Brooklyn Bridge protest in which a lieutenant's nose was broken by protesters. "His actions are contributing to the injuries that are being received by the NYPD," Mullins said at the time. "Maybe he should be out there to take the broken nose for the lieutenant. Ask him if he’d be willing to stand out there and take the punches for the cops."
And just over a week ago, there was mass screaming and fighting at a police union meeting over the tensions with City Hall.
Of course, we shouldn't expect any police unions to be buying de Blasio flowers anytime soon: the News reports there's a flyer being passed around between cops right now depicting de Blasio as a puppet master, with the challengers to PBA union head Pat Lynch as the puppets on his strings. "You don’t want a apology do you my puppets," the graphic reads.
Tagged
bill de blasio
cops
nypd
police
police union
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC Council takes key step toward Mamdani's promised Department of Community Safety
Lawmakers on Friday debate a bill that would create the new department.
By
Ben Feuerherd
Published Oct 30, 2026 at 7:30 a.m. ET
NY progressives have found a way to vote for Hochul, with an asterisk
Progressives are following Mayor Mamdani’s lead and voting for Gov. Hochul, a moderate Democrat, on the Working Families Party ballot line.
By
Walter Wuthmann
News
NY progressives have found a way to vote for Hochul, with an asterisk
Progressives are following Mayor Mamdani’s lead and voting for Gov. Hochul, a moderate Democrat, on the Working Families Party ballot line.
By
Walter Wuthmann
Can you eat the mushrooms growing out of your bathroom ceiling?
By
Rosemary Misdary
Bronx community hosts vigil for boy killed in e-bike fire
By
Carol Chen
8 people charged in $7M SNAP benefit fraud scheme
By
Giulia Heyward
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 .