Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

Angry Cops Are Now Photographing The Homeless Because De Blasio Or Something


By

Christopher Robbins

Published Aug 10, 2015

Modified Aug 10, 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 .

From the PBA's Flickr account

 


By

Christopher Robbins

Published Aug 10, 2015

Modified Aug 10, 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

If tabloid reporters and NIMBY disruptors aren't enough to remind them that they are somehow less than human, New York City's homeless population has a new stated enemy: the public employees who are paid to protect and serve them.

The Sergeants Benevolent Association is soliciting photos of the homeless as part of their "Peek-A-Boo, We See You Too" campaign, which would sound like juvenile Facebook ranting if it wasn't being propagated by the city's second-largest police union.

“As you travel about the city of New York, please utilize your smartphones to photograph the homeless lying in our streets, aggressive panhandlers, people urinating in public or engaging in open-air drug activity, and quality-of-life offenses of every type,” SBA president Ed Mullins writes in a release. "We will refer issues to the proper agencies, and we will help create accountability across the board.”

Mullins suggests that the "see you too" portion of the campaign's tagline is aimed at critics who want to videotape police or equip them with body cameras: "We, the 'Good Guys,' are sworn to protect our citizens. Shouldn't our public officials be held to the same standard?"

As of this writing, the homeless are also citizens, and none pictured in the SBA's hall of shame appear to be breaking any laws.

Too bad: think of how viral a photo like that would be! Almost as viral as a photo of a cop treating the homeless with kindness.

[h/t Azi Paybarah]

Tagged

homelessness

pure evil

sba

Sergeants Benevolent Association


Christopher Robbins

Twitter

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

Plainclothes ICE agent with long gun looked like mass shooter, Mayor Mamdani says

The mayor said his administration would review ICE and NYPD actions surrounding Thursday’s shooting.

By

Michael Sol Warren

Published Oct 11, 2026 at 1:49 p.m. ET


NJ Transit riders face 5 weeks of schedule disruptions starting Sunday

NJ Transit and Amtrak riders should prepare for cancellations, schedule changes and longer commutes as work continues on the new Portal North Bridge.

By

Giulia Heyward

News

NJ Transit riders face 5 weeks of schedule disruptions starting Sunday

NJ Transit and Amtrak riders should prepare for cancellations, schedule changes and longer commutes as work continues on the new Portal North Bridge.

By

Giulia Heyward


For a Democrat in a traditionally red NJ district, how to woo Republican voters

By

Mike Hayes

2 pedestrians killed in Bronx crash after driver ran red light, police say

By

Brittany Kriegstein

and

Ann Givens

Rain could put a damper on NYC’s long weekend. Here’s when it will clear.

By

Brittany Kriegstein


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 .