Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
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 .
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
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
Retired NYPD detective charged with murder in George Washington Bridge shooting
Police say a Rockland County man was fatally shot during what appeared to be a road rage incident on Tuesday night.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 21, 2026 at 4:26 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 21, 2026 at 5:43 p.m. ET
NYPD officer faces disciplinary trial 10 years after killing Delrawn Small
Officer Wayne Isaacs will go on trial in January on a charge that he used improper force when he shot and killed Delrawn Small in East New York in July 2016.
By
Ben Feuerherd
News
NYPD officer faces disciplinary trial 10 years after killing Delrawn Small
Officer Wayne Isaacs will go on trial in January on a charge that he used improper force when he shot and killed Delrawn Small in East New York in July 2016.
By
Ben Feuerherd
NYC adult daycare operators charged with committing over $500K in Medicaid fraud
By
Caroline Lewis
Port Authority eyes $117M fix to Manhattan roadway where falling debris smashed cars
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Bronx couple starved their 3-year-old to death, indictment says
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 .