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NYPD: Dry-Humping Is OK, But Throwing Football Is Misconduct
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Sep 19, 2011
Modified Sep 19, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Sep 19, 2011
Modified Sep 19, 2011
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Four NYPD officers have been hit with disciplinary action after tossing a football around with a boy on the Fourth of July in 2010. Instead of ticketing cyclists, investigating a call for "Better Ingredients, Better Pizza," or violently slamming their groins against scantily clad women, the officers made the mistake of throwing a football with a young boy at the Webster Houses in the Bronx. "I don't think throwing a football to a 7-year-old boy is misconduct," 17-year-veteran Catherine Guzman naively told the Daily News. "It was the Fourth of July, it was 96 degrees out and we were interacting with the community." Pardon us, but vigilance doesn't drop when the mercury rises!
Deputy Chief James McNamara, who oversees the patrolling of the Bronx Housing Bureau, reportedly chewed out all four officers on the spot. "He was irate and berated us in front of everyone," Guzman said. "He said, 'What are you doing? Do you realize you are on overtime?'" Two of the officers accepted the two-vacation-day penalty, but Guzman and Mariana Diaz are appealing the charges that they neglected "to remain alert…while maintaining a foot post." There's also an additional charge for "totally throwing like a girl."
Their attorney tells the paper, "I think the Police Department prefers its officers to be an occupying force rather than interacting with the community." Officer Diaz notes, "There's a lot of negativity toward police. I want kids in the community to look at us in a positive way." What would give her the impression that people think ill of the NYPD?
Tagged
bronx
cold-blooded criminals
daggering
football
Misconduct
nypd
Webster Houses
west indian day parade
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.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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