NEW YORK – The New York City Police Department said on Tuesday that a police union’s support for President Donald Trump should not influence how police officers treat people who protest or vote against the president.
“When we put on this uniform, we are apolitical,” said Chief of Police Terence Monahan. We have no position one way or another. ”
The Police Benevolent Association, the city’s largest police union, broke a long tradition of not supporting presidential candidates and lent their support to Mr Trump in August.
Donald Trump, a Republican, is campaigning for his re-election with a “law and order” program, which he presents as a counterweight to the protests that have erupted in the country in recent months to demand a reform of the police services.
Many police officers also support Donald Trump, seeing him more as an ally of their auspicious “Blue Lives Matter” movement than his Democratic rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.
The Benevolent Association has called concerns about the impartiality of officers “hysterical nonsense.”
“Every year, New York police officers protect the right of ALL voters to vote in peace,” the union wrote on Twitter.
The stakes were not imposed until a journalist questioned Mayor Bill de Blasio on the subject on Tuesday morning. Mr De Blasio, a Democrat, said he did not think the police would let their political views creep into their professional responsibilities.
“We have police officers who have views across the spectrum, but I also think that we have seen a very large majority of officers leave their politics at home and they will do what needs to be done to ensure the safety of the people. people and respect peaceful demonstrations, ”he said.
Mr Monahan offered his point of view at a press conference hours later, where he and other police officials discussed plans for policing during the election.
“(We have) a role, that of guaranteeing the safety of people, of ensuring that everyone can come and vote,” he said.
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