Wednesday, February 1, 2012

And justice for all?

There was yet another shooting of an NYPD police officer last evening on the streets of Brooklyn. Within hours, a name of the alleged shooter had been given to the police - not much later, the alleged shooter was found, apprehended and taken into custody.

Conversely, an immigrant from West Africa was unloading goods to a taxi from the Cross County Shopping Center in Yonkers, when a rival cab driver allegedly threw a grocery cart from atop the structure - the second such incident in as many years. There has been no added security and as far as I can tell, no one has yet been arrested in this heinous crime.

What do these two men have in common? Fathers, working in New York, to provide for their young families. One was shot in the head and almost died and the other is in critical condition.

Does the NYPD and Yonkers PD handle police investigations in the same manner for civilian shootings versus police officer shootings? Should they?

I shall be watching this closely and will even be speaking to a Yonkers city council representative to express my concern.

It is also of note that the Honorable Mayor Bloomberg feels it necessary to interrupt whatever he is doing to go to the bedside of these fallen officers and provide updates to the public. Does he not trust Police Commissioner Kelley to do his job adequately and what of his communications staffer? Mr. Bloomberg's ego needs a reality check, methinks.

Stay tuned.