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Title: Revealed: De Blasio 'thought cops were spying on him and eavesdropping on his conversations
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URL Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art ... nversations-2013-election.html
Published: Dec 23, 2014
Author: By LYDIA WARREN
Post Date: 2014-12-23 19:51:28 by out damned spot
Keywords: DeBlasio, cops, spying
Views: 431
*Bill de Blasio's team feared members of his police detail were listening to his conversations inside his car during the campaign, a former aide said *He would step outside his car to be out of their earshot, the aide claimed *It was an early sign of the tension between de Blasio and police, which has boiled over in the wake of two police officers' deaths on Saturday *Police union leaders said he had 'blood on his hands' after supporting protests against the death of Eric Garner, who died at the hands of cops *De Blasio has now called for protesters to stand down until after the funerals of Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos - but they have refused New York Mayor Bill de Blasio feared police officers were spying on his conversations during his election campaign last year, it has emerged. In an early sign of his tension with the force, de Blasio's team was 'convinced' that members of his police detail were listening in on his private conversations inside his city-assigned car, a former de Blasio aide has told Politico. De Blasio would even step into the street to make sure he was out of their earshot, the aide added. The mayor's office has not yet responded to a request for comment on the claims. They have been made as tensions between the mayor and the NYPD are at an all- time high, with many accusing de Blasio of inciting violence against police officers. They say his distrust ultimately led to the murders of two officers in a patrol car in Brooklyn on Saturday. The vitriol towards de Blasio comes after he threw his support behind crowds protesting police violence in the aftermath of the deaths of unarmed black men Eric Garner and Michael Brown at the hands of white officers. After expressing his shock that grand juries had failed to indict the officers involved in the cases, de Blasio also explained that he has long warned his teenage son Dante - who is mixed race - to be careful of his conduct around police. He has also been pictured with civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton and invited him to City Hall, where he denounced the police - as he sat at a table with Police Commissioner Bill Bratton. Earlier this month, the city's largest police union said the mayor had abandoned the police and urged members to sign a letter insisting that the mayor stay away from their funeral should they be killed while on duty. This weekend, following the deaths of Wenjian Liu, 32, and Rafael Ramos, 40, cops made their contempt for de Blasio known by turning their backs on him as he arrived at the hospital where the bodies were taken. Two union leaders also said the mayor had 'blood on his hands' for the officers' deaths. Former NYPD detective Bo Dietl even compared him to 'Big Bird' as he spoke to Page Six. 'He's tall and he's silly and he doesn't know what he is doing,' he said. 'He knows nothing about policing. He knows nothing about "stop and frisk".' On Monday, Bratton told the Today show that tensions are as bad as the 1970s, when New York City was rocked by racial clashes and 60 officers were killed in the line of duty. By Monday evening, de Blasio reinforced Bratton's call for protesters to stand down until after the funerals for the slain Brooklyn officers. 'It's a time for everyone to put aside political debates, put aside protests, put aside all of the things we will talk about in due time,’ he said said in a speech to a charity with close ties to the NYPD. The plea fell on dead ears. Civil rights activists, led by Sharpton, were quick to dismiss de Blasio's request and vowed to carry on protests stemming from the decisions of the grand juries not to indict police officers. 'It's a time for everyone to put aside political debates, put aside protests, put aside all of the things we will talk about in due time,’ de Blasio said in a speech to a charity with close ties to the New York Police Department. Sharpton, who joined Garner's relatives over the weekend to denounce the slaying of the officers, said he would not change planned prayer vigils at the scene of Garner's death and elsewhere over the coming days to mark the family's first Christmas without him. On the other side of the tension, rank-and-file officers took to social media sites and message boards to express their frustration with the mayor. On sites like PoliceOne and Thee Rant, officers wrote anonymous posts calling on de Blasio to stay away from the slain cops' funerals. 'A little too little. A little too late,' wrote user Interceptor828. 'I am wondering if he feels that it is worth a confrontation showing up to a funeral no one wants him at.' Another user, otjkid, ranted at the mayor: 'Back peddling too late . You hate us. Get lost. All of sudden you support us with 400 million dollars for what? Cameras lol.' But David Axelrod, Obama's longtime adviser, told Politico that de Blasio's struggle between speaking the truth to the police while also wanting to hold his power is not a new problem. 'My sense is that he sincerely appreciates both the hard job the police do and the gulf that exists today, and is trying to close that breach,' Axelrod said. 'And he has to weather the storm and speak hard truths to police and the community and over time, the public will appreciate his role as a rational voice, trying to heal the city and move forward.' Others told the publication that the mayor 'doesn't have a clue' - citing his relationship with City Hall staffer Rachel Noerdlinger, whose son and boyfriend posted anti-police remarks on Facebook. Even when the comments emerged - as well as the fact her boyfriend had tried to drive a police officer off the road in New Jersey - the mayor stood by her. She eventually left the job. 'His words and his deeds don't match,' said veteran cop reporter Leonard Levitt. 'You had Noerdlinger's son calling cops 'pigs' and de Blasio doesn't think that's inappropriate? What message are you sending? 'De Blasio says it's just the union guys who are angry. It's not. It's everybody. I've been covering this for 25 years and I have never seen anything like it… The mayor doesn't have a clue.' 'WE ARE THEIR LEGACY': BRATTON'S MESSAGE TO NEW YORK A message to New York Over the past weeks, many in this city and across the nation have been attempting to define the New York City Police Department in their own terms. They are attempting to answer for themselves questions about who we are, what we do, and how we do it. But the men and women of this Department know exactly who we are: we are Police Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos. They were loving fathers, husbands, and sons—points of great pride for their communities. They were also part of our NYPD family, bonded by the experiences, triumphs, and challenges we face so that others won’t have to. They dedicated their lives to the defense of others, and understood what that commitment could ultimately mean. They were people of faith, of conviction, and of principle. They answered the call to service, and did so each and every day they wore the uniform. They were devoted to the protection of this city and the safety of its people. They didn’t do this work to be thanked, congratulated, or admired. They did it because it must be done, because we all have the basic right to live free from fear. And with all of us, they stood tall to guard those who cannot guard themselves, to shield the frightened, the weak, and the vulnerable. We are their memory. We are their legacy. And we still stand. These deaths cast a dark cloud on the rest of our holiday season and the flags will remain at half-staff past Christmas. But as we mourn their sacrifice, we also honor them through the work we do every day. May God grant Officer Wenjian Liu and Officer Rafael Ramos rest. And may God bless the New York City Police Department. William J. Bratton
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