NYPD Union Head Slams Southeast Queens Rep In Letter To Residents

QUEENS, NY — Powerful police union leader Pat Lynch has sent letters to Southeast Queens residents accusing their City Council representative, Donovan Richards, of demonizing cops and "failing" his constituents.

"[Richards] cares more about running for higher office than he does about regular folks in Southeast Queens," Lynch, president of the NYC Police Benevolent Association, wrote on July 29. "You deserve better representation."

As @NYCCouncil Public Safety Chair for the past 2 years, @DRichards13 has led the charge to demonize and handcuff the cops, because he thinks it's good politics. His constituents deserve to know that he cares more about running for higher office than he does about them. pic.twitter.com/h75KIUyAFI
— NYC PBA (@NYCPBA) August 12, 2019

In the letter, Lynch wrote that Richards "expects" police officers who recently got water dumped on them to "just take the abuse," even though the council member called the dousing "reprehensible" in an interview with The New York Times.

Richards, who leads the City Council committee that oversees the NYPD, has pushed back on Lynch's assertion that the water-dumping incidents are a side effect of district attorneys not prosecuting some low-level crimes.

In Richards' eyes, the hostility comes from distrust of the police force. He told the Times that the NYPD and union leaders fail to hold their colleagues accountable for instances of civilian abuse, like the police chokehold that led to the death of Eric Garner in 2014.

"Sorry PAT if you think black men getting killed is politics. Unfortunately, it’s a reality for us in my neighborhood," Richards said on Twitter in response to the letter.

Sorry PAT if you think black men getting killed is politics. Unfortunately, it’s a reality for us in my neighborhood. I heard you were from Queens, but that can’t be true, because we don’t hide behind keyboards, letters, and stamps here. https://t.co/0Uj5yf2pGH
— Donovan Richards (@DRichards13) August 13, 2019

Richards and Lynch have most recently butted heads over a non-binding Aug. 2 ruling that Officer Daniel Pantaleo be fired from the police force for his role in Garner's chokehold death.

Lynch blasted the decision, while Richards called for the NYPD to fire Pantaleo.

In the letter, Lynch also accused Richards of not doing "basic jobs" he was elected to do and urged constituents to call Richards' offices in Laurelton and Far Rockaway about such matters as bus routes, NYCHA developments, jobs and public urination.

"You don't need to ask him to support the police — it's clear that he doesn't," Lynch wrote.