NYPD Union Votes 'No Confidence' In De Blasio, O'Neill

NEW YORK — New York City's largest police union formally demanded the ousters of Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill Wednesday, spurred by last week's firing of Officer Daniel Pantaleo.

The Police Benevolent Association's leaders unanimously passed two "no confidence" resolutions demanding O'Neill's resignation and de Blasio's removal from office.

Both resolutions cite Pantaleo's Aug. 19 dismissal for infamously putting Eric Garner in a banned chokehold in 2014, a decision that sparked intense outrage from police union leaders.

De Blasio, a Democrat, "unlawfully interfered" in the disciplinary process that led to Pantaleo's ouster through "public statements and private conversations," while O'Neill capitulated to "inappropriate pressure" from elected officials and advocates in deciding to fire the 13-year cop, the resolutions say.

"The unjustified termination of Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo has not only deprived a dedicated and accomplished police officer of his livelihood, but has also dealt a staggering blow to police officers throughout the city, destroying morale and discouraging NYPD members of every rank from proactively addressing crime and disorder," says the resolution condemning de Blasio.

PBA President Patrick Lynch called for the no-confidence votes last Monday in the wake of Pantaleo's firing, which came five years after Garner's death. An NYPD judge ruled early this month that he acted recklessly in putting Garner in a chokehold while trying to arrest him for allegedly selling loose cigarettes.

The resolutions contain a litany of the 24,000-member union's grivances against de Blasio and O'Neill, whom the mayor appointed to lead the NYPD in 2016. They cite the recent spate of police officer suicides, disputes over hours and pay, and policies that have created "new layers of scrutiny and second-guessing."

The documents also rail against rhetoric that demonizes police — de Blasio has engaged in it, they say, while O'Neill has failed to defend cops from it.

O'Neill has "abandoned the ideals and values of New York City police officers and betrayed the trust of every member of the NYPD," reads the resolution calling for his resignation.

NYPD spokesperson Phil Walzak said O'Neill is "honored" to lead the Police Department as it drives crime down to "historically low levels."

"The dedicated women and men of the NYPD are out there each and every day, serving the public proudly and keeping the city safe," Walzak said in a statement. "The Department stands with its officers, and will always support them and the brave work that they do."

De Blasio's press secretary, Freddi Goldstein, stood by both the mayor and the commissioner.

"This is another attempt by the PBA to divide our city and we won’t stand for it," Goldstein said in a statement. "Under this mayor and Police Commissioner, our officers and the communities they serve are closer than ever and the city is the safest it’s ever been. That isn’t changing."

Lynch encouraged cops to use the "utmost caution" in their jobs after Pantaleo was fired, and a steep drop in arrests has reportedly followed. The NYPD recorded 27 percent fewer collars between Aug. 19 and 25 compared to the same period last year, the New York Post reported.

"We’ve seen a decrease in the number of arrests, mainly misdemeanor arrests, arrests police officers have discretion (in) and we encourage discretion for police officers to make those arrests," Chief of Department Terence Monahan said at a Wednesday news conference, according to the Post.